Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.
Sample of reported job titles:
Costume Draper, Costume Seamstress, Costumer, Draper, Dresser, Wardrobe Assistant, Wardrobe Attendant
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Tasks
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Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
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Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
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Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
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Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
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Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.
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Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
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Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved.
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Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs.
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Collaborate with production designers, costume designers, or other production staff to discuss and execute costume design details.
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Monitor, maintain, or secure inventories of costumes, wigs, or makeup, providing keys or access to assigned directors, costume designers, or wardrobe mistresses/masters.
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Purchase, rent, or requisition costumes or other wardrobe necessities.
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Study books, pictures, or examples of period clothing to determine styles worn during specific periods in history.
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Return borrowed or rented items when productions are complete and return other items to storage.
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Review scripts or other production information to determine a story's locale or period, as well as the number of characters and required costumes.
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Inventory stock to determine types or conditions of available costuming.
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Direct the work of wardrobe crews during dress rehearsals or performances.
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Participate in the hiring, training, scheduling, or supervision of alteration workers.
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Provide managers with budget recommendations and take responsibility for budgetary line items related to costumes, storage, or makeup needs.
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Assign lockers to employees and maintain locker rooms, dressing rooms, wig rooms, or costume storage or laundry areas.
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Recommend vendors and monitor their work.
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Care for non-clothing items, such as flags, table skirts, or draperies.
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Technology Skills
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Data base user interface and query software — Database software
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Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook
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Internet browser software — Web browser software
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Inventory management software — Garment tracking software
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Office suite software — Microsoft Office
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Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
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Word processing software — Microsoft Word
Hot Technologies are requirements frequently included in employer job postings.
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Work Activities
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Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
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Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
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Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
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Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
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Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
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Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
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Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
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Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
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Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
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Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
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Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
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Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
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Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
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Detailed Work Activities
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Assign duties or work schedules to employees.
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Prepare operational reports or records.
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Arrange items for use or display.
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Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
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Design costumes or cosmetic effects for characters.
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Distribute resources to patrons or employees.
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Evaluate quality of materials or products.
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Review art or design materials.
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Clean fabrics or apparel.
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Collaborate with others to determine production details.
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Monitor availability of equipment or supplies.
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Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
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Supervise service workers.
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Assign resources or facilities to patrons or employees.
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Manage budgets for personal services operations.
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Perform human resources activities.
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Review production information to determine costume or makeup requirements.
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Monitor operational quality or safety.
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Work Context
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Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 92% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
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Work With Work Group or Team — 90% responded “Extremely important.”
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Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 90% responded “Every day.”
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Face-to-Face Discussions — 79% responded “Every day.”
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Contact With Others — 63% responded “Constant contact with others.”
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Freedom to Make Decisions — 54% responded “Some freedom.”
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Time Pressure — 46% responded “Every day.”
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Structured versus Unstructured Work — 48% responded “Some freedom.”
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Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 55% responded “Very important.”
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Physical Proximity — 51% responded “Very close (near touching).”
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Coordinate or Lead Others — 42% responded “Very important.”
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Electronic Mail — 44% responded “Every day.”
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Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 31% responded “High responsibility.”
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Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 41% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
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Frequency of Decision Making — 31% responded “Every day.”
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Duration of Typical Work Week — 44% responded “40 hours.”
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Telephone — 31% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
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Exposed to Contaminants — 37% responded “Every day.”
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Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 29% responded “Moderate results.”
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Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 35% responded “Very important.”
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Spend Time Standing — 42% responded “About half the time.”
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Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 35% responded “Once a year or more but not every month.”
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Spend Time Sitting — 35% responded “Less than half the time.”
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Job Zone
- Title
- Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
- Related Experience
- Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
- Job Training
- Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
- Job Zone Examples
- These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
- SVP Range
- 3 months to 1 year of preparation (4.0 to < 6.0)
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Training & Credentials
- State training
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- Local training
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- Certifications
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- Apprenticeships
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Have a career path or location in mind? Visit Apprenticeship.gov
to find apprenticeship opportunities near you.
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Skills
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Active Listening — 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.
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Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
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Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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Knowledge
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Fine Arts — Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
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Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
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Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
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Customer and Personal Service — 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.
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English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
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Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
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Abilities
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Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
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Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
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Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
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Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
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Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
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Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
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Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
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Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
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Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
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Interests
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Conventional — 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.
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Realistic — 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.
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Work Values
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Work Styles
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Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
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Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
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Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
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Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
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Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
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Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
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Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
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Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
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Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
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Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
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Wages & Employment Trends
- Median wages (2021)
- $23.00 hourly, $47,850 annual
- State wages
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- Local wages
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- Employment (2020)
- 5,400 employees
- Projected growth (2020-2030)
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Much faster than average (15% or higher)
- Projected job openings (2020-2030)
- 1,600
- State trends
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- Top industries (2020)
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 wage data
and 2020-2030 employment projections
.
“Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2020-2030). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Job Openings on the Web
- State job openings
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- Local job openings
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