The following is the advice and guidence of Robin Barratt of "Pilgrim Information Systems"
Let's face it, with almost 6000 licensed close protection officers in the UK alone, plus many thousands more with security degrees or security qualified, looking for work within this relatively small sector of the industry will, for many people, be fairly difficult. Also, don't forget, if you are applying for international positions you are also competing with thousands of other trained close protection personnel worldwide.
But there is work out there, in fact there is lots of work. Last month alone I found almost 50 positions advertised on the net (how many did you find?). The security industry worldwide is one of the only industries that has grown during this so called 'credit crunch' and the threat level in almost every country worldwide has never been higher. Security is the number one concern for virtually every government and corporate businesses consistently spend time and a lot of money to keep their business and its personnel safe. And so, to be frank, the only person stopping you finding work is...yourself.
Maybe you don't have the right qualifications, or you are not looking in the right places, or you don't know where to look, or you haven't joined the right forums or job search services, or you haven't submitted your CV to the right employment agencies, or you simply do not have the right attitude...the list – and excuses - for not finding work are endless.
In the UK, just having an SIA Close Protection license is not a guarantee of a job, although it seems from the feedback and comments I have had over the years, many people with a license more or less expect doors to be opened and their phone to be ringing with job offers. Sadly, unlike some other professions, that is not the case in either close protection or security consultancy. Many people, not just in the UK but worldwide, will spend a lot of money and their time on a close protection training course, but then virtually nothing else thereafter on either further training or marketing themselves. You can have the best product in the world but its pretty irrelevant if no one knows about it.
So what are a few simple things you can do to raise the chances of finding work in this industry ? Firstly ask yourself what YOUR unique selling point is, what makes you different to the tens of thousands of other CPOs worldwide ? If you say there is nothing different about me...well its about time you found something ! Let me give you an example; a few years ago when I ran the Worldwide Federation of Bodyguards (now closed down, I think!) I trained a coloured girl called Nicki. She had neither a military nor security experience, in fact she was a shop assistant, but she had drive and determination and she wanted to set up a company providing black female bodyguards to black singers and celebrities. Her company is now based in LA and last year she turned over about 6 million USD. She was black, she was female and she capitalized on her uniqueness. So what is yours ? Maybe you speak another language fluently, maybe you have driving qualifications, maybe you are a paramedic, maybe you have previously worked in mining or a scuba diver, or know another country really well. For example I know Moscow as well as I know my home city, which immediately puts me at an advantage for anyone wanting security in Moscow. Recently I put two vacancies on our jobs list, one for a Portuguese speaking CPO and another for a CPO with an engineering background. At the time of checking the Portuguese vacancy still had not been filled. Find your uniqueness and if you can't then get one!
Also, in my opinion, I believe it is better to specialize in one aspect of protection that to try and be a jack of all trades. If you develop a reputation at for example Witness Protection then you become a specialist which makes you much more employable. Again, I was a specialist in setting up security operations in Moscow, and so time and time again I was asked to set up security operations in Moscow. When I lived in Bosnia during the conflict I specialized in security in that particular war zone and time and time again I was asked to look after people going into that arena. Specializing works. Decide where you want to work and in what sector and then develop your career accordingly.
Someone recently wrote and told me that they apply for every single job they hear about, regardless of whether they have the correct qualifications or experience. My jaw dropped. Why I asked, and his reply was that if he walked down the street asking for 1 GBP someone would eventually give him it. This maybe true begging on the streets but sending his CV out to security HR departments who have neither the time nor inclination to read it is wasting his time and ultimately his reputation. A good friend of mine works as head of HR for one of the biggest security contractors in theUK and once told me that he gets up to 100 unsolicited CVs each and every week. Unsolicited means that they are not applying for any vacancies, they are just sending their CV out on spec. How does a person who is extremely busy filling current vacancies and running his department have the time to reply to CVs that he has not asked for? If you are going to send your CV out on spec, then don't expect a reply. The same applies to e-mails; I got an email yesterday that simply said “please look at my CV attached and get back to me with any jobs.” Undoubtedly these are the sorts of people who will moan that no one replies to their CV or email and that there isn't any work ! Only reply to jobs for which you are suitably qualified.
Believe me, some CP forums can be bitchy and backstabbing and a lot of people regularly post undignified, unprofessional and defamatory comments. (have you noticed though that those people are generally out of work or have never worked and blame everyone else for their situation?). Nevertheless forums can be great for networking and can be a valuable source of information. Jobs are also posted on the forums, but don't forget most forums have thousands of members, so one job will attract thousands of applicants!
Recently I had two very different emails which highlighted the difference in both successful pro-active networking and a negative belligerence towards networking. The first email was from someone wanting a free listing in the 2010 International Directory of Individual Protection Officers. This will be published early next year and I am going to send it to over 1000 contractors and employers worldwide. I am charging just 15 GBP for individuals to be listed, which pays for publication and distribution (free if you join Pilgrims Job Search). But he didn't want to pay – his remarks were that he has paid for his course, he is not going to spend anything else and I am just making money out of him. I asked him if he would work for free, and he said of course not!
The other email asked whether I was still running the British Bodyguard Association as he would like to join.(I am not so I forwarded him to the BBA website). His comments were; “Apart from as much free networking as I can do, I have also dedicated three hundred pounds a year to job search services, subscribing to security magazines and to joining security associations. Sure, some money will be wasted but some won't and hopefully what works will more than compensate for what doesn't. Do the maths ” he said to me “If I only get two days work a year then it has paid for itself.” What a great attitude! Ask yourself one question, who out of these two is more likely to succeed ?
Over the past twenty years I have amassed literally thousands of industry contacts and know of hundreds of contractor's websites and so I have decided to set up Pilgrim Information Systems to help people find work in security and close protection. This service is not for people with lots of time on their hands who can search the net week after week themselves, or for those who have lots of contacts and can go from job to job. Like you, I have rent to pay and don't work for free either and so if you join our Job Search Service there is a small yearly fee, equivalent to about 0.47 UK pence (approx. 0.70 US cents) a week, so it is not for those either who want everything for free! It takes a good day a week of my time to scourer the internet and get contacts and website links. Also by subscribing to my Job Search Service you can submit your CV to me and I will personally forward it on to any relevant position that comes directly into my office. Also, apart from regular jobs updates with website links and contact details, you will get a monthly Job Search Newsletter and a free listing in our 2010 International Directory of Individual Protection Officers. I cannot guarantee you a job but I can guarantee that I will look for them for you. I will, of course, continue to put vacancies regularly onto the Pilgrim Facebook group, but you have to go to get more information on the company and the position yourself.
Our website is now online at www.PilgrimInformation.com
All the best and stay safe out there.
Robin
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