Resume guide · Job Zone 3

Customs Brokersresume guide.

Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. A strong Customs Brokers resume shows active listening, reading comprehension and speaking, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook and SAP software.

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01Also called

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BrokerCCS (Certified Customs Specialist)Corporate Licensed BrokerLCB (Licensed Custom Broker)LCB (Licensed Customs Broker)Air Export AgentAir Export Operations AgentAir Import AgentCargo AgentCargo Broker

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
Active ListeningVery highAdvanced
Reading ComprehensionVery highAdvanced
SpeakingHighAdvanced
Critical ThinkingHighIntermediate
WritingHighAdvanced
Complex Problem SolvingHighIntermediate
Active LearningHighIntermediate
Judgment and Decision MakingHighIntermediate
MonitoringHighIntermediate
Time ManagementHighIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

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  • Law and Government
  • Administrative
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Transportation
  • Administration and Management
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Education and Training
  • Mathematics

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Pay, or arrange for payment of, taxes and duties on shipments.
  2. Classify goods according to tariff coding system.
  3. Clear goods through customs and to their destinations for clients.
  4. Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures.
  5. Stay abreast of changes in import or export laws or regulations by reading current literature, attending meetings or conferences, or conferring with colleagues.
  6. Calculate duty and tariff payments owed on shipments.
  7. Confer with officials in various agencies to facilitate clearance of goods through customs and quarantine.
  8. Obtain line releases for frequent shippers of low-risk commodities, high-volume entries, or multiple-container loads.
  9. Request or compile necessary import documentation, such as customs invoices, certificates of origin, and cargo-control documents.
  10. Advise customers on import and export restrictions, tariff systems, insurance requirements, quotas, or other customs-related matters.

05Software and tools

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17 tools across 12 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Data base user interface and query software5
  • Microsoft AccessHotIn demand
  • Automated commercial environment software ACE
  • Customs records databases
  • Parts classification databases
  • Tariff databases
Electronic mail software2
Compliance software1
  • Automated system for customs data ASYCUDA
Enterprise resource planning ERP software1
Internet browser software1
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software1
  • Materials requirement planning MRP software
Office suite software1
Optical character reader OCR or scanning software1
  • Optical character reader OCR software
Presentation software1
Project management software1
  • SAP Customs Management
Spreadsheet software1
Word processing software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
35% of surveyed workers. Others report High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (30%) and Post-Secondary Certificate (15%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 3 · Medium preparation
Usually vocational training, an associate degree or a few years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with the credential and the record. Job Zone 3 roles usually ask for training, a license or a few years of related experience. Put those on the first screen, then show what you did with them.

List the software you have actually used. Employers scan for Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook and SAP software. Put the ones you know in a skills line, spelled the way the vendor spells them.

Show reading comprehension and speaking, not just active listening. Reading comprehension and speaking rank close to active listening for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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