Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
May 2nd 2012, 4:12 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4
Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hey there I am 27 soon to leave the British army and will be completing cable telecommunication/fibre optic courses. I have heard there is alot of work abroad in this industry and it is my ambition to work abroad. Just wondering if anyone could give me advice on this matter I am willing to work anywhere with my final intention to settle in Australia. Any advice would be great cheers.
May 2nd 2012, 4:58 pm
#2
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Joined: Apr 2012
Location: Vermont
Posts: 2
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hello Exarmy,
I'm located in Vermont in the US and can give you some info on the fiber optic job front here.
A lot of fiber has already been strung (the common way of deploying the cable in the US is from telephone poles) in the major population areas (NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, LA, etc.) by the major carriers - QWest, AT&T, ComCast, etc. The ongoing need for fiber is in the less populated rural areas - New England and the West and, I suspect, most of the State of Alaska. These areas are where the big boys don't want to play due to the lack of population density and the government doesn't have the testicular fortitude to force them. As a result, many towns and villages are building their own networks. If they don't, people leave because businesses won't come or stay without broadband Internet connections.
These projects tend to be small scale (less than 5,000 subscribers) that are managed by the town, a cooperative, or some other citizen initiative with the fiber is strung by outside firms specializing in this type of project. So employment opportunities will be with these firms as well as the big boys who need techs to maintain the network.
I hope you find this info helpful and best of luck in your civilian career.
Staevart
US Army (Retired)
I'm located in Vermont in the US and can give you some info on the fiber optic job front here.
A lot of fiber has already been strung (the common way of deploying the cable in the US is from telephone poles) in the major population areas (NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, LA, etc.) by the major carriers - QWest, AT&T, ComCast, etc. The ongoing need for fiber is in the less populated rural areas - New England and the West and, I suspect, most of the State of Alaska. These areas are where the big boys don't want to play due to the lack of population density and the government doesn't have the testicular fortitude to force them. As a result, many towns and villages are building their own networks. If they don't, people leave because businesses won't come or stay without broadband Internet connections.
These projects tend to be small scale (less than 5,000 subscribers) that are managed by the town, a cooperative, or some other citizen initiative with the fiber is strung by outside firms specializing in this type of project. So employment opportunities will be with these firms as well as the big boys who need techs to maintain the network.
I hope you find this info helpful and best of luck in your civilian career.
Staevart
US Army (Retired)
May 2nd 2012, 5:16 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2011
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire but aiming for distant shores....
Posts: 182
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hello Exarmy,
I'm located in Vermont in the US and can give you some info on the fiber optic job front here.
A lot of fiber has already been strung (the common way of deploying the cable in the US is from telephone poles) in the major population areas (NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, LA, etc.) by the major carriers - QWest, AT&T, ComCast, etc. The ongoing need for fiber is in the less populated rural areas - New England and the West and, I suspect, most of the State of Alaska. These areas are where the big boys don't want to play due to the lack of population density and the government doesn't have the testicular fortitude to force them. As a result, many towns and villages are building their own networks. If they don't, people leave because businesses won't come or stay without broadband Internet connections.
These projects tend to be small scale (less than 5,000 subscribers) that are managed by the town, a cooperative, or some other citizen initiative with the fiber is strung by outside firms specializing in this type of project. So employment opportunities will be with these firms as well as the big boys who need techs to maintain the network.
I hope you find this info helpful and best of luck in your civilian career.
Staevart
US Army (Retired)
I'm located in Vermont in the US and can give you some info on the fiber optic job front here.
A lot of fiber has already been strung (the common way of deploying the cable in the US is from telephone poles) in the major population areas (NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, LA, etc.) by the major carriers - QWest, AT&T, ComCast, etc. The ongoing need for fiber is in the less populated rural areas - New England and the West and, I suspect, most of the State of Alaska. These areas are where the big boys don't want to play due to the lack of population density and the government doesn't have the testicular fortitude to force them. As a result, many towns and villages are building their own networks. If they don't, people leave because businesses won't come or stay without broadband Internet connections.
These projects tend to be small scale (less than 5,000 subscribers) that are managed by the town, a cooperative, or some other citizen initiative with the fiber is strung by outside firms specializing in this type of project. So employment opportunities will be with these firms as well as the big boys who need techs to maintain the network.
I hope you find this info helpful and best of luck in your civilian career.
Staevart
US Army (Retired)
As an ex-squaddie myself, I would say the resettlement courses arent worth naff all mate. As a REME Radar Engineer with an ONC in Electronic Engineering, I still found it very hard to gain a decent job. Most employers wanted HNC above (Staff Sergeant level)that could solve most of their problems for them or J.E.E.P.S that they could pay minimum wage. No room for middle men.
You havent mentioned which Regiment or Corp you're in, so I'll assume you have no previous experience in this area (apologies if thats wrong.) Personally I would recommend that you forget the cable course, and grab your HGV 1 and hazmat licences if possible, then when you get out do some agency work to build your funds and then go on a full time college course or even apply to Uni. With a proper diploma or a degree you find it far easier to find a job in that industry and work in other countries when the opportunity presents itself.
.
May 2nd 2012, 6:25 pm
#4
MODERATOR
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,800
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hello and a big welcome to BE.
Excellent information can be found in the BE Wiki, not forgetting the Living and Moving Abroad forum that will help you, another set of great help is the permanent threads at the TOP of each forum, they are very pertinent to that particular forum and makes sensible reading.
Moderators deal with any problems that arise such as inappropriate posts, spammers etc, you will find their names at the bottom right hand side of each forum's index in bold font.
Please contact me if I can give you any further help.
Rosemary
Excellent information can be found in the BE Wiki, not forgetting the Living and Moving Abroad forum that will help you, another set of great help is the permanent threads at the TOP of each forum, they are very pertinent to that particular forum and makes sensible reading.
Moderators deal with any problems that arise such as inappropriate posts, spammers etc, you will find their names at the bottom right hand side of each forum's index in bold font.
Please contact me if I can give you any further help.
Rosemary
May 2nd 2012, 7:45 pm
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
You can pretty much write the US off as an option, its getting exceptionally hard to get a green card or employment opportunities in the US these days. Already looked into it, taking a degree into consideration.
As an ex-squaddie myself, I would say the resettlement courses arent worth naff all mate. As a REME Radar Engineer with an ONC in Electronic Engineering, I still found it very hard to gain a decent job. Most employers wanted HNC above (Staff Sergeant level)that could solve most of their problems for them or J.E.E.P.S that they could pay minimum wage. No room for middle men.
You havent mentioned which Regiment or Corp you're in, so I'll assume you have no previous experience in this area (apologies if thats wrong.) Personally I would recommend that you forget the cable course, and grab your HGV 1 and hazmat licences if possible, then when you get out do some agency work to build your funds and then go on a full time college course or even apply to Uni. With a proper diploma or a degree you find it far easier to find a job in that industry and work in other countries when the opportunity presents itself.
.
As an ex-squaddie myself, I would say the resettlement courses arent worth naff all mate. As a REME Radar Engineer with an ONC in Electronic Engineering, I still found it very hard to gain a decent job. Most employers wanted HNC above (Staff Sergeant level)that could solve most of their problems for them or J.E.E.P.S that they could pay minimum wage. No room for middle men.
You havent mentioned which Regiment or Corp you're in, so I'll assume you have no previous experience in this area (apologies if thats wrong.) Personally I would recommend that you forget the cable course, and grab your HGV 1 and hazmat licences if possible, then when you get out do some agency work to build your funds and then go on a full time college course or even apply to Uni. With a proper diploma or a degree you find it far easier to find a job in that industry and work in other countries when the opportunity presents itself.
.
May 2nd 2012, 8:21 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2011
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire but aiming for distant shores....
Posts: 182
May 2nd 2012, 8:50 pm
#7
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,680
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hi Exarmy and Staevart
Welcome to BE to both of you
Dread - x
Welcome to BE to both of you
Dread - x
May 2nd 2012, 9:16 pm
#9
BE Co-Founder
Joined: Feb 2000
Location: Florida
Posts: 25,928
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Anyway welcome to BE
May 22nd 2012, 2:23 pm
#10
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Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Apparently I'm in the Place to Be x
Posts: 995
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hi exarmy
Have a look at immi.gov.au. There's a visa wizard on there and see what visa, if any, you are eligible for.
Depending on your age / dependants it may be worth coming out here for a year on a WHV to get a feel for the country and see what the employment opportunities are like in the communication industry. It's very difficult to get a job here while still in the UK x
We came in through the ADF lateral route
Have a look at immi.gov.au. There's a visa wizard on there and see what visa, if any, you are eligible for.
Depending on your age / dependants it may be worth coming out here for a year on a WHV to get a feel for the country and see what the employment opportunities are like in the communication industry. It's very difficult to get a job here while still in the UK x
We came in through the ADF lateral route
May 23rd 2012, 8:14 pm
#11
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
Hi exarmy
Have a look at immi.gov.au. There's a visa wizard on there and see what visa, if any, you are eligible for.
Depending on your age / dependants it may be worth coming out here for a year on a WHV to get a feel for the country and see what the employment opportunities are like in the communication industry. It's very difficult to get a job here while still in the UK x
We came in through the ADF lateral route
Have a look at immi.gov.au. There's a visa wizard on there and see what visa, if any, you are eligible for.
Depending on your age / dependants it may be worth coming out here for a year on a WHV to get a feel for the country and see what the employment opportunities are like in the communication industry. It's very difficult to get a job here while still in the UK x
We came in through the ADF lateral route
May 23rd 2012, 9:08 pm
#12
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Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Apparently I'm in the Place to Be x
Posts: 995
Re: Advice required for ex British squaddie please?
We got,here in Jan 09. Straight to tropical Darwin and still here x
