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After 35+ years working as a Comms Engineer,mainly working externally,in all weathers.Due to an ongoing injury, which affects what I can do physically in the role,I have been offered a long term secondment,in a engineering job allocation type role in a regional office.
Just musing ,as its good of my local managers to put me forward for the role.Just wondering if anyone has made the transition to a desk type (will be 3HW-2 in office) role ,from working on the tools and predominantly lone working.
If so how did you find the change, the Office politics ,does it exist?,adjusting to a completely different type of work?Any gems of advice most welcome.
Commuting not a real issue for me decent ,park and ride a 10 min drive, and a decent towpath ride door to door in good weather. 2/3 years ago I wouldn't have even considered a change, but needs must .
Cheers
Depends who's in your office, if it's all old engineers then that's fine, it's just like any other environment, you have to work with the personalities that you deal with daily. If it's folk who haven't been on the tools, expect at some point a discussion on the difference between a technician and an engineer with someone who's been neither in real life 🤣
Office politics is easy, just be malleable where you can be, you work with them, they don't have to be friends, my favourite motto is 'play the player, not the game', by that i mean you understand the people you work with, and can understand how to work well, i.e. understanding how they work and fitting into this where possible, minimising any animosity where possible and so on, it's amazing how many people in workplaces aren't very good at interacting with their colleagues!
Cheers , thinking its a mix of the sick,lame and lazy from the field, and non tech folk, will depend whos on site and who’s working from home.One thing Is I will have to curb the colourfull language for sure. Bit like been on here😉
All you need to know is...never get involved in discussions about the air con (you will always be wrong) and start drinking your coffee black. It's easier.
Sounds like a 'gift horse' situation to me and one I would have been grateful for the offer of when I was struggling with my active out and about job.
Obviously will take a bit of getting used to and some diplomacy, but you'll keep working in your area of expertise and your body will thank you for it.
Office politics isn't ubiquitous, it's only in certain places that have that particular management culture.
I came off the tools as a sparky and into an office as an electrical engineer. Never used a computer before, never worn a shirt and had no idea how to do a tie....took me about 2 weeks transition and then it was a doddle. Trust me you won't miss freezing your nuts off working outside in the winter or grubbing around on filthy sites. It would break me going back on the tools now.
I came off the tools as a Linesman in BT as I couldn't put up with working up a stick in the cold anymore. Went to an office job on the shift in an XSC (private circuit diagnostics) and after a few years of that, yes there were people in the office sometimes. I moved into a pre-sales eng role, 23 years later I'm still in the same role over multiple employers. Home based for all that time, managing my own learning and time, and also my exposure to all those wonderful office based people. 20 years were in Vodafone (via company mergers) and I managed to avoid all the politics until I didn't see the signals towards the end of that time, but hey ho last 2 years small company, but everyone is a true gem and I'm having fun.
Cheers all, will not miss the working in the Winter, never minded climbing up Sticks, especialy on a rare cold sunny day, somewhere nice and scenic, and at least you were moving and keeping warm, its the hours spent,doubled over cable jointing,in ice cold mud and water, chating to the albino slugs next to your face😂.Ready for a change👍🏼