Invest In Your Skills

When we talk about being trained and prepared to work in the security industry, most think about firearm proficiency, yet, most armed security officers will never fire their weapons in the line of duty. In contrast, almost every security officer will need to use other skills on a daily basis, such as de-escalation, situational awareness, profiling, professionalism, deportment, and communication. Ironically, these skills are rarely taught and then drilled to a sufficient degree to become second nature.

In my experience as an HR manager overseeing operations in two states, the most common reason for disciplining, removal from a post by the client, or firing an officer was due to a deficiency in much-needed soft skills and never for lack of firearm skills. Being highly proficient with your weapons is imperative, but it’s just as important to train all of the other skills consistently and often that you will need to excel on the job.

Security companies sell the proficiency and professionalism of their officers to gain the trust of prospective clients and earn their business. The ability and character of their officers are the product. Almost every company in the nation will boast about how well-trained their people are, and yes, some companies invest consistently in training for their officers, but the majority of them don’t simply because of the cost in man hours spent training as well as hard costs.

For that reason, many security officers are content with blaming their employers for their training deficiencies but it’s the officer that pays the consequences for not being properly trained and proficient.

That is why your safety and proficiency must be your responsibility. The more you learn, practice, and master self-defense, the better chance you have during a physically violent encounter. If you learn, practice, and master de-escalation skills, you will experience less violent encounters, gain a reputation for being more professional than most of your co-workers, and clients will insist on you working on their site. You will also inspire others to do better, a leadership skill management looks for and likes to promote. The same can be said for mastering the other soft skills.

Officers with exceptional soft skills are often promoted sooner and have better job stability than those that are not. And in the event of cutbacks or downsizing, they are far less likely to lose their job.

If security is your chosen profession, take responsibility for your education and proficiency. It is the best investment you can make for your future and family.

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Former Law Enforcement Officer and SWAT Operator and now Security Agency Owner in the State of Florida specializing in Executive Protection and High Threat Security Contracts. NRA Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, ASP Instructor, Sabre Aerosol Projectile Instructor, and Florida K-3300045 license Instructor. I still work contracts, Instruct, serve on my church safety team and I have a thing or two to say about our industry. Married with four small children, two dogs and a rabbit. God is always first.

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