Key Attributes Office Machine Operators Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Jacob Brown

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Office machine operators operate one or more of a variety of office machines, such as photocopying, photographic, and duplicating machines, or other office machines.

The core tasks that office machine operators are likely to carry out include:

Read job orders to determine the type of work to be done, the quantities to be produced, and the materials needed.
Operate office machines such as high speed business photocopiers, reader/scanners, addressing machines, stencil-cutting machines, microfilm reader/printers, folding and inserting, bursting, and binder machines.
Place original copies in feed trays, feed originals into feed rolls, or position originals on tables beneath camera lenses.
Compute prices for services and receive payment, or provide supervisors with billing information.
Sort, assemble, and proof completed work.
Set up and adjust machines, regulating factors such as speed, ink flow, focus, and number of copies.

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 office machine 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.

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.2%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 87.2%

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: 85.71%

Accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 84.8%

Having a strong preference for conventional work environments. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 81%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 80%