Getting Into Security Careers

As a security officer you could work anywhere from an airport or shopping centre to a construction site, museum or club venue. Security is needed both at day or night, so you can work shifts, too. With training or experience there’s opportunity for progression.

Security? It’s A Secure Career Option

Security officers protect not just property but lives in their efforts to make sure that places, buildings and valuable items are kept safe and secure. And an important part of their role is working with the public and making sure people are kept safe, too. Lots of places, people and things all over the country need protecting, so it’s a secure career option. There is a growing demand for security officers in the UK.

Useful Skills To Put On Your CV:

• Awareness skills to observe the environment with high attention to detail
• Self-management skills to help you use your initiative and make quick (but wise) decisions
• Basic IT and practical skills so that you can – once trained – feel comfortable working with technology like CCTV
• Communication skills, customer care and self-belief skills so that you can reassure the public and challenge people if you need to, using the most appropriate technique. For example, talking to someone may resolve a situation more effectively than direct physical action, although physical action may sometimes be required.
• Being able to follow written and verbal instructions and write short reports

TOP TIP: It helps if you are able to stay calm under pressure. When all about you are losing their heads, you need to keep yours. You also need patience for quiet shifts!

How Do You Get These Skills?

Vocational qualifications and work experience will help you build these skills over time.

Build Your Skills With the FREE Young Professional Programme

Job requirements

If you’re being hired to keep things safe, your employer needs to know you’re a safe bet to hire. That’s why you’ll need a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence to carry out agency and contractor jobs. To qualify for an SIA licence you’ll need to:

• Be aged 18 or over
• Pass identity and criminal record checks
• Complete SIA training.

If you’re doing in-house jobs (e.g. you’re hired full-time by a specific shop) you don’t need an SIA licence.

School, college and training

There are no set requirements to become a security officer, but a good standard of general education with several GCSEs or their equivalents will help your application.

Apprenticeships and Courses

Security apprenticeships are available, and you can find out more at Skills for Security. The SIA has approved the following security courses:

• ASET Level 2 certificate for security guards
• City & Guilds Level 2 certificate for security guards
• Level 2 BTEC award in security operations
• National Open College Network (NOCN) Level 2 award in security guarding.

In addition, you can study for a range of relevant qualifications, from Level 2 to degree level. Sometimes these are available through distance learning, so you don’t need to attend a classroom or college environment. Examples include:

• Level 2 qualification in security services
• International Institute of Security certificate and diploma in security management
• Foundation degree, degree and Master’s degree in security and risk management
• Postgraduate certificate in maritime and supply chain security.

With time and experience you could become a senior and then a chief security officer, finally being promoted to supervisor or head of security.promoted to supervisor or head of security.

You can head into security management or training others as a learning and development co-ordinator in security training. You could also set up your own security company.

You may also decide to specialise in certain fields of security including:

• Security systems (the technological side of things, like CCTV camera operation)
• Maritime (sea) and supply chain security
• Retail and audit security
• Events security
• Police and civil service support

Work Experience Tips

It can help your application if you have done work experience or volunteering which required you to pass a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check to prove you’re responsible and safe to work with the public.

If you have any past experience of working in the police force or the Army, including any volunteering done with them, that could really help your CV stand out to an employer because it shows you can keep calm under pressure and work to protect the public.

Work Experience Examples

Examples of relevant work experience include:

• Work shadowing (even if it’s just for a day)
• Work placements in a company
• Year-long industry placements on a sandwich degree course.

Where could you work?

You could work for an agency or a contractor’s firm to work in many places, or you could be hired by an employer to do in-house security just for them.

You could be working inside or outside.

You will often wear a uniform or protective clothing, like a hi-vis jacket, so that you can be recognised as security.

Example daily job responsibilities

• Supervising on the door or reception for a large organisation, ensuring visitors are signed in and out, performing any required checks, or giving directions
• Searching craft, travellers, luggage and goods at airports and seaports
• Patrolling and monitoring premises (like car parks or construction sites), either on foot patrol or monitoring via equipment like CCTV
• Ensuring customer safety and preventing theft in retail spaces like shopping centres
• Responding to fire and security alarms quickly and in line with regulations
• Writing incidence reports and potentially giving evidence to the police or in court.

To find jobs for young people in this role, search on jobs boards for early career roles with these words in the title:

• Security officer jobs
• Security apprenticeships
• Security jobs for school leavers

These websites might be able to help you find security experience and jobs that are a good fit for you:

• Find an Apprenticeship
• The Security Service
• Security Industry Authority (SIA)

These employers all carry our Youth Friendly Employer Mark. We work with them to make sure that they are providing great support and opportunities to young people.

Click on an employer to find out more about them and the youth-friendly opportunities they offer, from work experience and apprenticeships through to graduate schemes.