Becoming a Painter and Decorator

As painter and decorator you could be working on a variety of jobs, each differing in scale and requirement. For instance, on one day you might be painting and decorating a normal suburban house – the next you could well be contracted to work on a large commercial site or public building. The needs differ because the skill, equipment and type of job vary so much, meaning that no two jobs are exactly the same.

If you’re Considering A Career change to become a painter and decorator, you’ll have to first make sure that you have the skills and experience in place before you begin finding work.

What Work Will I Do?

As a painter and decorator, part of your job will be painting! If you’re thinking of becoming a painter and decorator, of course you’ll need the more ‘artistic’ skill of being able to paint precisely and efficiently. But the Other Skills needed to be a successful painter and decorator go far beyond how well you can wield a brush. A truly successful painter and decorator will be adept at many different skills.

Typical painting and decorating jobs include:

• Stripping old wallpaper and hanging new paper
• Preparing wood, plaster, metal or other surfaces for painting
• Installing decorative features, such as mantlepieces, cornices and ceiling moulds
• Applying specialised paint textures or techniques, such as Artex™ or marbling
• Restoring old interior or exterior décor.

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Multi-Tasking

You will be required to work with a whole host of decorating tools and materials, and know your products well. There is quite an astonishing array of paints, varnishes, and adhesives available, each suited for specific uses and purposes. Having an expert knowledge of painting and decorating products will help you achieve the look and feel that your client is after.

Often, it will be a case of following your householder’s instructions. If your client is not sure exactly what they want, however, you will also be need to help them in an advisory capacity. This might require some aptitude for creativity and interior design, as well as the more ‘practical’ skills involved. You will need good, solid interpersonal skills, and an ability to communicate in a clear and concise way. A friendly but professional approach will also prove handy.

You may also have to employ some maths skills when dealing with job quotes, measurements, and chemical dilution ratios. Another consideration is the fact that you might often be expected to work at considerable heights. This can be on scaffolding, a platform or with various ladders, so a head for heights is usually a prerequisite.

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Entering Employment

If you want to work as a painter and decorator, there are several employment options open to you. First, there are different formal training routes you can take, which will result in a qualification. City & Guilds (6217) Level 1 Certificate in Basic Construction Skills (Painting and Decorating) is one such programme, as well as CSkills Level 1 Diploma in Painting and Decorating. A qualification such as City & Guilds will help you to gather enough experience to make you a more desirable candidate to employers.

Experience counts for a lot in the painting and decorating arena, so formal qualifications are not always needed, but certainly do help. Bear in mind, however, that an alternative is to train on-site as a labourer’s mate or as an apprentice with a self-employed painter. The pay may be basic, but the experience can count for a lot and will help you to move up the painting and decorating career ladder.

More Skilled Professions

Considering a career to show off your artistic skills? See what options are available to you in our Manual and Skilled and The Arts sections of this site.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Career Change Matcher lets you tell us what is not working and what you want instead and we will match you with career paths that fit. Try it now →