I'm in the Wireless Industry...NOW WHAT?

*I will try to lay things out here and then break off into separate pages to add more content within the blog. Take in mind these are things I wish I had laid out better when I started...

• First of all don't panic!   What in the Dunkin Donuts is going on here Batman?
• There are lots of resources in this world you just need to be trained on where to find them.  That is what this site is dedicated to, so I think you will be in good hands...if not let me know as I'm definitely looking for suggestions!
• Rome wasn't built in a day, but they may have put up a bad wireless network up in a day so that is why your here to fix it in one way or another.

• Second - You question should I be in Wireless?  Maybe, I'm not smart enough!
• You don't have to be the smartest person, but you will need a "I have to solve this!" attitude.  
• I may not be the smartest guy, but I will tell you "I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!" when researching my problems.
• I can tell you I am a bad test taker and what I do to counteract that ....I take tests! If I fail, I study some more and take them again!  Don't let your disability define you.
• You have to want to learn things on an on going basis.
• If its not learning a new technology its keeping up on your certifications.
• It becomes a Work, Life, and Training balance ...eventually add your favorite conference ;)
• Its not always easy - sometimes finding the problem is easy, but how to solve it is not so easy.
• Get support from your work peers, peers in the industry, and help from your vendor.  If your vendor neutral get neutral help!
• Join a blog, wireless group, wireless chat, wireless organization, anywhere that you can get some peer feedback.  Someone has had that issue already in most cases.  Learn from your peers!

• Third - Know the job. - Entering wireless you may do some or all of the following:
• We are communicators, documentors, teachers, researchers, designers, implementors, optimizers, surveyors, software gurus, and oracles of things to come.
• We pre-plan wireless networks by doing surveys and drawing walls...lots of walls!
• We submit proposals for work to be done
• We implement our design
• Validate and/or Post-Plan our design with a survey
• We may troubleshoot all the way down to the data-gram(packet) of a wireless message.
• Be the master of multiple wireless technologies
• Learning non-wireless knowledge to then figure out how to make it work with the wireless better.
• We may not just work on wireless and this is where its important to keep in the loop on upcoming trends in the industry.  In my opinion some of the conferences are great for this as well as learning tricks of the trade.
• Fourth - Know what your hand in "The Game" is...
• Are you deploying Enterprise wireless, Stadium Wireless, LTE, Microwave Radio, satellite network?
• Are you a wireless software deleloper?
• Are you a standards enforcer?
• Are you a lobbyist?
• Do you just get the coffee?  (I love that South American Blend!)
• Etc
• Fifth - What tools Help you in "The Game"
• Formal training in general is a start.  Learn the basics of networking I think would be a great start for anyone.
• Get a vendor neutral or vendor proprietary certifications
• Use Spectrum Analyzers, air checkers, calibration tools
• Peers - saying it again your peers are great tools...use them!
• Applications - Too many to list...but seek them out based on what you want to accomplish.  Design, survey, packet capture, radio frequency(RF) coverage information
• Conferences - You get to learn, meet peers, and get certified!!! Oh man the holy grail!
• Sixth - Do I get paid well for playing with things no one can see?
• Why wasnt money listed first? - Work to be happy and not for the money, but if there is good money in what you like...consider it a bonus!
• In most cases...Yes, but it still depends
• Is it important to your company, do you have other job duties, do you get paid extra for certifications, extra for experience?
• Payscale.com as of the date 02-22-2019 Wireless Network Engineer Salary Range is $57,395 - $139,821