osp engineer

fiber technician

project manager

technical support specialist

supervisor

Metronet

I was employed at MetroNet as part of the 2020 Summer Internship program. I was assigned to work with an internally focused non-technical department. Work in this department is highly projectized. My work centered around analysis of inventory movement, as well as the development of training materials. 

Management in this department is very hands-off. This suits me quite well, as I was able to learn about projects and processes at my own pace. My department was extremely helpful in teaching me about the Telecom industry, and the Fiber Optic Internet niche.

In the corporate departments, there seems to be a reasonably good view of upper management. The company's president speaks to the summer interns during orientation, and seems to have a good vision and plan for the future of the company. 


The hardest part for me in working at MetroNet was the learning curve. There is a lot information to learn when starting out, and it can be stressful to know that small mistakes can have a big impact down the line. Learning industry jargon alone takes days; if you want to take this position, be ready to soak up acronyms like a sponge. 


The best part of working at MetroNet was the opportunity to gain new skills. In my department, I was encouraged to ask questions, think different, and attack projects in the way that I though would work best. Analytical tools and information on project management methodologies were made available to me, and I was provided time to learn them. This was a uniquely valuable experience for me, compared to prior internships at other firms. 


My personal experience with MetroNet was very positive.

A typical day is 8-5. My department has a large variety of tasks and we go through a rotation every month or so to switch things up/stay current on skills. I've learned a lot of department specific terminology/processes and frequently interact with other departments to address various problems with customer orders. The volume of knowledge required seems intimidating to a new-hire but the training is step-by-step with plenty of time to master tasks and lots of available support. Management has been generally friendly and supportive but the bulk of support comes from experienced co-workers. They are the best resource for learning how to complete various processes. The hardest part of the job is either the initial 6 month training process or communication with other departments. Occasionally there are terminology barriers between departments or confusion on where to go for different fixes. The most enjoyable part of the job is the flexibility and/or work-life balance. Currently we are enjoying a "work from home status" which is nice, but outside of that the Company PTO plan is fairly decent, and depending on how you budget your time a full month of PTO accrual is possible throughout your second year. There is a "busy season" where job security feels really good, but occasional lulls, increasing automation of tasks also results in questionable job security.  

I've worked all over the Residential Tech Support side of the company in my tenure there. The people that work at your level are generally nice and helpful, and direct supervisors do the best they can to balance your growth as an employee while trying to hit the ever-changing goalposts of upper management. 

As a growing company, MetroNet is focused on expanding client base while keeping overhead as small as possible, meaning that they (like any other company really) want to maximize productivity and sales with the smallest workforce possible. Salary is, after all, overhead that is to be minimized. That means your main goals in the call center environment will be 1. Efficiency and 2. Upsales.  If you enter work with the idea that your time belongs to the company, and you're open to working whenever they want and can focus on sales while troubleshooting, the mandatory overtime and sales quotas won't grate on you. 

However, if you are not looking for a place to consume your life 10+ hours a day, 5-6 days a week, this is not the job for you. If you can survive it, though, tech support is a good way to get your foot in the door and move on to another, non-customer-facing department. The pay is decent for the work, co-workers are generally fun to be around, talking to so many customers per day really gives you a chance to work on your interpersonal communication, and the option to work from home to get away from micro-managing eyes is a plus.

To say that this company is growing would be an understatement. The work day is fast paced and mostly consists of putting out fires. This place is good for those who look to add solid content to their resume. The people are fine, they haven't personally done me any wrong. I have enjoyed working here, but it feels like upper management is out of touch with reality sometimes. We only prioritize sales and PR instead of making the back end more efficient. Network operations could benefit if they would put the effort in to make things easier, otherwise it is pretty poorly managed.

The most painful part of my experience as a Metronet associate would be the rampant nepotism. You can bet that a position is created for each executives children, even if they aren't doing anything productive. Witnessed the CEO's son admit that he doesn't even truly know what fiber is during the end of program intern presentations. But I'm sure he had a good time being flown to markets out of state on company dollar to "oversee construction". Getting promoted from within seems like a pipe dream. In my experience it's usually a friend of an executive that gets looks for new openings. It is hard to put forth ones best effort every day when you know that any openings up in the hierarchy are pre-determined.

In short: The people are nice and want to help you learn, but be sure to make friends with the right people if you want any chance at moving up.

Work-life balance
This company requires mandatory overtime, they will add it to your schedule of so many hours per week.

Pay & benefits
Pay was great, job itself was fine it’s the people who manage who are the issue

Job security and advancement
You only advance if you are liked or a favorite

Management
I read many reviews about micromanaging and not being able to use the restroom before working here, I laughed them off. This is TRUE. If you take a 5 minute personal then you must shave time off of your other breaks etc just to compensate. The supervisors also are rude and disrespectful blatantly. I’m not sure if the CEO is aware of what takes place in the tech center at metronet, but as long as the current director is there along with the supervisors, there will always be turnover.

Culture
Poor work culture, you either are a favorite or don’t advance anywhere I have also witnessed supervisors gossiping about agents daily.

Overall
The pay is great and so are the benefits but the back to back calls, workload and mandatory overtime regardless of how many people they hire hasn’t ended. Combine that with supervisors that do whatever they want and a director  who is fully aware and allows it then just be prepared to be exaughsted  and high anxiety.

Metronet was a great company to work for when I started there. The mid level management was very involved with the development of the staff and showed concern with a work life balance. Towards the end of my time there however, This all changed. We were put onto mandatory overtime every week consistently. The company refuses to hire enough staff to cover the amount of calls coming in while causing higher call volumes by not installing the equipment in customers' houses correctly. The issues were brought up to management by multiple employees on numerous occasions, but the solution was to impliment mandatory overtime while telling us that we were the problem. Constant negative feedback and an unwilling attitude towards creating better practices ultimately lead myself and others to leave the company. This company does not care about it's employees or customers, and instead will do whatever it takes to pad the pocket books of the upper management. This coupled with the multiple workplace safety issues that were never addressed when the company moved part of it's opperations to another building force me to not be able to share a positive review.

I applied for a position with Metronet on a whim, I had never heard of the company and was not previously in the telecom industry.   It has turned out to be the best career decision I have ever made.  The culture at Metronet is second to none, and is not only exemplified by leadership but is supported with a top down approach.     The company, as a whole, supports both personal and professional growth.   The company provides associates with many opportunities to learn and develop skills at each stage of their career, with things like internship opportunities, professional development opportunities, and networking opportunities.  They offer an amazing, comprehensive, benefits package and do not require months of waiting to enroll.   Metronet embraces the need for their employees to have work-life balance, and offers flexibility with remote and hybrid work options in most positions.   Metronet has been a dream come true for me, and I hope to continue to grow my career within this amazing organization.  

Even when things become intense or needs immediate action, it still doesn't feel panicked or stressful.  Everyone knows there job, responsibility and works cohesively to remedy an issue.  It's so much easier to address a problem when everyone is happy to be there and help one another.  
The compensation is good/fair, and there is always room for advancement (and it's encouraged even though it may mean that they'll need to find a replacement for that individual).  
This company is all about rewarding potential and growth, and it's growing because of that attitude.
Even the interviewing, hiring and onboarding was seemingly effortless compared to my previous employers (which also traded hands three times in the last 7 years; no chance of that instability here.)

This job demands knowledge, you have to learn quickly and accurately otherwise you will not succeed. Customers can be demanding, training (currently) is lacking but it is being worked on to improve the quality of it. 

There is a constant demand for Overtime, not because of it being but due to the workers who constantly abuse the attendance policy. 

Management is a little unstable due to over population to just a few (currently 3) floor managers, each manager has roughly 15 to 20 reps under them and they are forced to micromanage often due to lack of foresight by middle management. It wears on them and the reps. 

But, if you learn the systems, learn the job, and retain information well, the job itself is truly simple. And currently the company is reworking every thing try and make things better.

I have been interested at working at Metronet for a few years now and finally found the right fit! My team has been incredible with assisting me through the training process and making me feel welcome. I was nervous about working remote as I am a hands-on learner, but they have made it a breeze with willingness to hop on a video call and talk through different processes. 
Everyone I have met thus far has been so kind and immediately offered to meet with me to tell me more about their role and the company overall. It has helped me develop a deeper understanding of Metronet and connect the dots of how my job connects with theirs. 
I cannot say enough about the culture and the people. It is truly a joy to show up each day because I know my job is important and why it's necessary for the overall success of the company. More importantly, though, I know I am valued, my opinions matter, and I am not just another employee on the org. chart. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Osp engineer 3 salaries reported	$45,267 per year
Fiber technician 3 salaries reported	$20.87 per hour
Project manager 3 salaries reported	$71,667 per year
Technical support specialist 4 salaries reported	$18.50 per hour
Supervisor 3 salaries reported	$57,500 per year

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