12 Key Attributes Septic Tank Servicers And Sewer Pipe Cleaners Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Olivia Williams

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or drains. They may also patch walls and partitions of tank, replace damaged drain tile, or repair breaks in underground piping.

The core tasks that septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners are likely to carry out include:

Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.
Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
Prepare and keep records of actions taken, including maintenance and repair work.
Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high velocity water jets, sewer flushers, bucket machines, wayne balls, and vac-alls.
Ensure that repaired sewer line joints are tightly sealed before backfilling begins.
Withdraw cables from pipes and examine them for evidence of mud, roots, grease, and other deposits indicating broken or clogged sewer lines.

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 septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners 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: 100%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 91.2%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 90%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.4%

Developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 84.4%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 84%

Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83%

Analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.8%

Being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.2%

Establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 81.4%

Creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 80.4%