As any AIB food safety auditor will tell you, their job is not as easy as it looks. To those who don’t see what goes on behind the scenes, it seems as if auditors have it made. They travel around the world on company expenses, auditing food companies with the power to pass or fail facilities based on their findings. In more than twelve years of work at AIB, the most common question Melvin Pleasant hears in the field is, “How can I get a job like yours?” Before you check for job openings, there is some behind the scenes information that Pleasant (and other AIB auditors) want you to know.
First, not just anyone can become an AIB auditor. To work for an international company that is as highly regarded by the industry as AIB, there are some general prerequisites that are very beneficial.
- Education. Pleasant received a B.S. in physics. He suggests that any type of technical degree will provide the educational background to understand the physical and mechanical operations that go on in a food plant.
- Experience. “Book learning” can’t replace experience in the field. Doctors spend years in hands-on practicum courses before they receive their medical license; the same applies for the food industry because it affects so many lives and people worldwide. Melvin worked as a manager in food production, warehousing and quality for 18 years before he became an AIB auditor. These experiences allowed him to understand the functions of each operation, which enable him to make decisions and recommendations that benefit the entire facility.
- Specialized Interest. Every AIB auditor has a unique set of skills and experiences. Some specialize in HACCP and food safety, others are quality experts, and yet others are experienced in pest control or produce operations. Pleasant wears several hats: He is a HACCP expert, a licensed pest control operator, and also is certified in FDA milk plant inspections, and both basic and advanced milk pasteurization. One of his favorite learning experiences was at an AIB pest control seminar. He enjoyed how the instructors focused on various pest control philosophies, rather than only talking about pest elimination equipment.
- Communication Skills. Can you imagine if an auditor arrived at your plant, did his work, rated the facility and then left without offering any advice? This would never happen at AIB. Professionals like Pleasant are not only auditors; they are also inspectors and teachers. Each of them is able to assess all aspects of the facility against the determined standards, then provide advice and recommendations to help you correct any identified issues or failures. You get the service of three professionals (auditor, inspector and teacher) for the price of one!
Pleasant has spent the last 12 years at AIB traveling to food facilities from Tennessee to South Carolina and from Maine to Michigan. As busy as his schedule is, he never stops learning and equipping himself to be a better auditor. The one piece of advice he would offer a new food industry employee is: “Prepare yourself. There is a great deal of knowledge required for the food industry because it affects so many people.” Make sure your education, experiences, interests and communication skills are up to par so that you will be prepared to audit, inspect and educate when the time comes!
The author is Publication Coordinator, AIB International.