Carpenter and Joiner
What the work is
Cuts, shapes, fits and installs structures and fixtures of wood, plywood and wallboard, and cuts, shapes and fits timber parts to form structures and fittings.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Studies blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine materials required and dimensions of structures or fixtures
- Operates woodworking machines to cut, shape and fit timber parts to form structures and fixtures such as cabinets, doors and window frames, and installs them using hand and power tools
- Constructs and installs stairs, handrails and balustrades
- Applies finishes such as paint, stain or varnish, and installs hardware such as hinges, locks and handles, on structures and fixtures
- Erects frameworks for structures such as walls, floors and roofs, using scaffolding and ladders
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a building and joinery business doing home extensions, decks, doors, stairs and workshop-built windows. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A staircase you built in the workshop fits the opening on the first try
- The last board of a deck goes down and the family steps out onto it at once
- A tricky roof frame comes together and every piece sits where the plan says
Hard days
- A rainy week with an open frame and a client who wants to see progress
- Finding rotten timber behind a wall nobody thought to check
- A change to the plans after the frame is up
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 372131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.