Bleak Future / Career Change
I’m 31 and I’ve worked for Openreach for just shy of 7 years now, starting in late 2019 as part of one of their huge intakes. In that time I’ve had countless different managers, teams & work streams thanks to re-orgs and changes at the top.
I started as a fibre cabler on spines using subduct, blown-fibre, COF600. Then building pons with COF600/ULW/CBT’s. Life was good. We were left alone to crack on working in gangs of 2 with no real stress or pressure while keeping managers happy with our work output. This lasted up until last year Now after an another major re-org last year I’m currently FTTP installing fibre directly to customers’ properties.
It’s okay and I’m good at the job. I get on with pretty much everyone I work with. However the novelty of a new role wore off pretty fast and although each job is slightly different, it’s pretty much all the same and very monotonous with no real job satisfaction anymore.
Because of the constant moving round the business has done I’ve found it hard to progress from advanced engineer into something further, although I’m not even sure I’d fancy the constant phone calls on top of still being on the tools as a Patch Lead for the extra couple of grand a year.
As a lot will probably know early this year they offered redundancies - or as they like to call it ‘VPL’ (Voluntary Paid Leave). With this happening, middle management are having to re-interview for their own roles as they’re now merging copper managers over too due to their work stacks shrinking and their need to cut the workforce is growing. So obviously any progression for engineers is now basically a no-go.
Overall, I feel the company is no longer a safe place to work looking ahead to the future. From speaking to people there’s a lot with the same outlook and people are definitely starting to plan for life after OR.
What suggestions do you have for other roles I could pursue? Or has anyone made a similar switch? If so, what do you do now?
I have asked trusty ChatGPT and it always brings up data cabling centres etc but a lot of roles ask for qualifications/degrees specific to that field. The main struggle will be matching the pay straight off the bat. At the minute my salary with a guaranteed bonus paid each month is just under £40k without any overtime.
Any help is appreciated :).