Watch clips from "How It's Made" to see how objects like artificial limbs, nails, footballs, mustard, and more are made. Choose a few to watch--which one surprised you most?

Watch how the objects all around us are made.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Painting Workers

Production Occupations

Other Production Occupations

Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.

Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.

Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.

Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.

Immerse workpieces into coating materials for specified times.

Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.

Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.

Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.

Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Overview

Career

What Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Do

Other Job Titles Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Overview

Career

What Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Do

Other Job Titles Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Related Careers