5 Things I Love About Being A Field Engineer At T-Mobile

Field Engineers design and deploy the networks and technologies that make things happen. And when it comes to T-Mobile—a wireless leader that’s spent the past decade totally disrupting the industry—making things happen can mean some pretty amazing stuff.

To get a better look at this less-understood engineering specialty—and life at a leading tech company—we spoke to Terry, a Senior Manager in field engineering at T-Mobile.

Here’s what he told us.

1. T-Mobile Wants To See You Succeed—And Do It On Your Own Terms

What makes T-Mobile different? Well, aside from their game-changing no-contract, no-hidden-fee wireless plans, Terry says it’s the way they approach success. It’s not just what’s good for the company. It’s what good for their people, too.

T-Mobile will work with you to accomplish your professional goals, even if that means going off the beaten path.

2. T-Mobile Is Going To Invest In You, Seriously

How does T-Mobile help you accomplish your goals? They invest in you through education, new opportunities, and training.

That’s actually one of the things that Terry has enjoyed most about his time at T-Mobile. As a manager, he’s seen countless employees take advantage of T-Mobile’s training programs and generous reimbursements for outside education. Not only does this make the organization stronger, Terry says, but it gives him a sense of pride to know that he’s helping his team accomplish their dreams.

“It’s actually one of the best programs I’ve heard of in the industry,” Terry says. “We’ll pay for schooling up to $5,200 a year. We have a number of people who are engineers going in to get their MBAs. That helps them become better engineers, because they understand the technology part of it, but it’s still a business, so understanding that side of it leads to better decisions on the technology side.”

In fact, Terry’s wife—who also works for T-Mobile—just finished her MBA. And, he says, she didn’t have to pay a cent out of pocket.

3. You’ll Become An Expert On Emerging Technologies—Like 5G

But it’s not just the formal education that helps people at T-Mobile grow.

They’re leading the charge to 5G. And that means everyone on the team is learning quickly about the technology that will come to shape the next wave of innovation.

“A year ago, none of us really knew about 5G or the technology behind it. We didn’t quite understand the capabilities of it,” Terry says. “As we’ve progressed through this year, we’ve all become really good at building, managing, and optimizing 5G networks.”

5G networks will allow for a new type of hyperconnectivity that can enable long-sought-after breakthroughs like fully autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and seamless communication. As a Field Engineer at T-Mobile, you’ll work directly with the implementation and design of the 5G networks that’ll make all of these breakthroughs possible.

This is great news for your career, because you’ll become an expert on one of the most important technologies of the next few decades.

4. You’ll Never Get Bored

You’ll never get bored as a Field Engineer because, according to Terry, you’re always tackling something new.

“It’s not like you sit in a cube and do a bunch of math. It’s really about communication. It’s really about consulting with your peers and with your teams. It’s about making the best decision possible for the network and the customers,” he explains.

Field engineers are the ones actually designing and implementing new networks, technologies, and capabilities for T-Mobile. There are new challenges and constraints posed by every project, and you’re constantly working with the latest technology. This also means field engineers can go a bunch of different directions professionally.

“One quote we have up on the wall is, ‘Wow, I didn’t learn this in school.’ And we take a sense of pride in that. It’s not just about using what you learned in school. If it was just about that, then this would be a boring job,” he says. “You’re learning something every day, and it keeps us motivated and entertained and on the cutting edge of what we’re hoping to deploy.”

5. They Want Work To Be Your Happy Place

All of these elements of the T-Mobile culture, Terry explains, are just part of the company’s commitment to making work a positive experience.

Terry’s team—and many others at T-Mobile—find success by learning from each other, counting on each other’s talents, and supporting each other personally. The environment at T-Mobile is just different, Terry explains.

“This is a family. It really is. I know people say that and it’s cliché,” he says. “But we depend on each other. The whole idea is to make this a happy place to work, and I feel like we’ve done a good job of that.”

Want to join the field engineering family? Check out open opportunities at T-Mobile on WayUp!