What you do every day
This is an ideal career for creative thinkers. As a painter you first take the measurement of the area you are to apply a finish to, so that you are able to work out the correct quantity of material required. You will need to prepare surfaces before applying any paint or other material, by filling holes, cracks and joints, ensuring these areas are clean of all dirt and debris. You will have to select the paint in consultation with your client, sometimes colour matching this to older areas already painted.
When you are working in a client’s home you will use a dropsheet for protection from any paint that may drip or spill. You also need to remember that while you have been employed to do a job for this client, you are ultimately a guest in their home and they deserve the respect of your showing up on time, keeping the area clean, being polite and respecting their property and its contents. At the end of each day you will have to wash all your equipment clean of traces of paint, stains or varnish, as well as keeping the working area clean and tidy.
Personality that best fits this career
A painter and decorator will need to be able to work at heights with a very good sense of balance, as you will have to work from scaffolding and ladders a lot of the time. You will enjoy all types of practical work and be physically fit. You have great hand – eye coordination as well as normal colour vision and able to work independently when required or as part of a team. Your creative way of thinking will ensure you are able to advise your clients accordingly.
Best thing about this career
A painter and decorator can breathe new life into run-down old houses, and life into a new home. This is a relatively inexpensive way to give a home that much needed facelift. You get that feeling of satisfaction upon completion and seeing the client’s appreciation of a job well done.
Worst thing about this career
Painters and decorators have to work on their feet most of the day, some days being longer than others. At times you will be required to work from heights on ladders or scaffold. There is much cleaning up at the end of each day, making sure the brushes, rollers, paint trays, or any other tools are clear of paint and stain, ready for use the next day.
About the Author
Master Painters Australia
The Master Painters Association (MPA) of Victoria Ltd was established in 1895 by painters, for painters. 110 years on, with branches across Australia, the MPA is the first point of call for painters looking to be recognised as masters of their trade, as well as consumers looking to engage a professional painter.
Did you that know it took Leonardo Da Vinci 10 years to paint Mona Lisa?