Having a successful career as a painter

Last Updated on September 1, 2024

Everyone wants to have a successful career. It does not matter whether you are a person who likes crunching numbers all day, you are someone who has perfected the craft of creating amazingly tasting bread, or whether you are an aspiring painter. 

Everyone deserves to go to work feeling like they are doing the kind of work that they really enjoy, and the tips for each profession will therefore depend on the type of work that you do. For instance, if you are a person who likes crunching numbers, a good tip could be to be aware of the various changes in the business software landscape. 

However, for someone who is an aspiring painter, it could be to make sure that you are staying on top of the various things offered by Check4Lead, as well as the developing nature of the paint industry.

While there may be some jobs that are more interesting than others, there is no denying that there has been an ever-changing landscape when it comes to home improvement, and the various offerings that contractors are capable of offering. Some of these offerings may be shaped by the changing landscape when it comes to all the different technologies that are offered, whereas some of them may be changing because of the legislation that is ever-changing. For one, the EPA has been notoriously changing the landscape when it comes to making sure that the products that are in fact being put into the homes across the country are continuously being made more and more safe, and one of these initiatives includes the ban of lead paint in 1977.

The first tip on our list to having a successful career is therefore that you keep up with the changing EPA regulations concerning RRP, enabling you to work on older projects, assuming that you have the necessary licenses to do so. While you may be thinking that you can simply go out and sand down an old wall the same way that you would treat various other projects, it’s not just important to note that older types of paint carry a higher risk to your safety than do newer ones, but it’s important to know that you could also potentially be opening yourself up to thousands of dollars worth of fines if you weren’t doing the work with the licenses that are needed to carry out the work.

While you may expect that we would keep talking about the various technologies and advancements when it comes to the different types of paints out there, we are actually going to be taking this article in a different direction, as there are other skills that may not necessarily be much focused on, that we believe should be brought to your attention, if you are hoping to one day own a thriving house painting business. 

While you may not necessarily feel like you have all of these skills currently, these are skills that any aspiring contractor, whether it is a painter or a remodeling contractor, should be keeping in the back of their minds in order to optimize their long-term success in the field. 

Every homeowner wants to work with someone who is a professional, and when you are approaching people that are looking for paint jobs, it is no different, why the first point that we are going to talk about is making sure that you have good communication skills. 

Communication skills

Contractors will all rely on having great communication skills that keep homeowners coming back. If they know that you did an amazing job last time you stopped by their house and they needed something to be painted, they are also going to be more likely to actually be looking in your direction the next time they have another room in their house that could use a revamp! Being able to communicate clearly, including when you believe you will realistically have time to get the job done, is crucial in order to establish yourself as a professional that homeowners can rely on. 

Focus on aesthetics

The aesthetic sense is the next thing that we are going to be focusing on that is another aspect that’s important for anyone hoping to make it as a professional painter. While the customer is always right, there will also be a number of times when a homeowner may be asking you for recommendations when it comes to what color they should be choosing for the remodel that they are in the middle of. If you can provide solid advice there, you’ll be highly sought after on a project where a homeowner may not necessarily know what they are looking for; all they know is that they still want something different. 

Attention to detail

Being detail-oriented is the next thing on your list that any good painting professional should focus on. While you are coming in there to not just make their life easier, there are also a lot of homeowners that may be acknowledging that if they want a paint job done, they can’t simply go about doing it themselves as they don’t have the skills to mix the paints the right way and make sure that no mistakes are made throughout the process. A homeowner who has paid you handsomely to come in and give their old house a new look will also expect that your attention to detail is on point, and that means that they won’t find massive amounts of flaws in your work. 

Tools and materials

Familiarity with the required tools and materials is the second last step on the list. As you are being trained in the profession, usually in the presence of someone who is more experienced than you are, you will come to learn about the various wire brushes, sanders, texturing tools, and other things you will need for the job. However, you will also learn how to deal with sealers, finishes, and learn how you mix the paints so as to get the desired outcome. These skills should come to you as no surprise. 

The last step on the list includes effective time management skills. You not only want to make sure that you’re communicating clearly with a homeowner, but you will also want to make sure that you have solid time management skills, while maintaining attention to detail, so as to ensure that you don’t fall behind on various projects.

With all these tips in mind, we hope that you have a successful career as a painter!