Private security is a niche sector of the professional investigation industry concerned with providing for the safely and wellbeing of the public and organizational staffers. The security business continues to grow year by year and now represents one of the best career fields worldwide. There is an ever growing demand for qualified security personnel which far exceeds the supply, providing many employment opportunities in a wide range of positions and job assignments.
Private security is not law enforcement. It is a separate entity which exists to fulfill a range of assignments ranging from general peace keeping and regulation enforcement to highly specific tasks for businesses, NGOs or even governmental clients. There are many possible jobs in the security field, with basic security guard at the bottom rung and paramilitary contractors at the upper end of the spectrum. One thing is for sure, for talented and hard working security professionals, there is always a job available and the possibility for advancement seems virtually endless in this competitive field.
Security system contractors set up, service and maintain central station monitoring of home and business alarm systems. These jobs deal with equipment more than actual public interaction and providers must be up to date on all the latest methods of securing a location against theft, fire, gas leaks and other potential threats. Alarm systems come in many levels of effectiveness and the majority of contractors provide basic equipment for general usage. However, true experts in fortified installation security must be able to provide a truly impenetrable barrier for sensitive locations such as banks, government facilities and hospitals.
Security guards may be armed or unarmed. The ability to carry firearms is highly regulated in many areas of the world and generally involves licensure requirements and possibly specialized training. Armed guards generally earn better than their unarmed peers, since they can handle a greater diversity of case assignments effectively. Unarmed security guards are usually found in business capacities, such as in retail stores, office complexes and schools. Armed guards are found in areas which represent security risks, such as banks, armored cars, government installations, penal facilities and dangerous locations worldwide.
Private security has many smaller specialties which offer additional income streams for workers who choose to pursue a particular career focus. Bodyguards are also called executive protection specialists, personal protection specialists or personal guards. These experts are assigned to serve and protect a specific subject and will travel with their client, live with the client and interact as part of the client's normal life. Bodyguard assignments require years of experience and truly detailed training in order to prepare agents to provide the best service to their employer. Personal protection is one of the highest paying facets of the investigation and security industries.
Finally, paramilitary contractors offer services which amount to being part of a private army. These dedicated security experts are almost always retired military personnel who choose to return to war zones or areas threatened by terrorism in order to protect private clients, business installations and even government facilities abroad. This class of security specialists must have training in fully automatic weaponry, explosives, counter terrorism and intelligence gathering, as well as crowd control and wilderness survival. Paramilitary contracting is very popular with former soldiers as it provides a similar lifestyle to their past military experience, but can pay five to twenty times more than the military!
Private security represents an industry which is always evolving as new threats arise around the world. Statistics show that the industry is not even near to reaching its true potential, so interested and qualified workers should be able to find gainful careers far into the future. To learn more about a career in professional security, call a private investigation association or a security training school near you.
