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What should I expect going into the security field?
I am a student in Job Corps and I am going into training to become a security guard. I would appreciate your perspective on the practical aspects of working in this area. My questions are as follows:
What should I expect going into this field?
What would make someone a good fit for the job?
What do you wish someone told you before you joined the field?
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Boyd’s Answer
In the security industry you can have many different roles. Security guards encompass a great deal of the security industry and even as a guard you can do different things. For example, you could be a uniformed unarmed security guard in a guard station entry point to certain properties, you could be a uniformed armed guard doing the same thing, you could be a uniformed armed or unarmed guard on driving patrols or walking patrols around apartment complexes or other businesses, you could be assigned to a desk in the entryway to a business.
You could also be a plain clothes security guard (armed or unarmed) holding many of the same assignments, or even hold a position in executive protection details. These details are usually those people that have been in the industry longer and have more experience and knowledge of the business.
Security guards will have certification requirements and be expected to hold licenses to carry weapons if the role requires you to be armed.
As a security guard you can also advance to supervisory and management roles in many of the same assignments.
You could also be a plain clothes security guard (armed or unarmed) holding many of the same assignments, or even hold a position in executive protection details. These details are usually those people that have been in the industry longer and have more experience and knowledge of the business.
Security guards will have certification requirements and be expected to hold licenses to carry weapons if the role requires you to be armed.
As a security guard you can also advance to supervisory and management roles in many of the same assignments.
Updated
James’s Answer
I have worked in Security, Corrections, Fraud, and Loss Prevention. I can tell you there is a common theme when working in these law enforcement jobs. You can expect a challenging work environment that is likely to change constantly. A lot of the appeal with law enforcement is that it changes every day. You might find yourself in dangerous situations. You might have to be undercover. You might have to carry a firearm. All of these things are not for the faint of heart. It means your safety and the safety of others could be on the line.