Talk to your school counselor about programs and classes like woodworking that are offered at your school so you can start learning skills that will get you started in this field.

Find a class to jump-start your construction skills.

Is someone you know (a neighbor, family member, friend, etc.) working on a home improvement DIY project? Volunteer to help in order to get practice using hand tools, taking measurements, problem solving, and more!

Volunteer to help with a home improvement project.

Search online for how-to videos to see how hard this work is to master--and whether it's something you think you'd like. Does seeing this kind of work in action make you more interested in trying it?

Watch tutorials on how to do this kind of work.

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

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.

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

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).

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

The ability to see details at a distance.

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Tile and Stone Setters

Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

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

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

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 machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

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

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

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

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.

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

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

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

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

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

Tile and Marble Setters

Carpet, Floor, and Tile Installers and Finishers

Construction and Extraction Occupations

Construction Trades Workers

Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.

Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.

Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.

Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.

Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.

Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.

Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.

Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.

Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.

Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.

Salesforce software

Microsoft PowerPoint

EasyCAD Iris 2D

TileGem

Aya Associates Comp-U-Floor

Measure Square FloorEstimate Pro

Microsoft Office software

Microsoft operating system

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Buttering trowels

Gauging trowels

Notch trowels

Point trowels

Colloidal mixers

Drum cement mixers

Horizontal shaft mixers

Mixing drills

Bull floats

Grout floats

Magnesium floats

Wood floats

Ladder jacks

Mechanical scaffolds

Rolling scaffolds

Stationary scaffolds

Base grinders

Floor grinding machines

Mini grinders

Stone grinders

Grout saws

Power tile saws

Power undercut saws

Wet saws

Builders' levels

Laser levels

Water levels

Layout sticks

Story pole tape measures

Molding prybars

Wonder bars

Polishers

Stone polishers

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing general physical activities includes doing 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.

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

Continually or almost continually

How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets

Every day

How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

Once a week or more but not every day

Once a month or more but not every week

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Extremely important

Very important

How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?

Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling

More than half the time

How much does this job require making repetitive motions?

About half the time

How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?

How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?

Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable

How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?

Tile and Stone Setters

Overview

Career

What Tile and Stone Setters Do

Other Job Titles Tile and Stone Setters May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Tile and Stone Setters

Overview

Career

What Tile and Stone Setters Do

Other Job Titles Tile and Stone Setters May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Tile and Stone Setters

Majors Related to Career