As a Network Cable Technician, you’ll help build, maintain, and repair the infrastructure of telecom networks. To do your job effectively, you will need to possess several technical and professional skills—and continually hone them.

Here’s what you need to know to become a Network Cabling Technician:

Network Cable Technicians Provide Great Customer Service

If you can provide great customer service, it will make your job more enjoyable, keep customers happy, and benefit your company. Start with a pleasant, positive, and professional attitude. Be ready and willing to answer all your customers’ questions. After all, you’re the expert! Be thorough in your work and make sure customers have all they need before you leave. For example, you may need to show them how their new cable box or internet router works and answer technical questions. Or it might be simply helping them set their network name and password. Remember that technology can be confusing for people, so you will need to be patiently respectful throughout your customer interactions.

Network Cable Techs Need Strong Communication Skills

To provide that great customer service, you need to have sound communication skills. You’ll communicate with customers in person at their homes and businesses. You might even talk with them on the phone or send emails when to confirm appointments. Throughout it all, you’ll need to make sure you’re easily understood. After all, you may need to translate technical information into plain ‘old English. But don’t forget the other side of good communication skills: listening. Be focused and attentive so you know exactly what’s going on with your customers’ service and equipment.

Network Cable Techs Need a Good Work Ethic

As a network cabling technician, you’re going to be busy. Not only will you need to do some hard work, you’ll also travel between jobs and work alone, especially for smaller, residential jobs. That means you need to be self-motivated to do a good job. You won’t have a boss or co-workers on location to rely on for that motivation. But you can do it!

Network Cable Technicians Are Problem Solvers

Sometimes your job will be pretty straightforward. You know what to do. You’ve done it before. But other times, as you install cable, satellite or internet equipment, you will run into a problem or two. You will need to calmly assess the situation, logically consider what is wrong, and figure out how to solve it. This is especially important for those jobs when you’re on your own.

Network Cable Technicians Know Basic Electronics

When you understand the fundamentals of electronics, it will help you better understand what happens when you install systems and how to troubleshoot them. You should know concepts like Ohm’s Law; series, parallel and combination circuits; resistance; magnetism; inductance and more. Hands-on experience with these theories and basic operations will help you have a deeper understanding of the concepts. And practice makes perfect!

Network Cable Technicians Know System Installation

Before you can install wired and wireless systems as a career, you need to learn how to do it. You’ll need to know all about the equipment, tools, and materials, and the processes of different types of installations. You will need to know how to install, terminate and repair copper, coaxial and fiberoptic communications cables and use them with telephone systems, multiplexers and modulators. You’ll be best prepared to start a job if you can simulate real-world situations in a lab setting as you learn.

So, what do you think? Could a career as a Network Cable Technicianology be the right career for you? Get the training you need with an Associate in Specialized Technology degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from YTI Career Institute in Pennsylvania. Fill out the form to request for information today.