How to get to the top in the security industry!

Hang on a minute. If you can write an article explaining how to get to the top in the security industry, why doesn’t everyone do it? I hear you ask.

In brief. Because most can not be bothered.

There is no magic wand that will catapult you to the top in your company. You have to want to get there, and be willing and able to put time and effort in to achieve your goals. I guarantee to you however, if you follow a few basic guidelines then you will progress, sometimes extremely rapidly.

The golden rule.

You will not be offered promotion or any beneficial treatment, no matter how great a person you are, or how well you do your job if management have never heard of you. You will need to get noticed, and for all the right reasons.

If you are new to a company, and working in a relatively junior Security Officer role, make a good impression right from the start. There are several ways that you can do this very effectively:

• Volunteer! To do overtime. To stay late if requested. To assist the client, or security company with any extracurricular activity. To help your supervisor or manager when the opportunity arises.

You will soon be noticed as the enthusiastic, officer that’s always there to help. Good impression made.

• Get additional training. It demonstrates engagement and enthusiasm and makes you a more valuable team member. I also strongly advocate Continuing Professional Development or CPD. This a way to formally recognise all the activities that you perform in a year that contribute to your professional knowledge. Have a look at the free scheme from the Security Institute for more details.

There is a huge list of useful e-learning courses on the Get Licensed website at: https://www.get-licensed.co.uk/e-learning I recommend considering these:

• Customer Service Skills.
  • Workplace Health & Safety.
  • Basic Fire Safety Awareness.
  • Mental Health First Aid.
  • Fire Marshal Training.
  • Media Handling.
  • Conflict Management.
  • GDPR.
  • Advanced Trauma Training.
  • Completely essential these days is the ACT Counter Terrorist Training. Make sure that you have completed both online units.

• Let people know what you have done and achieved. Email HR with a copy of the course certificate. Copy your supervisor and operations manager in, so that they are aware of your new knowledge or skills, and have you in mind when an opportunity to use your new skills or training arises. Also ask them for a “professional development plan”. They may even not know what it is, but it makes a statement that you are looking for advancement via self-improvement.

• Be proactive. Report any problem at work that may cause issues for the client or your security company. If you have a good idea that may save time or money, speak up. Some companies have schemes that encourage good ideas and reward the best ones.

• Always be professional. Be diligent and do the job to the best of your ability. Make your reports detailed, accurate and informative. Smile. Be approachable. Be reliable, smart, and punctual.

Broken down into these easy steps, it really isn’t too much strain to get you well on the promotion path to supervisory and operations management roles.

If you have been the consummate professional and demonstrated your enthusiasm, ability, and commitment, to your employer for any length of time without receiving any acknowledgement or encouragement, then move to another company ASAP as your current employer is frankly, useless.

On the job experience and vocational courses, however, can only take you so far.

Landing the senior roles.

The UK job market is ultra-competitive and so many people are highly experienced in security operational management roles. So how can you stand out? Firstly, let’s look at the easiest things.

• Personal branding.

• Take a look at your social media output. Does it reflect the professional image that you want to portray to the industry? Use LinkedIn to increase your network and display you to your best advantage. I’ve written a lot on this subject. For a whole load of advice visit:  https://theprofessionalsecurityofficer.com/making-social-media-work-for-you-by-rollo-davies/

• Join a security industry membership organisation.

There are quite a few organisations now in the UK. All offer discounted training courses. Most will offer fantastic networking opportunities. The most popular are:

• The International Foundation for Protection Officers. IFPO
  • American Society for Industrial Security. ASIS
  • The Guild of Security Industry Professionals. GSIP
  • Institute of Strategic Risk Management. ISRM
  • The Security Institute. SyI

• Networking will prove essential as you rise through the industry. Get out there and meet the people that you admire and respect in the industry. Make a good impression with the right people, and down the line, they may be in a position to assist your career climb. Make friends. Be likable. Take advice.

There are several security events and exhibitions throughout the year that provide excellent networking opportunities. They are normally free to attend and feature talks and seminars that you may find interesting and useful. They are also a rich source of CPD!

Some of the biggest include:

• The Security Event at the NEC Birmingham.
  • IFSEC at the Excel Centre in East London.
  • The International Security Expo at Olympia, London.

Getting to the top step!

There are no two ways about it. The biggest companies, will all require a relevant university degree for any of the truly big jobs. Have a look at the “C-Suites” of all of the biggest UK security companies. There will be MScs, MBAs and PhDs all over the place.

So, at some stage you will have to bite the bullet. Most of the big Universities that have any form of security related training have home study courses. I also strongly advise that if you study for a 3 year Batchelor’s degree, you may as well spend an additional year and obtain a Masters. It will be 4 years of hard work. There are no short cuts here. But doors will open to you, and career topping roles will be within you reach.

The alternative.

Alas, you just cannot find the time, or money, or energy to study for a degree. Doors will be closed to you certainly, but there are always options.

With extensive security experience and training, why not start your own company?

It is easier than you’d think. Being successful is not so easy, however. If you have companies that ask you to provide their security services, or that would financially reward you for your advice and guidance, then you just may have the foundations for a business or consultancy.

The friends and connections that you have made across the industry can be an invaluable source of information if you choose to carve your own path to success. You never know. One of them may just be the source of your first big contract!