Importer or Exporter
What the work is
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates the operations of an importing or exporting establishment.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Develops and implements strategies for importing or exporting operations
- Oversees the day-to-day operations of importing or exporting activities
- Establishes and maintains relationships with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders
- Negotiates contracts and agreements with suppliers and customers
- Manages the logistics and transportation of goods
- Ensures compliance with customs regulations and international trade laws, and reviews import and export documentation
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small fictional company that imports ceramic homewares and sells them to shops around the country. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A container you ordered months ago arrives on time and every box is intact
- A shop owner reorders the product you took a chance on
- You find a new supplier whose samples are better than anything you have seen
Hard days
- A shipment stuck at the port with paperwork that does not match
- The currency moves and the price you quoted is suddenly too low
- Waiting for samples to arrive while a customer waits for you to commit
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 133131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.