Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Professional Security Guard
Becoming a professional security guard can be a rewarding profession that helps and protects others. The responsibilities of a security guard may vary depending on the employer, but all security jobs provide great benefits. Throughout this guide, we’ll discuss the benefits of security jobs, the security guard business, and all general security guard information you need to know for a rewarding career in the security industry.
Professional Security Guard Facts: An Overview
The duties of a professional security guard will vary based on the needs of the employer. A private or company security guard may complete reports and interview witnesses, monitor security feeds, regulate checkpoints, inspect buildings, or patrol property while enforcing regulations and rules. Depending on the duties required or the employer, there are several different categories of professional security guards.
Unarmed Security Guard Jobs
The most common form of security includes guards who are unarmed. Here are some of the top unarmed security guard jobs:
Guardhouse Attendant
A guardhouse or gate attendant refers to a security guard that monitors a security gate or guardhouse that leads to a facility or a gated community. Duties include things like offering directions, operating gate locks, handling deliveries, and signing visitors in. These types of security guards work for both public facilities and private companies. They communicate, observe, and report relevant information to their supervisors and colleagues.
Corporate or Residential Security Professional
Corporate security guards are hired by private businesses to guard the physical workplace property and employees against theft, fire, criminal activity, vandalism, bodily harm, and more. These corporate company security guards work in a number of different settings, including mobile security units, banks, entertainment venues, office buildings, and stores.
On the other hand, residential security professionals are hired by apartment building companies or individuals to guard their homes, their belongings, and the people on the property. Similar to corporate security guards, these residential security professionals are meant to protect from bodily harm, fire, criminal activity, theft, and more.
Hotel and Resort Security Specialist
A hotel and resort security specialist observes and patrols public areas, grounds, and associate service areas to help keep the property and grounds safe for all associates and guests staying at the hotel or resort. The security specialist is a professional security guard responsible for responding to and helping with any incident that may arise, including criminal activity, fire alarms, and medical emergencies. They also observe, report, and take action in unusual or suspicious circumstances.
Mobile Security Patrol Driver
Mobile security patrol drivers drive clearly marked vehicles and patrol several different locations within a specific region or geographic area to complete patrol inspections, respond to alarms and emergencies, and open and close the premises of the business.
Security Guard Benefits
Security work has its benefits. Here are some of the top benefits of working as a professional security guard:
- You don’t have to sit at a desk all day. Unless you want to, you don’t need to sit at a desk all day. Instead, you’ll most likely spend a lot of your day on your feet either patrolling or keeping a designated area safe. That said, if you do prefer to sit at a desk, you can find a security guard role that mostly requires monitoring the security feed.
- The hours are consistent. When you work as a security guard, the hours are fairly consistent, whether you’re working the day or the night shift. The work is also usually quite straightforward, so you can plan your hours around a second job, family, or school.
- The job can be exciting. Being a professional security guard can be very exciting, depending on where you work. While most of the time there won’t usually be much action, you need to be prepared to chase down people or testify against suspects in court.
- You’ll meet a lot of different people. You can also meet a lot of different types of people while working as a security guard. When people are scared or lost, they tend to reach out to security guards for help, allowing you to meet and interact with a lot of unique and interesting people. If you prefer not talking to people, you can find a security job that requires patrolling an area not open to the public or monitoring cameras.
- You will have job security. More and more companies need assistance protecting their property, assets, and workers every day, so there are always jobs available if you qualify to become a security guard or officer. This is a huge benefit, allowing for job security as long as you remain in the field.
- The training is not difficult. You need to be 18 years of age with a clean record in order to become a security guard, but there isn’t much prior experience required, and the training process is straightforward. You will usually learn first aid, crisis management, observation, and investigation skills during training, and most training only requires 8 to 16 hours (unless you want to be an armed guard).
Security Agency Hiring Guide
There are a lot of benefits to becoming a professional security guard, including working as part of a team, helping people, and making a difference in the world. You also have a fairly physically active job as a security guard, which in turn leads to a healthier lifestyle. Security guards also have a better work and life balance, thanks to their flexible and dynamic work environments.
Furthermore, as a security guard, you can get experience towards a law enforcement career if that’s your long-term goal. You can also prepare for a career as a paramedic, doctor, or nurse since you’ll have plenty of exposure to first responder situations. Working as a professional security guard is an excellent part-time job option for students and those who need a second job.
Top Reasons to Become a Security Guard
Here are some of the top reasons to become a professional security guard:
- Helping people feel safe is rewarding. Security guards are mainly hired to maintain safety and protect people. Most of the time, the mere presence of a security guard is enough to prevent incidents and keep people from committing crimes. Security guards can help people feel more safe and comfortable.
- Increased employability. Security guards are in fairly high demand right now, and they will remain so in the future as there are many different industries, companies, and events that are required to hire security guards.
- A variety of scheduling options. There are several different shift and scheduling options for security guards since private security is typically a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week service. You can choose from day shifts, night shifts, evening shifts, afternoon shifts, weekday shifts, weekend shifts, and more.
- It’s an excellent part-time job. Since there are so many different scheduling options, you can work as a security guard as a part-time job rather than a full-time job while working a second job, taking care of your family, or attending school.
- Improves your observation skills. Working as a security guard helps improve your observation skills, since you spend so much time watching people.
- Improves your people skills. You can also improve your people skills when you’re working as a security guard, being hospitable and customer service are huge parts of being a security guard.
If you want to learn more about becoming a professional security guard, contact Community Action Security. We’d be happy to discuss or security guard services and security agency hiring practices.
