So I’m making a bit of an unconventional move and wanted to share it here and maybe get some perspective from people who’ve been in the field longer than me.

Background

I have a BEng in Electrical Engineering and an MEng in Software Engineering. My recent work has been software development and data analytics, white collar, desk job, laptop life. I also did a brief AV/low voltage stint right out of undergrad but left quickly due to a bad supervisor situation and never gave it a fair shot.

Part of what pushed me toward field work is honestly the AI thing. I got tired of being in roles that are increasingly in the crosshairs and didn’t want to keep competing in a space where the ground is shifting under everyone’s feet and my short contracts not extending after they ended. So I started applying to field tech roles deliberately, knowing I had minimal hands on experience, and just pushed my luck.

Turns out it paid off. I was unemployed since January and when I went in for the interview the owner of the company hired me on the spot. Didn’t say he’d be in touch, just offered me the role right there in the room. After months of rejection that meant a lot. I keep thinking he saw something in my background I wasn’t giving myself credit for.

Now I’m joining a telecom company as a Tier One Field Communications Technician working with RF two-way radio systems, microwave broadband, satellite, GPS/AVL, DAS/BDA, and vehicle mounted comms equipment which if you ask me is so cool. I relocate in about a week and start May 25th.

What I think transfers

My undergrad dissertation was on Software Defined Radio with an RTL-SDR dongle so RF theory isn’t completely foreign to me. I also have IT networking experience from my homelab, and was pivoting to a help desk position after I got laid off in January but the amount of rejections 😮‍💨, but I’m working toward my CCNA. And troubleshooting is probably my strongest skill overall. Engineering and software work drilled into me how to isolate variables, test methodically, and not guess. At the end of the day a fault is a fault whether it’s in code or a cable run.

What I don’t have is hands on field craft and I know it, but I do always observe and monitor when cable technicians come over to my basement for troubleshooting internet issues, such as adding a booster, adding a splitter from the coaxial outlet to 2 routers, testing the main line, terminating coax cables etc. No illusions about being ahead of someone who’s been doing installs for years.

Questions for people in the field

Where does this career actually go long term? What does a realistic day look like for a Tier One tech? And what resources do you wish you had when you were starting out?

Anyway. May 25th. Fort McMurray. Here we go.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​