As crime rates increase and businesses look to increase their security, more officers will be needed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 175,000 jobs will be created in the next decade. These guards will be employed mainly at private security firms.
But being a security officer is not as simple as sitting in a chair in a hotel lobby. Characteristics of a good security officer include:
• Common sense. Security officers are presented with many challenging situations. When working crowd control for a big event, he or she must determine who started a melee and how to handle the situation appropriately. An overreaction could start a bigger disturbance as could weak response. Cops that patrol retail establishments are often faced with young shoplifters. How to handle petty thieves often as young as eight years old is a tough question. Turning them over to the police is not always the right answer.
• The ability to follow directions. While this is true in almost any job, in the security business, a misstep could put a person or property in danger.
• Great customer service skills. This may seem like an odd characteristic for a security officer, but remember he or she is employed by a private company. The security officer must learn to be courteous to the company personnel. For example, if there is a dispute over how to handle a security breach, the security officer must tactfully explain his or her side and work toward a compromise resolution, if possible. However in some cases, one side must win and if that is not the security officer’s point of view, he or she must learn to disagree agreeably. Many large security agencies have lost business because the security guard was rude or inconsiderate.
• The ability to testify in court. Giving sworn testimony before a judge, jury and onlookers is daunting. But security officer may be called on to testify about any situation. This includes theft cases, disturbing the peace charges at large events and trespassing cases.
When considering a security career, find a company that emphasizes training. If you become an armed guard, the most dangerous of all assignments, make sure you have a venue for practicing on the firing range. While most states require little formal training, good security agencies provide several hours of training for its employees. Companies with on-site training academies often employ licensed law enforcement officers to train their perspective officers and employ a rigorous curriculum.
Allie Gilliland graduated from the University of Arizona in 2008 with a degree in Journalism. She enjoys motivational speaking and spending time with her family. Allie had been the Business Development Manager at Anderson Security since 2008. Security Officers Phoenix
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