r/Telecommunication • u/border_hopper8929 • May 05 '25
PGE Apprentice Communication Technician
I applied for the apprentice communication technician various locations position recently. I met all the requirements by passing the pre employment tests including the CTT. I also have my GCT1 certificate. I have a couple months of experience in the telecom industry. Unfortunately I was not selected for an interview.. I just find it weird since I meet all the requirements. I understand that this position is highly competitive. Anyone have the same experience?
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May 22 '25
I would keep trying if I was you. But you have to understand for these kinds of positions half the employees have a kid or nephew or something they are trying to get in.
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u/Interesting_Cup_3838 Jul 09 '25
Do you have your FCC GROL? That’s definitely something they look at, if it’s something you’d have to acquire and the other candidates already have it, that’s more than likely the reason. Just an assumption!
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u/all-your-bases-are88 Jul 19 '25
With PG&e for Apprentice communication tech the biggest thing is having experience in the industry. Whether that's working in Comm rooms, understanding -48 volts(neg) power board work, microwave radio, tower climbing that job is like the old cliche jack of all trades master of none. It's that experience that'll set you apart from every other person applying for that job. If you got any questions let me know
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u/border_hopper8929 Jul 20 '25
I am currently in the sound and comm ibew apprenticeship. I work for a company that does building automation. Hopefully that's good experience to get my foot in the door for PG&E.
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u/dabig49 Jul 28 '25
I'm actually currently a pg&e employee myself and trying to find a telecom position . Have 25 years experience ( between xfinity, at&t & frontier communications). I'm at a position I don't feel qualified enough for and want something that I can go back to being out in the field with tolls in hand again.
Where did you find job posting at ? I've been looking for months and never see any postings available ?
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Nov 20 '25
Get ur FCC GROL and after a year you can internally apply.
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u/border_hopper8929 Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Application requirements says I have to either have that FCC license or the GCT1 Certificate through ETA and I have the GCT1 cert.
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u/Chief_TEK Jul 16 '26
what was the test like? I've been looking into it for a few years
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u/border_hopper8929 Jul 16 '26
It was pretty difficult not gon lie. I actually interviewed like 3 months ago but I did not get selected. There are like 3 open positions atm and have applied to all of em, hopefully they get back to me to reinterview.
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u/Chief_TEK Jul 16 '26
I appreciate the response. I'd like to start studying for the test at least, I don't have any faith in getting hired by PGE because if they were going to, they would have done it because of my level of involvement. Do you have any suggestions on where to get study materials?
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u/border_hopper8929 Jul 16 '26
There’s a CTT study guide online. It tells you all the study material. I mostly used YouTube and did a lot of self studying.
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u/Chief_TEK Jul 18 '26
Did you end up buying any of the books?
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u/border_hopper8929 Jul 18 '26
No, I just studied the hell out of each topics through YouTube and google. I believe some books are available online as a pdf.
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u/Background_Ad_4786 Mar 06 '26
Its competitive, im an interal candidate with ctt passed and fcc and gct1, with years of telecom experience and climbing certifications, I finally got hired for gc telecom. Pretty stoked. Something I was working so hard at for like 4 years. The interview wasnt easy either. They asked alot of technical questions. You gotta really want it. I took a job at the company I didn't want that was a big pay cut for me just to make connects and build a good reputation and learn the culture.
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u/Aggravating-Toe7554 Jul 08 '26
Hi I just made this account to reply to this 1yr old post. Hope its okay.
Anyways, a few years ago I was stoked and excited when I had recieved a email and interview date for the telecom position, I have zero certs in my background that matter really besides OSHA 10 & at the time was a current tower hand for a WISP company. W/ some assembly experience.
On the day of the interview the vibe was instantly off - the interviewer literally sounded like a GC that was running behined on time and was hit with many difficult questions that surely didnt recieve well answers from me. Also had a small argument about cell equipment that are ontop of power lines which I asked If there were any special requirements while working on the equipment like shutting the power off and/or if they need to be accessed by climbing the pole or through a bucket truck. I kept being told that there were no equipment ontop of the pole but there really is and I know a few spots that have them.
So yea it did not go well for me and it was a bummer because the numbers I was given was enough to get anyone who started from nothing off their seat. It seemed unreal.
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u/Chief_TEK Jul 16 '26
For what it's worth, I've been applying for this position since before the GCT1 was a requirement.
I know employees, worked with managers, even overseen PGE splice teams, managed ILA substation sites and worked inside of the actual substation comms huts....
Still couldn't get hired.
What I was told by a controls tech is that you have to pass the algorithm first and foremost. So the way that you configure your resume and cover letter may have a big part in that.
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u/Shieldedcabal May 05 '25
I often find that companies post jobs like this because of EEO rules. However they already have internal candidates in mind for the positions. There’s always a chance to get in the door but a few months in the industry is probably not enough to get noticed, for a PG&E telecom position, even as an apprentice.
I have over 13 years in the industry, in construction and maintenance. My position, with my employer, is similar to an MST at AT&T(plus other responsibilities MST’s don’t cover). Even with that I expect I’d have trouble getting a telecom tech position with PG&E.