There are several different types of jobs available. In some highly sensitive settings such as in government installations or Las Vegas casino's, security jobs are filled by highly professional personnel, and usually require a background in law enforcement, or intelligence, or perhaps military experience. In such positions you would be providing risk assessment, evaluating information on possible threats to mitigate them before they become a problem. Providing physical security such as protecting a bank as a security officer is also a sensitive position, which would require an extensive background check, and weapons training. These personnel are usually required to carry a firearm.
There are other jobs available such as patrolling an amusement park or providing security to a mall. Some larger amusement parks have very high end sophisticated security programs in place. They are designed to be immediately available and effective while maintaining a low profile, so that they become noticed only when needed. At a shopping center or a mall, on the other hand, they remain purposefully conspicuous. Being noticed and prominent is often all the deterrent that is needed to keep minor offences on the minimum.
There are less visible jobs available, such as guarding a residence as a private security guard. You might be employed at a central location where you electronically monitor several private security systems that have been subscribed to by many customers. Or you may be physically on the grounds of a large home or mansion owned by some wealthy and famous politician or movie star.
The job is not as easy as it looks. Security guards are often under appreciated until they are needed. Are you up to the task? Many times the best security guards go unnoticed because by making accurate risk assessment, and evaluating the information available to them, they mitigate the risk before it becomes a problem. An analogy to this would be a life guard working at a public swimming pool. Imagine two different lifeguards with their different styles. Lifeguard number one sits in his chair and does nothing but watch until there is a crisis. The patrons run amuck, doing pretty much whatever they want, running on wet surfaces, getting rowdy in the water and other risky behavior. Eventually there is a crisis. Lifeguard number one then intervenes to save the life of someone who is drowning, or provide first aid to someone who has been injured. Lifeguard number one may even be regarded as a hero and receive rewards and recognition for his performance during their handling of the emergency.
Compare that to lifeguard number two. She is proactive in promoting safety in the swimming pool. She makes the rules plainly obvious to all patrons. She enforces them firmly but fairly and politely. When she sees someone running she tells them to walk and not run. When she sees swimmers getting rowdy, she politely tells them settle down, so she won't have to ask them to leave. When she sees a weak swimmer in the deep water, she asks them to practice near the side, or in shallow water, depending on their ability, and on the competence she can see in whatever adult supervision they have. She provides risk assessment before risky behavior becomes a problem, then seeks to mitigate it. At the end of the day, everyone has played safely, and no crisis or emergency has developed. She does not appear to have rescued anybody. She is not a hero, and receives no awards or recognition for her work. But who is the better lifeguard? Who has provided the better service?
Now let's pretend you are the owner of this public swimming pool. You bear the responsibility or the liability if someone is injured or drowned. You may be subject to law suits, or in extreme negligence, even criminal charges. Let's pretend you are hiring a lifeguard for the summer. Which lifeguard would you hire, number one or number two? Obviously even though it appears that number two has never been the hero, she is providing the service. She has provided a safe swimming environment so that there has never been the need for a dramatic rescue. She has not been recognized for this because she does her job so well that her skills go unnoticed. But the competent swimming pool manager will recognize this and reward her for her performance.
This same principle applies to the profession of providing physical security. A competent security guard assesses the risks before they become a serious threat and takes steps to mitigate them. He or she is proactive in seeking information about possible threats, and then taking steps to mitigate them before they become a problem. The ways that this is accomplished vary depending on the job or the circumstance. The person providing private security to a mansion is to be as unseen as possible. They have the difficult job of not only overseeing the grounds but also not intimidating the guests, or invading the privacy of the residents. The security guards at a mall try to stay highly visible. Delinquents who might otherwise get out of line see their obvious presence, and behave themselves to stay out of trouble.
You can see that this is a very important job. You can go to bed at end of your day knowing you have provided a very valuable service. If you have done your job well, nobody has noticed it, but you will have the satisfaction that there are probably people alive somewhere, who if it were not for your efforts, would not be enjoying that safety that they currently have. They might not be alive at all, if it weren't for you, and they don't even know it. But you know it, and that's what matters. You can get a living wage working for an employer who appreciates and recognizes what you do. You can have a successful career in physical security.
