Field Engineer experiences

Hi guys,
I have accepted a new position as a IT Field Engineer. The pay was far more than I was expecting so on that basis I couldn't turn it down.

I'll be basically covering the North of England. From what I can gather I'll be getting my hands on quite a bit of tech I havent dealt with before. So its definitely a good move. Just wondering how other people have found similar roles?

I havent been on the road a lot. But I have done a few full days on the road and found it enjoyable.
Anyone able to chime in?

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Comments

dazl1212

Anybody?

Cerebro

What are the types of work settings would you be offering help to?

Russell77

Every job has it's advantages or disadvantages. I have been out in the field for a long time and the best part about it was that I do not have to deal with any office gossip and drama. Get my jobs, take care of my customers, fill out my reports, and take care of the car. If I do all that well no one would bother me at all. Having said that you have to be good with people and you must be careful what you say to a customer because even an innocent bit of technical advice could come back to haunt you. "Well the technician said" would end up on a trouble ticket even if what was said was mis interpreted. Then you have to explain yourself to a boss or a salesman who beacuse of a few well ment words that got twisted around. The other main negative about field work is the lack of upward mobility. If you are not near a home office you there is no place else for you to go. Most of what you learn is on you own because there is often no one nearby to colaberaite with about new technologies. Still it's nice to go to a different place everyday and if someone bothers you it's nice to know when the job is over you don't have to deal with person for awhile.

dazl1212

Russell77 wrote: »

Every job has it's advantages or disadvantages. I have been out in the field for a long time and the best part about it was that I do not have to deal with any office gossip and drama. Get my jobs, take care of my customers, fill out my reports, and take care of the car. If I do all that well no one would bother me at all. Having said that you have to be good with people and you must be careful what you say to a customer because even an innocent bit of technical advice could come back to haunt you. "Well the technician said" would end up on a trouble ticket even if what was said was mis interpreted. Then you have to explain yourself to a boss or a salesman who beacuse of a few well ment words that got twisted around. The other main negative about field work is the lack of upward mobility. If you are not near a home office you there is no place else for you to go. Most of what you learn is on you own because there is often no one nearby to colaberaite with about new technologies. Still it's nice to go to a different place everyday and if someone bothers you it's nice to know when the job is over you don't have to deal with person for awhile.

Thanks for posting

Can i ask where is it you are from?
This will be dealing with the companies own staff.
But that is great advice on what to say to clients. I have worked in a customer facing help desk role in the past, roughly 4 years.
The past four years I have been stuck in a warehouse with only 3 guys for company and I was going stir crazy

dazl1212

Cerebro wrote: »

What are the types of work settings would you be offering help to?

They are a medical company that are subcontracted to the NHS, so I will be supporting there staff if their computer goes down or they lose connectivity etc

Russell77

dazl1212 wrote: »

Thanks for posting
Can i ask where is it you are from?
This will be dealing with the companies own staff.
But that is great advice on what to say to clients. I have worked in a customer facing help desk role in the past, roughly 4 years.
The past four years I have been stuck in a warehouse with only 3 guys for company and I was going stir crazy

I am from upstate NY. I worked In telecom for 11 years then for the past two I was a break fix for a PC based test system in auto garages. I got laid off late last year because my company lost a contract but it looks like I might have a telecom offer this week. I was mostly seeking out VOIP install/Admin type positions and beefed up my Certs with a CCNA, CCNA-voice, and should have the A+ done in a week or two. Just have to review for the 802 exam.

Working with internal customers has an advantage in that you have some recourse if they are treating you poorly. The general population does not have such an obligation. Although my experiences have been 99% positive It just takes one to give you trouble. Some people want to drag you into an argument and it may have nothing to do with what you are working on. The sooner you learn to stay positive and non confrontational the better off you would be. Some people I meet had no one else to **** problems on so I had to be part psychiatrist, part technician. It takes some practice and you will kick yourself sometimes for not dealing with a situation the right way but if you have a supportive supervisor it helps a lot. It has been my experience that it is eaiser to deal with a customer in person than on the phone. They are less likely to go off on someone who is standing in front of them working on the problem. Good luck I am certain you will do well if you take care of business.