joiner

Your work as a joiner includes all stages of creating wooden components and fixtures. This job starts even before the first cut. To proceed, you need to make sure you have the right materials, the right tools, and a detailed plan. Without this level of careful preparation, even a successful project could run over its time limit or budget. Preparation can include: 

• conferring with designers and architects
• inspecting and evaluating the site
• reading and assessing technical drawings
• sourcing materials and providing cost estimates
• creating materials lists and cutting plans

Your knowledge of different types of wood and their properties, together with technical and design skills, make sure this process goes smoothly. Once preparations are done, the actual woodworking begins. Here you put your craft skills to use, using both hand and powered tools to cut, drill, carve and shape your work. Your responsibilities here include: 

• marking cuts in accordance with plans
• cutting wood to size using a variety of tools
• drilling, carving and other detail work 
• checking the quality of completed pieces

In addition to planning and executing these components, your job as a joiner can also involve maintaining your workshop, managing your budget and more. If you like using a wide range of different skills and techniques, a job as a joiner provides plenty of variety.
 

As a joiner, you typically work in a woodworking shop, either alone or as part of a team. This work environment can be very loud and is full of potentially dangerous equipment. Your alertness and knowledge of proper safety procedures will be very important. Outside the workshop, you visit job sites to learn more about the overall project. You also confer with designers, architects or other team members in an office environment.

As a joiner, your work schedule is flexible. Much of the time, you'll work to a standard working week. However, construction projects run on strict deadlines, and as a deadline approaches, your hours increase. When a large project calls for it, you can expect to work extra hours, including in the evening or on weekends. One good side-effect of this schedule is that these extra hours mean extra pay. As with any other job in the construction industry, a career as a joiner is a good fit for you if you're able to be flexible with your schedule. 
 

A career as a joiner offers several different paths for advancement. You can specialise in one type of woodworking or take your workshop management skills to the next level. If you're looking for a change from joinery, consider: 

• passing on your woodworking skills as a lecturer or trainer.
• specialising in another woodworking trade, such as becoming a cabinet maker.
• broadening into general construction work in roles such as a site supervisor or project manager.

Whichever path you choose, the varied experience gained in a joiner role will stand you in good stead.

Finding your joiner job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a joiner is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
 

From shelves to stairs to skirting boards, a joiner is responsible for the wooden components of a building. A joiner uses both traditional and digital tools to create a range of different wooden items. These are then assembled and installed by carpenters. Want to learn more about working as a joiner? Then check out this article.

To most people, every woodworker is a carpenter, making the difference between the two roles unclear. Within the trade, though, a joiner is someone who designs and builds wooden components, while a carpenter is someone who assembles and installs them. The two trades share many skills, and the same person sometimes does both. Want to learn more about working as a joiner? Then check out this article.

 

'Joiner' is a traditional name that originated from techniques used to make furniture in the middle ages. Joiners would join doors and other items together out of multiple individual pieces. Even though this isn't all of a joiner's role in the modern-day, the name has remained. It indicates the long heritage of woodworking crafts. Want to learn more about working as a joiner? Then check out this article.

 

Joinery plays a vital role in interior design. Working together with an interior designer, a joiner creates bespoke features such as cabinets, shelves, skirting, doors, lighting units and more.

The difference between carpenters and joiners exists in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, such as Australia. In other areas, such as the United States and Canada, the name has gone out of fashion. Woodworkers still do the same tasks, but what would be called a joiner in Britain is often called a carpenter in North America. Want to learn more about working as a joiner? Then check out this article.

Applying for a joiner job is easy: create a randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!