Trading standards officer
Advise on and enforce the laws on the buying, selling, renting and hiring of goods and services.
Also known as: TSO
About the job
What it's like
You would advise on and enforce the laws on the buying, selling, renting and hiring of goods and services. This keeps trading fair and protects consumers and businesses.
You could cover a range of issues, such as:
Consumer safety
Animal welfare
Fake goods
Product labelling
Weights and measures
Under-age sales
In some jobs you might be involved in all aspects of trading standards work. You could also specialise in just one area.
Your duties would vary, but you might:
Visit local traders and businesses for routine checks or to look into complaints
Take samples of goods for testing
Check that weighing scales and measures are accurate, for example alcohol measures in pubs
Make sure that labelling is correct and advertising is honest
Find unsafe electrical goods and toys
Advise consumers and businesses about the law
Investigate suspected offences - these could need undercover or surveillance work
Prepare evidence and go to court in prosecution cases
Give talks, write reports and keep records
You would need to have in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, and stay up to date with any developments.
Hours
In most jobs you would work around 37 hours a week, with some unsocial hours if you need to visit pubs and clubs in the evening or market traders at the weekend.
Environment
You would have an office base, but would also visit traders and go to court.
Travel
You would spend a lot of your time travelling around the local area, visiting traders and attending court. A driving licence and use of a car may be necessary.
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Top skills
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It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- reliable
- ethical
- taking initiative
- attention to detail
- empathising
- researching
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Business Management
Skills for Work: Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry
You will need professional Trading Standards qualifications.
It is possible to enter as a trainee with five National 5 qualifications and two to three Highers (SCQF level 5/6).
Many applicants have a degree (SCQF level 9/10); subjects that involve law or consumer studies/protection can give exemption from some of the professional exams.
Entry to degree courses (SCQF level 9/10) will usually require National 5 qualifications and at least three to four Highers although some degrees may require more than this.
Law courses in particular will have higher entry requirements and will need Higher English. Current entry requirements are four to five Highers at B or above.
Once in the job you will work towards qualifications via the Trading Standards Qualifications Framework. This is normally done as part of 'on-the-job' training.
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