Floor Sanders and Finishers

Also Called:

Floor Sander,

Hardwood Floor Sander,

Floor Finisher,

Floor Mechanic

What they do: Scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machine, and apply coats of finish.

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Buff and vacuum floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to the application of finish.
  • Scrape and sand floor edges and areas inaccessible to floor sanders, using scrapers, disk-type sanders, and sandpaper.
  • Inspect floors for smoothness.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Engineering and Technology
  • Building and construction

  • Mechanical

Business
  • Customer service

  • Management

Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • Manufacture and distribution of products

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Hand and Finger Use
  • Keep your arm or hand steady

  • Hold or move items with your hands

Endurance
  • Exercise for a long time without getting out of breath

Controlled Movement
  • Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat

  • Use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Support

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Relationships

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Working Conditions

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop