Agricultural Inspectors
Inspect agricultural commodities, processing equipment, and facilities, and fish and logging operations, to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing health, quality, and safety.
Sample of reported job titles:
Brand Inspector, Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI), Food Inspector, Food Safety and Inspection Service Inspector (FSIS Inspector), Food Sanitarian, Grain Inspector, Inspector, Seed and Fertilizer Specialist, Shipping Point Inspector
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
- Inspect or test horticultural products or livestock to detect harmful diseases, chemical residues, or infestations and to determine the quality of products or animals.
- Verify that transportation and handling procedures meet regulatory requirements.
- Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.
- Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
Technology Skills
- Data base user interface and query software:Microsoft Access
- Electronic mail software:Microsoft Outlook
- Graphics or photo imaging software:Image processing software
- Internet browser software:Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Office suite software:Microsoft Office
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Documenting/Recording Information:Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events:Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
- Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment.
- Collect biological specimens.
- Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees.
- Establish standards for products, processes, or procedures.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems.
Work Context
- Contact With Others:76% responded"Constant contact with others"
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate:76% responded"Extremely important"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:69% responded"Every day"
- Telephone:67% responded"Every day"
- Freedom to Make Decisions:65% responded"A lot of freedom"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Quality Control Analysis:Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring:Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension:Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management:Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Law and Government:Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Administrative:Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
- Mathematics:Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 56%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 12%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 12%Some College Courses
- 10%Bachelor's Degree
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity:The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning:The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning:The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Near Vision:The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Interests
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Work Values
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Work Styles
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Self-Control:Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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