The security guard industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the American work force, and indications are that this upward trend will continue well into the future.
According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently more than 1.1 million security guards working in the country. The top five states in terms of employment opportunities in the industry are California, New York, Texas, Florida and Illinois.
And if you think you’d like to work in the security guard industry, the good news is that you won’t need several years of formal training in order to do so. But there are certain requirements of the job that you’ll need to meet before you can apply for and hopefully begin your new career as a security guard.
These requirements do range from state to state, of course, but there are some standards that remain pretty consistent across the board. For example, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old and be able to pass a background check that will look into any history of criminal activity.
There’s also security training required in every state, in order to be licensed and allowed to perform your duties as a security guard. This training varies from state to state, but there is nowhere in the country where you can legally work as a security guard without being properly certified by the state in which you plan on working.
If you’re interested in this type of work, a good place to begin is by visiting the website for the division of criminal justice in your state. It could also go under another title, such as the bureau of security or something else entirely. But just visit your state’s website and do a little searching, and you should be able to find the requirements you’ll need to meet before you can begin work in your new field.
As mentioned above, there is definitely going to be some sort of training involved before you can begin work as a security guard. But much of this training can often be done online, depending on the rules and regulations of your state.
But if your state doesn’t offer training online, or if you simply feel more comfortable in a classroom setting, the website should provide a list of training facilities that have been approved by the governing body in your state.
Now we understand that training can be a bit of a nuisance, as it further delays your ability to get to work and begin earning an income in your new career. But the information you’ll learn and the credentials you’ll obtain will prove invaluable in your efforts to begin a new career in the security guard industry.
On average, this training is not going to take a huge amount of time. You’re usually only talking about a few hours, or a little bit more if you want to be licensed to carry a firearm or do some type of specialized work.
But to get your foot in the door and begin making a name for yourself, you’re probably talking about somewhere between 6 and 10 hours. If you want to knock it out as quickly as possible, you can probably do so over a weekend and be ready to start sending out resumes and applications the following work week.
Just go online and print out the applications and other step-by-step instructions on how you can proceed with the first steps toward becoming a part of one of the fastest growing career fields in the United States.
You never know where it could lead you!
