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Floral Designers

 

Job Description

Design, cut, and arrange live, dried, or artificial flowers and foliage.

 

Interests

The Arts - High scorers on The Arts scale usually:

• prize independence
• enjoy creative activities such as music, writing, entertainment, and art
• appreciate the artistic works of others in museums, theatres, and books
• actively seek opportunities for self expression

Crafts - High scorers on the Crafts scale usually:

• prefer to work with tools and objects rather than with people and words
• like to build things
• want to see practical results from their work
• enjoy mechanical activities
• like work that requires physical strength

Business - Business people usually:

• see themselves as skilled with words
• seek careers where they can lead others
• enjoy convincing others to think the way they do
• can persuade others to buy their products

 

Tasks

People in this occupation usually engage in these work activities:

1.  Confer with clients regarding price and type of arrangement desired and the date, time, and place of delivery.

2.  Plan arrangement according to client's requirements, utilizing knowledge of design and properties of materials, or select appropriate standard design pattern.

3.  Water plants, and cut, condition, and clean flowers and foliage for storage.

4.  Select flora and foliage for arrangements, working with numerous combinations to synthesize and develop new creations.

5.  Order and purchase flowers and supplies from wholesalers and growers.

6.  Wrap and price completed arrangements.

7.  Trim material and arrange bouquets, wreaths, terrariums, and other items using trimmers, shapers, wire, pins, floral tape, foam, and other materials.

8.  Perform office and retail service duties such as keeping financial records, serving customers, answering telephones, selling giftware items and receiving payment.

9.  Inform customers about the care, maintenance, and handling of various flowers and foliage, indoor plants, and other items.

10.  Decorate or supervise the decoration of buildings, halls, churches, or other facilities for parties, weddings and other occasions.

11.  Perform general cleaning duties in the store to ensure the shop is clean and tidy.

12.  Unpack stock as it comes into the shop.

 

Skills

People in this occupation usually describe themselves as having these abilities:

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

 

Knowledge

People in this occupation usually describe themselves as having education or training in these areas:

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

 

Education / Training

Formal education and training typically is not necessary for floral designers, and most floral designers learn their skills on the job.

When employers hire trainees, they generally look for high school graduates who have a talent for arranging and a desire to learn.

However, completion of formal training is an asset for floral arrangers, particularly for advancement to the chief floral designer level.

Vocational/technical schools offer programs in floral design, usually lasting less than a year, while 2- and 4-year programs in floriculture, horticulture, floral design, or ornamental horticulture are offered by community colleges and colleges and universities.

 

Instructional Programs

Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management - A program that prepares individuals to operate and manage commercial and contract florist enterprises, supply and delivery services, and flower catering services. Includes instruction in the applicable principles of plant science; purchasing, storage, and delivery systems; floral design and arranging; and principles of business management.

 

Wages

In 2016, the US annual wage range for Floral Designers was between:

$21,190 - $31,970

 

Outlook

It is anticipated that in 2022, employment for Floral Designers will number 57,300.

There will be a decline of -510 new positions annually (-0.82%). This means that this occupation is declining slowly or moderately.

 

Similar Jobs

This is a list of jobs in which the workers share many of the same Interests, tasks, skills, knowledge, and education/training as Floral Designers

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