Case studies: Telecommunications researcher: Alice

Alice has a degree in electrical engineering and information sciences and works for BT as a telecommunications researcher

I chose to become a telecommunications researcher at BT because I am interested in the development of new technologies which address the challenges that face the telecommunications industry.

At university I studied electrical engineering and information sciences, which covered a wide range of disciplines. The course allowed me to gain a deeper understanding in subjects such as telecommunications networks, machine learning and programming, which all provide good background for my chosen career.

The application process for the BT Graduate Development Programme consists of an online application form, online tests, telephone interview and an assessment centre. Throughout the application process I was able to demonstrate a range of key skills developed through various activities I took part in at university. For example, I worked on several technical team projects, both as part of my degree and in two internships at BT itself. These projects developed my leadership and presentation skills and increased my commercial awareness. I also studied abroad, which gave me a great insight into a different culture, useful experience for working at a global company.

In my current role my day-to-day tasks involve keeping up to date with new developments in my research field of semantic technology and semantic web. I am also involved in prototyping applications that deliver business intelligence to BT as well as its customers. I discuss and present the progress of my current projects to senior managers within the company, as well as external companies, and follow up opportunities for new projects in areas that are important to the company, such as sustainability.

I enjoy the dynamic environment at BT very much. The drive for continuous innovation is conducive to a creative and learning environment, which I consider to be the most enjoyable and important components of my job. The collaborative nature of the research environment offers great opportunities to work with people within the company and also with other partners worldwide and across the industry.

I would say that the most challenging parts of the job are to switch context between different projects effectively and maintain good time management across projects of different sizes and stages of maturity. The requirements of each project vary and you can work with different groups of people, so there may not be consistency in the approach to each project. However, this gives you a great opportunity to build experience and develop skills for agile working.

The best thing about working in this sector is the speed at which it advances, with multimedia becoming more prevalent in homes and businesses and the demand for telecommunications to deliver ever increasing capacity.

I would like to progress my career at BT by building on my capabilities and knowledge in my technical field. I would like to lead in innovative projects that deliver real benefits to the business and have global impact.

My advice to anyone interested in this career is to find out more through undertaking internships or by talking to people through alumni networks to see if it is the right career for you.