What do Tower Climbers do?

A Tower Climber would typically need to:

• Complete full installations, inspections, and preventative maintenance on cell towers, self-supporting towers, and other tower transmission systems.
• Read work orders that detail equipment failures and discuss the nature of the problems with equipment operators.
• Check power levels and visit sites to design, build, and maintain efficient computer networks, connections, and cabling.
• To ensure the network’s long-term efficacy, use schematic drawings and other written requirements to identify bottlenecks and address system faults.
• Execute integrity checks on data network installations; inspect LAN (Local Area Network) infrastructure and resolve minor or large issues/bugs
• Software testing and configuration; hardware and peripheral device maintenance and repair
• Conduct several PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) and line sweep tests on sites using a handheld cable and antenna analyzer.
• Change transmission cables, antennae, radios, and weatherproofing; upgrade and troubleshoot lighting systems
• Installing and maintaining data wiring, jumpers, and connectors
• Collaboratively plan and schedule improvements and maintenance; analyse network performance and identify areas for improvement
• Check that backup equipment, such as generators and batteries, are ready to use in an emergency.
• Regular data backups are required to secure confidential information; the ability to perform service calls and decommission a tower is required.
• Assume responsibility for the routine and preventative maintenance of the radio tower, as well as the site’s buildings and grounds.
• Drive around the service area with your phone to test the wireless system.
• Collaborate with colleagues to integrate new sites into the system, make necessary system improvements, or resolve issues.
• Provide technical direction, as well as detailed advice and instructions on computer and network usage to colleagues.
• Document difficulties and their solutions for future use; communicate concerns to the technical team; and ensure a safe and efficient working environment.
• Analyse the telecommunications market and identify the tools and equipment needed to meet the needs of clients.
• Perform routine maintenance on corporate clients’ personal communication devices.

Standard Work Environment

Tower Climbers can work with genuine computer equipment inside a facility at each cell site location, or they can do any maintenance or routine checking of the radio tower outside in all weather conditions.

Some companies provide Tower Climbers with portable offices, such as cellular phones and laptop computers, from which they can connect to the computer at any of the cell sites. Employees in this category work in a wireless, mobile environment where they connect with clients and senior colleagues.

Tower Climbers in charge of multiple cell sites spend their workweek visiting the various sites and may have to drive a significant distance. They are frequently summoned away from home to scale and repair.

In most cases, you will operate alone and independently. However, coordination with coworkers is sometimes required.

Work Schedule

The workweek is 35 to 40 hours long, with early beginnings to late finishes. However, cell site management is a 24/7 industry that necessitates long and sometimes unsociable work hours, with Tower Climbers required to work shifts and be on call during weekends and holidays to deal with crises. In some firms, part-time work or career interruptions may be feasible possibilities.

Employers

Finding a new job may appear difficult. Tower Climbers can improve their job hunt by soliciting referrals from their network, contacting firms directly, using job search platforms, attending job fairs, leveraging social media, and contacting staffing agencies.

Tower Climbers are generally employed by:

• Public & Private Wireless Providers
• Public & Private Telecommunication Companies 

Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional groups and associations, such as The National Association of Tower Erectors, are essential for Tower Climbers who want to further their professional growth or interact with other professionals in their industry or employment. Membership in one or more of these organisations adds value to your CV while strengthening your credentials and qualifications.

Workplace Challenges

• Genuine lack of fear of heights
• High likelihood of falling from a great height, electrical hazards and inclement weather
• Injuries caused by falling objects, structural collapses and equipment failures are pretty common
• Long and unsociable work hours with a significant time spent away from family and friends
• Physical fitness and stamina are a must to endure long periods of standing, climbing, crouching and carrying heavy equipment and tools as dictated by one’s duties

Suggested Work Experience

Many Tower Climbers have prior work experience as a welder, tower hand, or tower mechanic. Employers also favour people who have prior building or engineering experience.

Vacation or sandwich placements with big construction and engineering businesses are acceptable possibilities for gaining industry experience, particularly if the applicant’s degree is unrelated to the work. At on-campus events, students may be able to meet and speak with representatives from such organisations.

A work experience placement will also improve your grasp of the industry, the skills needed, and your readiness for the job.

To demonstrate your devotion to prospective employers, read about the profession and interview/job shadow specialists working as Tower Climbers. A number of publications on electronic and electronic theory may be available at your local high school or public library.

Furthermore, hobby shops and speciality science stores sell electronic kits and activities that will allow you to have hands-on experience with how electronic circuits function.

Your academic department may also be able to provide you with valuable industry contacts that will be useful when looking for profitable work.

Recommended Qualifications

Tower Climbers have a high school diploma, but employers are increasingly looking for people with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or computer technology. You must be familiar with technological concepts such as communications technology and cable splicing.

In high school, concentrate on math, computer science, and physical education.

Certifications, Licenses and Registration

A Tower Climber’s proficiency in a skill set is demonstrated through work experience, training, and passing a test.

Certification in network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, automation, and programmability from a reputable and objective organisation can help you stand out in a competitive job market, increase your chances of advancement, and enable you to work as an independent consultant.

Rescue, safety, and drone training classes that meet industry standards will only increase your professional value. By including a Code of Ethics, successful certification programmes defend the public welfare.

A Tower Climber must have a valid driving licence and an impeccable driving record because a substantial component of the job entails travelling between different cell locations.

Projected Career Map

Career advancement is driven by performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional certifications.

Some firms provide a structured path for their Tower Climbers to advance into professions such as Switch technicians or Switch engineers. Others may enable advancement to troubleshoot positions where the individual specialises in certain equipment and assists other technicians with difficult problems.

Other career paths include system performance, service management, and business administration. Tower climbers with an entrepreneurial spirit may establish their own technical service and support business.

After completing a two-year graduate training scheme, tower climbers may be able to manage their own projects or become Assistant Site Engineers.

Experience and expertise will lead to opportunities to work with larger organisations abroad.

Job Prospects

Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology, relevant work experience, desired certifications, a willingness to move, and the ability to climb towers will have the best career opportunities.

Beneficial Professional Development

CPD will assist an active Tower Climber in developing personal skills and competency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning.

If you work for a certain brand, you must be familiar with the industry wiring methods for equipment. Typically, your training will begin with an induction session and will continue with a well-balanced mix of on-the-job training and applicable short courses.

You must constantly learn about LAN/WAN networks, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), and network technologies through additional informal on-the-job training and formal continuing education classes. Your employer may also pay for additional education to assist you improve your work experience and network in the field.

Conclusion of Tower Climber

Tower Climbers are highly skilled individuals with a strong interest in technology and a long-term goal of establishing and maintaining a dependable wireless network. No surprise, then, that the profession is in high demand in the modern digital era.

Advice from the Wise

The only method to attain fatality-free communications installation and maintenance records is through extensive training and strict adherence to strict criteria.

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