A customs officer is a specialised government employee tasked with carrying out customs law on the nation’s behalf. In a customs job, you might work at an airport or a border crossing. Candidates can benefit from studying the necessary abilities and career paths to become a customs officer to obtain this renowned and powerful post.
Through this blog, you can investigate the necessary qualifications and duties of a customs officer in India and how to become one.
Duties of a Customs Officer
Customs officers have several main duties:
- Checking bags, paperwork, aircraft, and cargo to monitor border crossings
- Interviewing travellers to determine their eligibility to enter or leave the nation
- Keeping goods imports and exports legal
- Preventing airport or border crime
- Detailing import/export operations
- Monitoring entry to stop illegal immigrants
- Letting people know about customs and laws
- Guarding the nation’s affairs
- Collecting taxed things like booze and tobacco
Skills Needed To Be a Customs Officer
Customs officers can learn these skills:
1. Communication and Interaction Skills
A customs officer might meet people from many different places and cultures. They need to be good at talking to people and communicating their ideas to explain laws to others. When hiring for a job as a customs officer, interviewers look for people with good communication skills. Good communication skills ensure that moving people and things go smoothly and quickly. Customs officers talk to each other in different ways, like through e-mail, internal intercoms, face-to-face conversations, or phone systems. Their job is to fill out the paperwork and put in the right information about the goods and passengers.
2. Teamwork
Flight attendants, airport security, and customs agents may work together. Teamwork might assist them in transferring things and boarding the plane regularly. Customs officials might work with air crews to monitor emergencies. To improve teamwork, customs officer candidates can learn to listen, cooperate, and solve problems.
3. Discipline
Customs officers oversee all airport imports and exports. Therefore, discipline is essential. They collaborate and work alone. Both demand decisiveness and discipline. Discipline boosts confidence and the customs department’s advancement. Set realistic goals and improve task management to promote self-discipline.
4. Focus
Customs officers are careful and diligent. They must stop harmful commodities from entering the country. Customs officers must be detail-oriented. It can help them spot inconsistencies and improve them. Customs agents may analyse conditions and prevent airport crimes with the appropriate mindset. They follow the law and remember their duties.
5. Fitness
Customs officials get fitness, handling, and shooting training. Location and position determine training time. Customs officer candidates can improve their health, stamina, and vitality. Customs officers need the energy to work unusual hours. They need mental and physical energy to be resilient and forceful in stressful situations.
Levels of Customs Officer
Four different roles for customs officials exist:
1. Group A
You must know “how to prepare for UPSC?” as it is essential to pass the exam to become a customs officer. Your sole choice is the Indian Revenue Service, which handles customs and central excise. Your position will either be Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise or Assistant Commissioner of Customs. You will need to operate in both departments at some point in your career.
2. Group B
There are three types of postings at this level:
A. Central Excise and Customs Inspector
One must clear the SSC-CGL exam to work as a Customs and Central Excise inspector. You’ll be given a department to work in as an inspector. You will need to operate in both departments at some point, just like in your career in Civil Services.
B. Preventive Officer
To become a preventive officer, you must pass the SSC CGL test. Only customs officers can apply, and you’ll be put near the shore (for seas and airports). This is a fun job in the customs department because you get to wear a white uniform.
C. Indian Customs Inspector
After clearing the SSC CGL, select the examiner. Customs duties at shipping ports and airports will be under your control and responsibility.
Roadmap for Becoming a Customs Officer
The following are the procedures for becoming a customs officer in India:
1. Obtain Your Degree
After finishing your higher secondary school, you can seek a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in any topic. The admissions exam for the position of customs officer is open to applicants who have earned at least 55% of their possible points. A bachelor’s degree can be pursued in either criminal justice or airport and airline management. During their graduation, candidates can also take a foreign language course. Learning a foreign language helps improve the communication skills of customs officers with international visitors.
2. Succeed On the Entrance Exam
Candidates can take the entrance exam once they have earned a bachelor’s degree. You can begin preparing for the UPSC to become a Group-A customs officer and the SSC-CGL to be a Group-B customs officer. Candidates from the General and EWS categories get six chances to pass the UPSC test, while OBC candidates have nine chances. The two ways to join the customs service as an officer are as follows:
- UPSC Exam- Candidates who pass the UPSC test can select from the central excise and customs departments. Candidates chosen are given Group-A positions in the central excise or customs administrations.
- SSC-CGL Exam- You can work as a preventative officer, a central excise and customs inspector, or an examiner of Indian customs after passing the SSC-CGL. Selected individuals receive jobs in the customs department at the Group B level.
You can read newspapers frequently to be informed about current events and broaden your knowledge. English, general awareness, GK, and fundamental math are all covered on the syllabus for the entrance exam for customs officers.
3. Get Ready For The Interview
Shortlisted candidates for the interview round are those who pass the written exam. You may do several things to improve your performance in interviews with customs officers. One of them is enhancing your communication abilities. Pick a language you are at ease and confident using for the interview. Make sure to provide accurate and correct info on your resume. You can start training in the central excise division once you pass the interview.
Conclusion
It is challenging to pass the SSC CGL or Union Public Service Commission exams to work as a customs officer. Depending on how long your training takes, you can anticipate being an officer at Central Excise or in the Customs Department in three to five years. Getting good grades on government tests as early as possible will help you advance in your profession. The greatest colleges in the nation should accept students who wish to work for the government.
Do you need customised guidance from a seasoned specialist on your job search? Check out career counselling online if you’re interested. You can write an excellent CV with the assistance of pros. Set up a meeting now!
