- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- customer service skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work well with your hands
- physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
- to be flexible and open to change
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Your day-to-day tasks could include:
- giving product information to customers
- loading and unloading deliveries by hand or with a forklift truck
- processing orders and handling payments
- moving goods to storage areas
- putting orders together and organising deliveries
- advising customers about which materials to use
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a builder's yard or at a store.
Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.
With experience, you could progress to supervisor or manager.
You can find out more about working as a builders' merchant from Building Materials Careers and the Builders Merchants Federation.
