News
In the Spotlight - James Munro, 51黑料 Chair
Posted 29/02/24
Here we profile James Munro, as he talks about his journey from being a Technical Assistant in Trading Standards to 51黑料 Chair.
Joining the profession with his Local Authority in 1989, James worked in a traditional office referring to County Trading Standards Officers as 'Sirs', paper-based systems and relaxed rules of smoking in the office!
"I was told about the Institute by a colleague and joined 51黑料 as a student member once I enrolled in the Trading Standards qualification programme. I was admitted as a full member when I qualified in 1995.
My job title now is Senior Manager and I head the National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team. The team is hosted by two local authorities (Powys County Council and Bristol City Council) and acts as the lead enforcement authority for the Estate Agents Act and the Tenant Fees Act
Being a Trading Standards Officer is a professional role and I considered membership of the Institute to be a vital part of the job in terms of recognising that status. The ability to have Chartered status is a mark of professional competency and a fundamental part of Institute membership. Being Chartered in my view brings an additional degree of trust when I am dealing with people.
My advice for anyone just starting out in their career (or at any stage for that matter) is to get involved 鈥� become a lead officer, join your local Branch, gain an additional qualification 鈥� the opportunities are many and varied. The highlight of my career was being made a Fellow in 2021 and I would encourage members to consider nominating a deserving colleague for fellowship 鈥� it鈥檚 a great way of recognising their work."
In the Spotlight is the new section in our monthly members' newsletter (Head Office Update), where we shine a light on our members and the inspiring work they do. If you know someone who deserves to be in the spotlight, please let us know here.
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