An internship or part-time job with a telecommunications company is a good way to learn more about the telecommunications network engineering. Search for job listings posted through professional associations, on employment Web sites such as Indeed.com and Monster.com, and also direct postings on telecommunications companies' Web sites. Visit the Association of Computing Machinery's online learning center to find courses and publications on telecommunications networking, https://learning.acm.org.

Telecommunications network engineers plan and design telecommunications networks according to companies' business plans and goals. This includes networks and equipment for telephones, voicemail, video, and data communication. They design and build communication networks for data, setting up and evaluating such things as the local area networks (LANs) and the wide area networks (WANs). Their work may involve setting up an internal network, such as networking between the computers in several offices within the same building, or creating an international communication network using a cloud infrastructure to provide service for many customers in multiple locations.

Telecommunications network engineers use network drivers and hardware such as cables, hubs, and routers in their work, upgrading hardware and software to ensure computer networks operate efficiently and safely. They install new communications equipment, perform equipment and verification tests, and troubleshoot and solve any networking problems that arise. They keep their department supervisors and managers apprised of network operations. They research new networking technologies for future uses for clients and also keep information security issues in mind when doing their work. Telecommunications network engineers may also be responsible for training other network engineers.