Working in Professional
Services R&D

Teleca is a Professional Services company, developing mobile services, products and applications for its customers.  Although both Professional Services companies and Product Companies in the IT space share the same drive to deliver innovative solutions to meet consumer needs, they differ in their focus and the way they operate. In Teleca for example, the intellectual property developed in our projects mostly stays with our customer and is not retained as our own assets.

This FAQ addresses some key aspects of what it is like to work in a Services company, focusing on what life is like at Teleca and how we might match your career expectations.

I have worked in Product Development before, what would be different in Professional Services?

There not a clear difference  between developing software for a product-oriented company or a doing the same in a Professional Services company, but there are a few distinctions in the approach. Product companies typically develop and maintain a suite of products over a number of years. The chances are good that you would have been deeply involved in such development over a long period of time and might have had clearly defined responsibilities that rarely varied.

In Services Companies, assignments or projects are shorter term and employees are exposed to a bigger  range of technologies, tools and industries. Some people may see this as an advantage, especially at the beginning or middle stages of their careers as it gives them wide exposure and opportunities to learn different skills. Others may prefer to deal with the same products, tools and technologies for a longer period of time as they prefer to specialize.

Another important difference is the exposure to customers. In large product companies, R&D departments often have internal customers, responsible for a specific product. In Services, the individuals and teams typically work directly with the customer discussing requirements, receiving feedback and presenting deliverables. This is both challenging and rewarding as feedback, good or bad, is direct and unfiltered and as such it provides a great learning opportunity. Engineers facing end customers have the opportunity to rapidly develop their communication and negotiation skills, expand their network and get to know the cultures of many different companies and countries. The degree of customer exposure depends on your role within a project, whether you are a Project Manager, Architect or SW Developer. Interestingly, a good number of our employees discover their entrepreneurial talent when working closely with customers and, in fact, many of our customer projects are not acquired by sales but by engineers proposing changes or innovations the customer has not thought of. People with this creative mindset typically flourish in a Services environment.

Another difference is the variability of the workload which Services have in common with smaller companies. Customers sometimes come to us when they run into problems with their own R&D because they lack certain competencies or simply because they have run out of time. They ask for help to ramp up a challenging project, rescue a project that is at risk or to provide special skills. Due to the critical nature of the requests, such projects are often pressurized and can require overtime work for a period of time. Naturally, as we know that this can impact work-life balance, we try to compensate for the extra effort by providing payment for overtime or give extra time off between projects. (This does depend on the project circumstances and local country of employment rules though and is dealt with on a case-by-case basis.)

In Teleca there are experienced people that truly enjoy working in such challenging circumstances, whilst  others might decide to return to product development after some time for more stability in work hours and day-to-day activities. People, however, frequently return to Services, after working in product companies. Whatever work style you prefer, it is beneficial for your personal development to broaden your horizons and work in Services at least for some time of your career. Employers, including many of our customers, acknowledge and value the experience gained in our industry.

Isn´t the focus in Services on  doing things that product companies don´t want to do themselves, such as maintenance?

This is a widespread misconception about Professional Services. Of course, we do help companies in all phases of their product development cycle, including conceptualizing & design, development, testing, and of course maintenance. The mix of work is mostly the same as in Product development companies: Teleca runs large scale maintenance projects, but at same time we do a lot pioneering projects, such as directly contributing to the Android Platform or creating a bleeding edge entertainment head unit for the luxury car segment of a large car manufacturer. The main difference with product companies is our exposure to a wide range of technologies and solutions due to our engagement with a wide range of customers in various industries. This is the key to our ability to think out of the box and come up with the innovative solutions our customers expect from us. We are proud of being the first point of contact for many customers who intend to introduce internet connectivity and mobility to their products, extending across the Automotive, Enterprise, Consumer Electronics or Home Automation industries.

Is Services the same as body-shopping?

No, it is not. There are companies that specialize in resource hire and extended temporary labor (ETL), meaning they provide freelancers to companies with a need to complement their R&D teams temporarily. Teleca´s intention is to provide solutions rather than resources, meaning we take ownership of the development, wherever possible and as required by our customer, and execute the projects (either on our own premises or on client-site) with a dedicated customer front-end. Large projects are typically multi-site, where the teams are distributed over 2 or more locations.

However, there are cases where our customers ask for individual specialists or teams to work on customer premises under customer management for a period of time. And you may ask how this is different to contracting where you’re recruited to perform a specific role for a limited period? Teleca takes care that the opportunities align with our employees’ competencies and career paths, and endeavor to ensure that personal circumstances are taken into consideration when off-site. Moreover, in most client-based projects, people are not on their own but work in teams. And even when off-site, you will stay connected with your Teleca manager, colleagues and network, who will provide support or technical assistance whenever needed.

What happens after and between projects?

Often there are idle periods between projects. We deal with these “on-the-bench” periods in different ways:  In countries where overtime is granted, some people may take time off in lieu of the overtime worked (within the rules and with approval though!). Others use the opportunity to develop their competence through training or involvement in internal development projects. These projects specifically support our business development efforts and provide great opportunities to acquire new skills in small teams on a short but challenging project. Subject matter experts or specialists use this time to engage in pre-sales activities, defining solutions, preparing technical bids and meeting customers with their marketing and sales colleagues.

Initially, new joiners may feel concerned about the end of their current project and the uncertainty of what the next project will be, when it will start and whether their competences will be needed on the project. After a while, our team members build their self-confidence and learn to trust their ability to master new challenges. Getting to know your strengths and weaknesses is a key to personal growth and probably the most important aspect of personal development in Teleca. Indeed it’s Teleca’s business to ensure that our employees are prepared for new challenges. The training, support and guidance that individuals receive from colleagues and the management team helps in the transition between projects.

Will I have a permanent contract?

Yes, that’s the typical model for our employees, including a competitive package of benefits. The specific vary between our different locations depending on local regulations, but are always focused on maximizing the value to each employee.

Will I have a permanent contract? <Germany only>

Yes, that’s the typical model for our employees, including a competitive package of benefits, such as  bonus, over- and travel time compensation, 6 weeks annual vacation and office amenities, like free drinks. Almost unique in the industry, we provide tax free, monthly voluntary pension payments with acquired rights and expectancies? after only one year of service. Don´t forget about the other advantages, employees of German companies enjoy, like health, - and unemployment insurance, participation in public pension system, etc. 

What are the career paths in Services R&D?

Most of our people work on software projects in our R&D delivery organization. The same career paths exist that you would expect in a large software company, such as  Developers, Specialist, Architects, Project and  Program Managers. Moreover, we have R&D functions not directly working on customer projects, but supporting our R&D Delivery organization and Marketing & Sales. These are Global Solution Architects, Solution and Product Managers, Bid Managers and Quality Mangers.

Needless to say, we also have non-R&D related functions such as Site Management, IT and HR.

Our organization and hierarchy is lean and flat. Promotion or career changes are typically easier and faster than in large product companies, especially for people with good networking skills and a high level of performance. Networking within the company, asking and providing support, is key to success; nobody can be an expert in all areas. If you are a team player, showing  exceptional contribution expertise and people who are ready to take new challenges will quickly gain credibility among colleagues and managers and will be in control of their career progression.

Do I have to travel and work abroad a lot?

People who enjoy travelling and are curious about other countries and cultures will have lots of opportunities to travel and work abroad, be it at other Teleca sites or at our customers. You will gain invaluable experiences in dealing with other cultures, international customers and to expand your personal network.

Teleca is a truly global company with our sites and customers located all around the globe. If you are working in a multi-site project, the chances are good that you will be able to visit other Teleca sites or your customer, to participate in workshops, training sessions and meetings. Depending on your ability to travel, there are also many opportunities to work abroad for a period of time, and Teleca will take care of your temporary relocation.

The amount of travel really depends on your flexibility and expectations and our client requirements. When you apply for a job, we will openly discuss your flexibility and limitations and take these into account during your employment.

So, is this for you?

Looking for variety, client engagement, and challenges in a multi-cultural environment? Then choose a professional services company such as Teleca to build your career in IT.