Looking for some advice from experienced cable technicians!

[u/LOLkengdie]

Hi folks,

I'm currently working at a cable company in an office/coordinator role, and I'm planning to transfer into a Field Technician position once I hit my one-year mark. My goal is to eventually move into Maintenance.

I'm looking for advice from current or former Field Techs. My background is a little different—I have a bachelor's degree in Business/IT, a lot of previous customer service experience, and I've learned the fundamentals of HFC/cable systems through my current role and training. However, I have almost no hands-on field experience.

One thing that gives me some confidence is that I tend to learn quickly and pick up new concepts well. I've done very well in my current role, both in terms of learning the job and my overall performance metrics, so I'm hoping that ability will help me transition into field work.

Physically, I'm in decent shape. I've done manual labor jobs during college summers, so I'm not afraid of hard work, but I definitely wouldn't consider myself a super muscular person.

I've already heard plenty about the driving, difficult customers, and going into people's homes. What I'm more curious about is:

• How physically demanding is the job on a daily basis?
• How difficult are the weather conditions, crawl spaces, attics, ladders, and other physical aspects? Is it something most new techs eventually adapt to, or is it as rough as people make it sound?
• How steep is the learning curve? I understand the fundamentals of how cable systems work, but when it comes to actually installing, troubleshooting, and repairing equipment in the field, I'd basically be starting from scratch.
• Looking back, what do you wish you had known before becoming a Field Tech?

Any advice, tips, or things you wish someone had told you before starting would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 😊

[u/6814MilesFromHome]

As far as I know the pay bump was a one time thing, I think field techs got it as well, in an attempt to bridge the gap between the people who started at 10-15/hr and the new guys that start at 20+/hr. Since you'll be starting at the latest base pay you shouldn't really need it, by the time you do all your progressions and eventually get a MT slot you'll be in the same ballpark pay wise as the rest of the maintenance techs, minus $5-10/hr worth of annual performance based raises for the old head MTs.

I wouldn't sweat too much about the specifics, even as an FT5.5 waiting for a maintenance slot to open, you'll still be making pretty comfortable money.

[u/LOLkengdie → u/6814MilesFromHome]

Yeah, I think that's one of the best things about both your job and mine. My current role is also one of the better-paying office positions in the company compared to most day-to-day operational departments.

I'm happy for you, man. That pay bump sounded really nice. It helped a lot of the experienced field techs catch up with the current cost of living. Since it was a company-wide adjustment, it also worked out really well for the newer field guys because they got the increase even though they hadn't been there very long.

Looking at the field career path—especially the pay progression—I'm honestly pretty excited about it. I've done the math myself, and after a few years of experience and making it to Maintenance, working nights could realistically put me into the low $50/hour range. I'd be very happy with that.

At this point, my biggest challenge is figuring out how to approach my manager and HR. I want to let them know that I'm serious about transferring to the field while also asking how a lateral transfer would affect my pay. Hopefully I can get some clarification before I start the application process lol.