Field Technician Review

The day-to-day role consists of me driving to customer and network sites in order to commission the Vodafone Network and provide services to customers by creating new circuits and troubleshooting faults on existing circuits ensuring that customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are met. Daily tasks includ installing new equipment at customer sites and also running in new fibres connecting different equipment together. I often come across customers and be their only physical interaction with Vodafone and therefore needed to present the company in a good light. I often work with colleagues in order to test circuits and diagnose faults.

I have learnt how to use a variety of different diagnostic tools used in telecoms including VeEx testers, fibre scopes, optical power meters, red light testers and know exactly when to use them. I have recently been working on a project which required me to use my red light tester quite often which helps me trace fibres if I do not know where they go. This is done by slightly bending the fibre which will show the red light connected at one end of the fibre.

I enjoyed my apprenticeship with Vodafone as everyone was very helpful and I had so much support from my manager, training provider and colleagues and I am able to call anyone for help which they will be happy to provide. This enabled me to pick things up at a faster pace as I was able to put myself in an uncomfortable environment knowing that colleagues are only a phone call away. However, I do think that my enjoyment has been hindered by coronavirus as I have had to spend much of my time at home working a 'field based' role. This is where my manager was helpful in keeping me busy by giving me projects that I can complete at home.

My induction was really good. I had my induction at the Newbury HQ and was able to understand the company very well meeting lots of different people and also others that I would be completing my apprenticeship with. However, the training in my opinion was not very good. As a person that had no experience in telecoms, I was expecting there to be a good training structure in a closed environment where I would be told exactly what services we provide and how what I am doing has an impact on the services that are provided to the customer. e.g. what does a fibre patch do and how does this provide the customer with a specific service? I was expecting us to have some in-house training on exactly how to do things like log onto routers and ADVAs but this never happened. Most of my learning happened buddying up with my mentor on the field and going out by myself and getting stuck and asking for help. This would have been great if I had the knowledge of how to do it through in-house training in a closed environment and then going out with my mentor and doing it in the 'real world'. I had great support from my skills coach from the training provider and my manager. I was given all the time I needed by my manager in order to complete my portfolio. I felt like the QA training course was quite irrelevant to what I was actually doing in my workplace but was good for understanding the history of telecoms. I would have a meeting with my skills coach every month ensuring I have the support required to pass my apprenticeship. All-in-all, I'd say that the apprenticeship wasn't very well organised on Vodafone's behalf but was good on QA's behalf with all the dates of courses sent out at the beginning of the year.

My manager was fantastic! he was always there to support me and helped me with any issues I've had. He gave me all the time I needed and didn't rush my learning/development at all. My mentor was great at explaining things for me and learnt quite a bit from him. Now that I'm out on the field on my own, I am able to get all the support I need from my mentor, manager, field specialist and other colleagues. Even though I am generally on site by myself completing tasks on my own, I feel confident knowing that my support is only a phone call away. Everyone I was surrounded with has helped me gain knowledge and understanding of my role.

The training provider was great! I could always call or message my skills coach with any issues and they always set up a meeting with me every month to check up on me and help me complete my portfolio and prepare me for my interview. I was able to stay back and get further support after each training course if required.

I do not feel that the qualification provided by the training provider helps me perform better in my role. I do not feel like I can implement my learning with QA into my role. I feel like I have learnt more about my industry as a whole through this training but not my role as a field technician/engineer.

Our team has a Christmas meal every year and we did have one before the virus and will do again in the near future. We have a Workplace Facebook where we can communicate with each other and are planning to get together as a team and spend our three days paid charity days to do something good in our local community.

Yes

I would recommend Vodafone to a friend as everyone is happy to share their knowledge with you and for me; work does not feel like work. I am happy to wake up every morning and go to work knowing that I am in an environment where my company wants me to develop and get the best out of me.

The application process is pretty straight forward. I think the best advice would be for the interview is; be yourself. Everyone is unique and everyone does things differently. Doing things differently doesn't mean it's wrong. At Vodafone, I feel like I can do things that work for me and feel like I can use my initiative. I feel like Vodafone want me to think of more efficient ways of doing things so being different and unique is good. I would have liked to have been told how structured the apprenticeship would be.