High School
You should take high school mathematics courses at least through plane geometry and have a solid knowledge of shop mathematics. You should also take English classes to develop the language skills needed to read technical manuals and instructions and to follow detailed maintenance procedures.
Postsecondary Training
Although education beyond high school is not required, many employers prefer to hire applicants with an electronics background or people who have had some technical training. Technical training in electronics technology or communications technology is available through both one- and two-year programs at community colleges, trade schools, and technical institutes. Two-year programs provide hands-on training and include courses that cover the basics of electrical wiring and electronics, broadcasting theory and practice, blueprint and schematic diagram reading, and physics. The National Cable Television Institute offers distance-learning courses for technicians.
- Computer and Office Machine Service Technicians
- Computer Network Administrators
- Computer Programmers
- Computer Support Specialists
- Computer Systems Programmer/Analysts
- Customer Service Representatives
- Electrical Engineering Technologists
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineering Technicians
- Electronics Engineers
- Electronics Service Technicians
- Engineering Technicians
- Engineers
- Fiber Optics Technicians
- Internet Developers
- Internet Security Specialists
- Line Installers and Cable Splicers
- Microelectronics Technicians
- Software Application Developers
- Telecommunications Network Engineers
- Telephone and PBX Installers and Repairers
- Telephone Operators
- Wireless Service Technicians