What is an outside plant technician and how to become one

Key steps to become an outside plant technician

1. Explore outside plant technician education requirements

   Most common outside plant technician degrees

   Associate

   38.1 %

   Bachelor's

   29.4 %

   High School Diploma

   19.9 %

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2. Start to develop specific outside plant technician skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Ladders	10.24%
   Outside Plant	9.64%
   CDL	8.37%
   Test Equipment	6.29%
   Safety Procedures	6.27%

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3. Complete relevant outside plant technician training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New outside plant technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an outside plant technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real outside plant technician resumes.

4. Research outside plant technician duties and responsibilities

   • Manage and administer documentation of OSP fiber optic plant in support of customer projects, network planning, and municipality requirements.
   • Move and/or lift items such as ladders, tools, air tanks, cable reels, and test equipment
   • Install residential and business telephone lines, including premise CAT5 wiring and jack work.
   • Perform construction work such as digging holes, installing inner duct in various types of conduit systems and open excavations.

5. Prepare your outside plant technician resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your outside plant technician resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an outside plant technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose from 10+ customizable outside plant technician resume templates

   Build a professional outside plant technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your outside plant technician resume.
   

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6. Apply for outside plant technician jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for an outside plant technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams