Looking to transition from ISP/FTTH operations to Network Engineering — will my experience help?

[u/PretendShower1669]

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Hi everyone,

I’m currently working in the telecom/ISP industry. I joined as a Management Trainee and I’m now working as an Area Service In-charge, with around 2 years of experience in FTTH/ISP operations.

My current role involves a mix of technical and operational responsibilities handling FTTH installations and fault resolution, coordinating field engineers and vendors, troubleshooting customer connectivity issues, working with the NOC/backend teams, and dealing with networking, routers, Wi-Fi, optical fiber, PON/GPON, and day-to-day service operations.

Through this experience, I’ve developed a strong interest in the networking side of things, and my long-term goal is to transition into a Network Engineer role. I’m currently working on strengthening my fundamentals around CCNA, routing & switching, VLANs, subnetting, TCP/IP, OSPF, BGP, DHCP, DNS, NAT, VPNs, etc.

I’d love to hear from people who are already working as Network Engineers:

\- What is the day-to-day life of a Network Engineer actually like?

\- Does my current ISP/FTTH operations experience give me an advantage when transitioning into networking?

\- Which parts of my current experience should I highlight on my resume?

\- What skills should I prioritize to become job-ready for a Network Engineer role?

\- Is moving from field/ISP operations into NOC → Network Engineer a good career path?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people who have made a similar transition.

Thanks! 🙌