11 Key Attributes Conveyor Operators And Tenders Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Ethan Jones

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Conveyor operators and tenders control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. They may also control speed and routing of materials or products.

The core tasks that conveyor operators and tenders are likely to carry out include:

Position deflector bars, gates, chutes, or spouts to divert flow of materials from one conveyor onto another conveyor.
Weigh or measure materials and products, using scales or other measuring instruments, or read scales on conveyors that continually weigh products, in order to verify specified tonnages and prevent overloads.
Manipulate controls, levers, and valves to start pumps, auxiliary equipment, or conveyors, and to adjust equipment positions, speeds, timing, and material flows.
Record production data such as weights, types, quantities, and storage locations of materials, as well as equipment performance problems and downtime.
Inform supervisors of equipment malfunctions that need to be addressed.
Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that conveyor operators and tenders would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for realistic work environments. 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.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 95.29%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 90.8%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 90.6%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.8%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 88.4%

Being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 87.6%

Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 86.8%

Accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 85%

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 84%

A willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 80.4%

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 80.2%