Security guards are in high demand, with the security industry one of the few to thrive in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some people see security guarding as a rather limited career path, however, with progression opportunities limited beyond simply becoming a guard conducting mobile patrols on one property or another.
The truth, however, is there are not only plenty of opportunities for advancement within security guarding itself, but the skills and experience that you can earn in the role are highly transferable and can set you up nicely for a switch into a different field if you feel like making a change further down the line.
Whether you have just qualified as a security guard and gained your SIA licence, congratulations if you have, are considering becoming a security guard, or have already been in the industry for some time and are considering a change, this article will help you create a more effective future career plan.
Why work in security in the first place?
If you are still considering if security is the career for you , you might be wondering what the biggest perks of the job actually are.
Firstly, it is a stable career that helps you pay the bills. Perhaps not the most glamorous of benefits, but securing the financial future of you and your family is the most important thing after all.
Many people also enjoy the flexibility that the role offers, with a range of different part time and full time positions available at all times of the day and night. It is a fantastic option either as a full-time career or simply as a way to earn a bit of additional cash alongside your other commitments.
In this role, you will meet all sorts of different people on a daily basis whilst carrying out your security services Manchester, and people orientated professionals usually make the best security officers.
During this article we will talk about the progression opportunities and possible career switches available to security guards, but that isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with being a security guard for your entire career. Many people do and are very happy doing so.
Why would you want to make a change?
The reasons that people choose to change career from a security guard are incredibly varied.
The most common is to use their experience to find a higher paying role, as a head door supervisor or similar, but others may decide to opt for a less stressful and high pressure career.
As a security guard you are given a huge amount of responsibility to protect your charges, with people often putting their livelihoods and even their lives in your hands. This sort of responsibility can take its toll over the years and it is fully understandable that you might wish to move to a more relaxed environment.
That said many of the career change option we mention below are just as fast-paced as a security officer role, if not more so, so if this is not something you are interested in, you might be better off going down a slightly different route
What other careers are available to security officers?
Here is a list of some of the roles that former security officers often find themselves in:
Police officer
Police officers share many of the same traits as security guards, and if it is a passion for doing good and protecting people that inspired you to become a security guard in the first place, this may be the natural progression.
Police officers earn more, on average than security guards and your job remit is likely to be wider, with more variation in your day-to-day work.
Whilst being a security guard will assist you in becoming a police officer, the roles are not directly aligned and you will still need to undertake all the medical and physical assessments and pass background checks in order to be accepted.
Security consultant
Security companies often provide risk assessments to businesses and event managers, helping them to identify the security threats they face and implement solutions to deal with them.
Whilst security officers are usually the ones responsible for helping to implement these solutions rather than identify them, during your time you will begin to learn how to do so and gain knowledge that is extremely valuable to business owners.
Once your time in the field is over, you might decide to use this asset to become a security consultant, or even start your own security firm.
Security managers
The most popular and natural career progression for any security guard. As you progress within the security firm you work for and become more senior among your peers, you will develop management skills that can be used to become a security manager, responsible for overseeing major security projects of your very own.