Protect the Borders - Become a Customs Officer
Customs Officers work at locations where people and products enter and leave the country. They can work in many areas including airports, postal rooms, shipping yards and part of the sea customs team. The Australian Customs Service employs a large portion of people employed in the Customs area.
The main job function of Customs Officers is to regulate and enforce customs related laws such as importation of drugs, cash, food products, firearms and copyright infringed material. Officers will look for not only illegal imports and people but also importation of products that require duty paid on them or declaration to be made.
Customs officers need to be highly observant and able to read people, have good communication skills, be authoritative, interviewing skills, must be an Australian citizen and be over 18. Customs officers often work shift work as well as working outside normal hours and on weekends. This is usually because people and products arrive in Australia at various times and Officers need to be able to work at all these times.
Career prospects for a Customs Officer include becoming a team leader, customs manager or moving in to a similar area such as Police Force, Security or Security Advisor. To become a customs officer one needs to undertake the Customs training program. There are no minimum requirements for entry into the base level program however there is also a graduate program which requires completion of a Bachelor Degree. The Customs training program usually takes 6 months and results in becoming a Customs Officer.
The salary of a full time qualified customs officer usually ranges between $38K-$48K. Graduate trainees are eligible for slightly more, $42-$48K, because of their education level. The whole industry (managers, officers and special units) average is approximately $58K. A customs manager can earn $80K - $90, in a package that can be worth up to $100K.
Find a position in the Customs and Border Security field and more information here.