5 Key Attributes Water And Liquid Waste Treatment Plant And System Operators Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Ava Rodriguez

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.

The core tasks that water and liquid waste treatment plant and system operators are likely to carry out include:

Add chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, or lime to disinfect and deodorize water and other liquids.
Inspect equipment or monitor operating conditions, meters, and gauges to determine load requirements and detect malfunctions.
Collect and test water and sewage samples, using test equipment and color analysis standards.
Record operational data, personnel attendance, or meter and gauge readings on specified forms.
Operate and adjust controls on equipment to purify and clarify water, process or dispose of sewage, and generate power.
Maintain, repair, and lubricate equipment, using hand tools and power tools.

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 water and liquid waste treatment plant and system 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: 90.43%

Being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.8%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.4%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.4%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.8%