5 Key Attributes Crane And Tower Operators Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Michael Davis

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Crane and tower operators operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.

The core tasks that crane and tower operators are likely to carry out include:

Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs as necessary.
Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.

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 crane and tower operators 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 reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 86.8%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.2%

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.6%

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%