A lot’s changed over the last few years when it comes to job hunting. There’s been a real shift in employee mindsets – more and more people are looking for a career where they can do something meaningful and have a genuine impact.
That’s why a career in Fibre is becoming so popular. It gives you the opportunity to help people, businesses and communities unleash their full digital potential. Throw in the fact that it’s a sector backed by the UK Government (who have a target for the entire nation to have full fibre broadband by 2030), and it’s clear there’s plenty of opportunities for career growth.
This also means the competition for jobs is intense, so your CV needs to be in the best possible shape. In this blog, we’ll share some top tips on writing a quality CV for a Fibre role, as well as key things to include in your application.
Start with a snappy summary
Before you get into the core elements of your CV, it’s good to introduce yourself with a short and punchy profile. This shouldn’t be more than three or four sentences, and basically summarises your best attributes, your prior experience and what you’re looking for. Try to avoid too many buzzwords and jargon – the purpose of this section is to introduce yourself as a person.
Talk up the tickets
If you already have a solid amount of experience in Fibre, you’ll want to really highlight it on your CV (more on this in a bit). But just as important are your certifications, sometimes known as tickets. These are things hiring managers look for straight away, so update your CV every time you earn a new one.
Keep in mind that many CVs can go through an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and are scanned for specific keywords. These include the names of various smart awards and tickets, so if you don’t include all the ones you’ve got, you’re underselling yourself.
Here’s a useful tip to showcase your tickets. Get together PDF copies or scans of your certifications and upload them to a Dropbox or Google Drive folder. The folder can then be linked on your CV so people can view them.
Match up to the job description
Your CV and cover letter should always be tailored. This doesn’t mean doing a mass rewrite each time you’re applying – but it should very clearly show a link between you and what’s on the job description.
Previous experience in Telecoms or Fibre is really valued – so really emphasise this if you have it. Mention any key achievements from previous roles, making sure they match up to the requirements on the job description.
If you don’t have any experience, you can still match your skills and competencies up. For example, you might be applying for a Fibre Splicer role. Like a lot of jobs in this sector, it’s quite physically demanding, and will require you to work in all types of weather conditions. In your cover letter, show that you’re fully aware of what the job entails, and that you’re comfortable doing physical work and spending a lot of time outdoors. One of the concerns companies have when hiring newcomers is whether they understand the physical needs of the role – but by referencing this in your application, you’re getting on the front foot.
Remember every job vacancy is a problem that needs to be solved – so you need to position yourself as the solution.
Keep it short and sweet
You can write the best CV in the world, but it won’t matter if you can’t hold people’s attention. That’s why being concise is key. Try to keep your CV at a maximum of two pages – anything more than that and there’s a risk of hiring managers losing interest.
Now, if you’ve been working for a long time, you’re probably wondering how you can get all your experience onto just two pages.
In this case, we’d recommend only going into detail for jobs that cover the last seven years. Anything further back than that can be listed with just the job title, company name and dates. You can then add a line at the end saying that more information on previous roles is available on request.
There’s also a slight difference in the way engineering roles should be laid out. For example, if you’re a Fibre Engineer or Civils Operative, you should talk about what your contribution was on each project you’ve worked on. If applying for an office role (such as Project Manager), you can add a bit more detail. Talk about the outcome and impact of the specific projects you’ve worked on – adding in key metrics will really help here. However, the two page rule still applies, so keep it concise!
Play up the passion
As well as the key messages around your experience and qualifications, you want to get some personality across. Passion, ambition and enthusiasm are great traits to have, so try to convey this in your CV – specifically in the summary section – as well as the cover letter.
Think about it this way. In the interview, you’re bound to be asked the question: “Why do you want this role?” By answering this before you’re even asked, through the application, you’re again getting on the front foot. It shows you don’t just want any job - you want THIS job.
Focus on the formatting
Make things as easy as possible for whoever’s reading your CV. This means laying it out in a nice, clear manner, with lots of white spaces separating out the different sections.
When showing the dates of your previous jobs, put the month as well as the year. Sometimes CVs just show the year and that doesn’t always give enough information about the length of roles, especially if you’ve had a lot of contract jobs.
Finally, ensure the spelling and grammar within your CV is all correct. It doesn’t matter what type of role you’re applying for – poor spelling and grammar shows a lack of care and isn’t a very professional first impression. Spellcheck is a great asset so make full use of it!
Hopefully these tips help you with the next application you make in the Fibre market. It’s competitive, but by nailing your CV and cover letter, you’re giving yourself a great chance of landing that dream role.
If you're ready to put your new fibre CV into action check out our live roles below.
