Telecommunications Engineer Review

A normal day consists of being assigned jobs which may be appointments or to be completed by end of the day. You take control of the tasks so that they are completed on time within your working day, they could be simple faults to technical ones or an install where wiring is in place or new needs to be installed. Everyday is different, every job/task is different.

Everyday a new skill is learnt or improved on. During training all the skills you need are developed and taught to you, there is always support from those around you within the teams to help. I have learnt to climb and work alone and problem solve tasks, I have learnt techniques and skills from experienced engineers.

I have fully enjoyed the challenge of the NVQ program and the job itself. Everyday is different. Some days are tricky and you doubt yourself, but then you have days where it all falls into place. You have support from everyone on the teams and from the apprenticeship team when it comes to the assignment part of the course.

I started during the first national lockdown in 2020 which threw up problems for all those who were about to or had just started training. Where we should have been in a classroom we were working from home. This is a way I found beneficial as I was able to get started on my NVQ as soon as documents were available and find information myself which then helped later in training. The support throughout has been where I needed to be.

Alot. Whenever a question needs to be answered the management team within my team go above and beyond to answer and help understand. This goes hand in hand with the team within the region. The NVQ help and support has been what I required with the right number of days and hours to complete the NVQ on time and planned out correctly throughout the 12 months.

The NVQ team have bene very supportive throughout the training program, ensuring if any work needs to be addressed that you are pointed in the right direction to find the information required. You are able to have a discussion in regards to your work and the new techniques/safety systems that are in place that the assessors may not be familiar with.

From completing the NVQ it has allowed me to understand and learn the fundamentals of the job whilst on the job and having the correct documentation to hand. I have been able to learn how the network was built and operates along with the quality standards that are expected of the engineers that work in it.

Due to the COVID pandemic we have been unable to all meet up as a team and et to know each other outside of work but as a team we have bonded through our physical training and when on the job. When the COVID situation eases and we are able to meet up then I am sure such social events will take place.

Yes

I have found not only a job but a career that will give me a good work/life balance that I craved in my last profession. You are able to plan your day around the work. Everyday is different and the challenge is there which allows you to increase your skills and knowledge to progress within the company.

If you are applying to Openreach, understand that as an engineer its not a desk job, you can be out in all weathers, working alone or as a team depending on the job role. Be yourself, understand the safety aspects of the job and do your research before the interviews. Openreach is a big company with lots of opportunities to progress. Apply online, Video Interview, Assessment Day, Job Offer (can take a while in areas for positions to come available so be prepared to wait).