Painter and decorator

In this job, you will:

• work out how much paint or wall covering is needed for a job
•  lay down dust sheets and prepare materials
•  strip off old wallpaper or layers of paint
•  fill holes and cracks and make sure surfaces are level
•  cover surfaces with primer and undercoat
•  mix paint to the right shade, often using computerised colour-matching equipment
•  apply coats of paint or hang wallpaper
•  add special finishes like stains, varnishes or marbling
•  tidy up after finishing, and clean your tools

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to work well with your hands
• to be flexible and open to change
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• customer service skills
• knowledge of public safety and security 
• business management skills 
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

With experience, you could become a team supervisor or move into related areas like estimating, contract management, interior or set design.

You could work in heritage conservation, or set up your own business.

You could also move into apprentice training or teaching in a further education college.

Find out more about teaching in further education from Teach in further education.