High-tech and telecom positions are constantly evolving with rapid progressions of software and hardware and other modern technology. Those with an MBA typically work in management, business development, marketing, or product development. This is clearly an industry for people who love this kind of competition and technological development. The rate of promotion is usually very high. Some common misconceptions in the industry are that the industry is currently high-hit and not hiring, or that you have to be an engineer to get a job. We have demystified these myths in this article and provided tips on how to best secure a high-tech or telecom position.

Though it was one of the hardest hit industries in the last few years, the High-Tech/Telecom industry is not going away. This mammoth industry encompasses companies and conglomerates that make hardware, produce software, and provide services. Hardware includes a vast range of products including video broadcasting satellites, computers, and transmission cables. Services include running the switches that control the phone system and configuring networks for corporations and businesses. The software is the backbone of many of the hardware and services offered; it allows the hardware to function, and needs to be configured properly to run optimally. With a number of companies offering substitute goods and services, the competition in this industry is becoming fiercer, and they need business people to make them meaner and leaner and to give the company direction and incite to the trends and developments in their industry. In competition there are winners that create the losers. You are a winner, and you have the vision and technical interests to make an impact.

Life in the High-Tech/Telecom Industry:
Typically, MBAs work in management, business development, marketing or product development. The industry breeds competition that manifests itself even within companies. Your competition is fierce, sometimes to a fault, with backstabbing, cutthroat competition always out for your jugular, but the fact of the matter is, you didn't think that life could get this good. Frustrations can run high, as you manage people who don't necessarily report to you and take on several projects at once in order to generate new business through either expanding a new line or creating a new product. Your day, as well as the industry, can move at warp speeds From the moment you walk in the door, you will be bombarded with strings of e-mails, teleconferences, and will have to direct and work on proposal after proposal to build and expand new business and to help plan your firm's strategic path.

In an industry that moves at the speed of light, your career track can to, with some MBAs reporting they have been promoted three times in two years, with their salaries increasing exponentially. Flexibility, intensity and perseverance are the keys to success. Combine this with your ability to manage people and you will go far. Your dedication and drive will allow you to work 60-70 hours a week without breaking a sweat, and your commitment level will only increase as you move up the ladder. Starting salaries are generally reported at $70,000 and up, depending on the size of your company, but don't be surprised if that salary increases to over $100,000 in a couple of years.

Myth The industry is hard hit and will not be hiring.	Employment Authority Though this industry was hard hit over the last couple of years, it is built on innovation and stamina, and right now the market is hot with new concepts and products to generate new business and users. As such, companies look for ways to redesign and transform themselves, and they need people like you to help.
Myth You have to be an engineer to get a job in this industry.	Employment Authority Educational backgrounds in this industry vary, and a number of managers come from a diverse background, including marketing and business. You will not be building microchips or processors; you will manage the processes, the marketing, and the development of these endeavors, and so, more than the technical knowledge, you will need to understand product management, business development, marketing strategies, trends, and industry news. Remember a college dropout built Microsoft, and Dell started his company while he was still in his teens, this industry is dotted with newcomers who made it big.
Myth All high-tech/telecom industry jobs are the same, so I can just mail my resume and cover letter to them all.	Employment Authority Don't believe for a second that all firms are the same. Bureaucracy is thoroughly entrenched in some companies, while at others, rolling in at 10 a.m. is considered normal. Tech companies can differ in a number of ways that will affect your job search. Employment Authority has one of the largest databases and teams of professionals to help you target those firms which house the type of corporate or non-corporate culture you desire, while allowing you to explore and expand your abilities and talents.