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Florist Description - US Department of Labor
Interesting Stuff here. US Department of Labor, and their description of a FLORIST. Can't argue with the Government, can you?


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos292.htm#nature


Nature of the Work:
Floral designers, or florists, cut live, dried, or silk flowers and other greenery and arrange them into displays of various sizes and shapes. These workers design displays by selecting flowers, containers, and ribbons and arranging them into bouquets, corsages, centerpieces of tables, wreaths, etc. for weddings, funerals, holidays, and other special occasions. Some floral designers also use accessories such as balloons, candles, toys, candy, and gift baskets as part of their displays.


Also - this link has been posted before, but is worth repeating:

http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/27-1023.00

(The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is developed under the sponsorship of the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA)


Summary Report for: 27-1023.00 - Floral Designers


Tasks
Confer with clients regarding price and type of arrangement desired and the date, time, and place of delivery.
Plan arrangement according to client's requirements, utilizing knowledge of design and properties of materials, or select appropriate standard design pattern.
Water plants, and cut, condition, and clean flowers and foliage for storage.
Select flora and foliage for arrangements, working with numerous combinations to synthesize and develop new creations.
Order and purchase flowers and supplies from wholesalers and growers.
Wrap and price completed arrangements.
Trim material and arrange bouquets, wreaths, terrariums, and other items using trimmers, shapers, wire, pins, floral tape, foam, and other materials.
Perform office and retail service duties such as keeping financial records, serving customers, answering telephones, selling giftware items and receiving payment.
Inform customers about the care, maintenance, and handling of various flowers and foliage, indoor plants, and other items.
Decorate or supervise the decoration of buildings, halls, churches, or other facilities for parties, weddings and other occasions.
Knowledge
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.
Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.


Skills
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.
Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.


Abilities
Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).


Work Activities
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Selling or Influencing Others — Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.


Read more: Florist Description - US Department of Labor
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