What is your name and trade?

Anton Peter Ruesing, Painter

Describe job requirements and tools you are required to have:

Apprenticeship, Related Classroom Training, On the Job

What made you decide to enter your particular field of work?

I was looking for a way to pay for college, stumbled into the trade, painting got into my blood and I found I not only made more money but I enjoy it more than any other work I have ever done.

What kind of education is required or would you suggest?

High School Diploma or GED

How long did your trade education take to accomplish? Is continuing education required?

4 Year Apprenticeship that consists of both On The Job and Classroom training, then lifelong learning. You will need to continue to take upgrade training if you want to advance into the more technical and higher paid aspects of the trade.

Are there special skills one needs to enter your field of work?

You have to be able to work with your hands, take direction well, work well with others, and have a good work ethic.

Do you remember your first day on the job? Describe it for us.

My first day on the job was as a high end residential painter, I spend the first ½ of the day on my hands and knees caulking baseboard and filling nail holes with putty. The second ½ of the day I spent walking a pick board in the middle of a 3 story great-room sand swirling ceilings with a journeyman. Several times I would jam the 7” brush and pole into the ceiling to keep from losing my balance. By the end of the day my whole body ached.

Briefly describe your typical day on the job – hours worked, challenges, etc.

It changes with the job. Some jobs are 40 hours a week, some are quite a bit more. You will find yourself doing anything from puttying baseboard to sand blasting 200+ feet in the air.

What was the best advice you received about your job and trade?

Learn something new every day. Ask for help when you need it. Learn to do it the right way and the speed will come with practice. Stay away from the guy that sits on the bucket at lunch time and complains about everything.

What advice would you give to someone interested in entering your trade?

There is much more to painting that just painting a wall in a home or a hotel. The high end coating and finishes we apply take a highly skilled, well trained, and well compensated applicator. But it takes time to develop that skill. Have a good work ethic and learn everything you can and you will find the doors will open for you sooner than you may think.

What is the best thing about your job or what do you like the most?

I have always appreciated the sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, the project and/or the job. There is something about breaking a sweat; working hard and working with my hands that makes me feel like I have really earned my check at the end of the week. Now that I am involved in the training of new apprentice painters I feel like I am able to pass on the skills I learned to someone else and help them provide for their families future.