Stepping in to interview for a new job, the default instinct might be to prove what you know — to show off the skills and talents that you bring to the table. But in this line of work, that’s not always what matters the most, according to Matt Larsen, owner of the rural internet provider Vistabeam.
During an industry event in Denver, Colorado, Larsen shared his biggest piece of advice for people considering broadband trades in the field — be it as install technician or a tower climber. From his perspective, it's not how much you know coming in, but how eager you are to grow.
"We really want to try and hire people that are learn-it-alls, that are curious and open to learning... as opposed to know it alls,” he told Broadband Nation.
Larsen recalled a computer science grad intern who confidently laid out an idea for sweeping changes, requiring dozens of customer visits. "I was like, 'that's a great plan. Now go out and change those [tower] radios,'" he said. The intern paused, uncertain on how to connect the plan on paper to the reality in the field. It highlighted a common disconnect between classroom training and practical demands of the work, Larsen detailed.
Industry veterans will pretty much unanimously point to change as a defining quality of staying in these trades, so interviewing with an adaptable mindset — whether you’re coming in with an IT degree or a GED — will give you a much better footing for growth.
This isn’t to say training isn’t important. Skilled trades require skilled training, and certification can help get you get a leg up in practical understanding, but it isn’t a replacement for the inevitable on-the-job learning required — it’s supplemental. Larsen emphasized a lot of the advancements and additional training may come once you’re in the role and have a chance to shadow established techs. Mentorship will be a big part of the role, he said, and that's a good place to lean in: tap into their know-how and understand how they problem solve.
"Are they asking questions? Are they showing curiosity?" Larsen said of what he looks for in new hires. That eagerness to absorb the practical applications of a technical trade in the field is what he values most.
Working for the right people
It’s important to note that coming into the industry adaptable and ready to learn isn’t the same as coming in to get taken advantage of — which can happen if you don’t work for the right people.
There are ways to assess whether a job is a good fit, according to Hanna Hasl-Kelchner, award-winning author of a book on fairness in the workplace.
Similar to what Larsen looks for in a good new hire, Hasl-Kelchner recommends asking lots of questions in the interview. “You really want to find out what the organization values as high performance,” she told us, adding you'll be able to suss out the priorities and values of the company, and whether they’re in line with your own.
From a rural provider invested in local relationships to a bad-acting subcontractor just looking for a quick buck, your choice of employer directly shapes which businesses thrive. Those that don’t treat their workers well can’t keep them around, and turnover eventually takes its toll, Larsen argued.
“Companies that are bottom-feeding or optimizing everything for maximum financial performance based on just one-dimensional bottom line, over a period of time, their performance will suffer,” he said. “We see that over and over.”
In a trade that is widely needed, workers can carry a larger influence by choosing who they work for — and who they don’t — especially when it comes worker safety and wellbeing, said Larsen.
“If you are working for a company that is exploiting you and has really poor management practices and puts you in unsafe situations... You need to not work for them,” he concluded.
Interested in exploring job opportunities within the industry? Check out our jobs board, training portal and Learning Center.