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Cool careers in quarantine
Would you like to work with animals? Are you keen to protect Australia's natural environment and agricultural industries? If so, then a job with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) could be for you.
AQIS employs over 3,000 people around Australia. Some typical jobs include:
Quarantine inspector
Role: inspect goods coming into Australia to check for exotic pests, weeds and diseases.
Location: airports, seaports, mail handling centres, cargo facilities and other sites in cities and regional centres.
Suits: someone meticulous and careful, and passionate about protecting Australia’s environment. Inspectors working at airports will need good people skills.
Training: six-week quarantine course plus on-the-job.
Highlights: meaningful work, and interaction with a diverse range of people (particularly at airports). Inspectors generally rotate so you may spend time at airports, mail centres and other sites too.
Lowlights: detailed work will not suit all personalities; shift work.
Detector dog handler
Role: work with a dog to inspect luggage and/or international mail.
Location: airports, mail handling centres and seaports (cruise ships) in major cities.
Suits: someone who is patient, loves animals and enjoys working around people.
Training: six-week quarantine course, eight-week dog handler course; handlers often start out as quarantine inspectors and move into the dog program.
Highlights: dogs are great companions – trainers can develop special bonds with their animals.
Lowlights: places are limited, so if you want to work with animals, include this among a range of job options.
Vet
Role: quarantine employs vets for a range of jobs. Some inspect livestock for export. Some inspect animals bound for local abattoirs, to check they are healthy and safe to eat. Some even travel overseas or to remote places to do field surveys, checking for early warning signs of exotic pests and diseases.
Location: cities and regional centres throughout Australia.
Suits: people interested in biology, but roles vary widely so personalities can too!
Training: you’ll need excellent high school results, including science, to get into a six-year veterinary degree.
Highlights: rewarding work and good pay.
Lowlights: extremely competitive to get into vet school, so make sure you have some backup career ideas.
Other
Other fields you could find yourself working in as part of AQIS include checking goods for export, inspecting imported goods, pest monitoring, shipping, plants or horticulture.
Keep your options open: If you like natural sciences and working with people, quarantine is just one of many places you could work. Other potential employers include local government, an environmental agency, a government agricultural department, a school or university, or CSIRO. Do some research and make a list of all the jobs available out there for somebody with your skills and interests.
To learn more about the types of cool careers with AQIS, read these real-life stories:
Imported Food Inspector
Manager Torrens Island Avian Facility