I often ask myself the question: “Why are so many people leaving steady careers to try and make a go of it in the crowded world of Close Protection?”
Of course many of these people are service leavers many of whom believe it is inevitable that they will be destined for a life of wealth by becoming civilian soldiers by working in war torn countries like Iraq and earning hundreds of pounds a day. Others are drawn in by the attraction of living the high life brushing shoulders with ‘A’ list celebrities on the red carpet.
The reality in fact is a harsh one. What these people will actually find is an industry full to the brim with well-qualified and really experienced close protection operatives fighting for work and compromising on price.
Regular and well paid work is in fact hard to come by so how can someone entering the business maximise their chances of success?
On the positive side the notion that anyone without a military background has no place in the industry is becoming more and more outdated. Of course there is more of a requirement for ex-service personnel for hostile environment tasks but for most other jobs the application of military skills into a civilian environment is a difficult transition for most people to make.
To me once you have your qualifications in place and a level of experience in basically comes down to your personality and how you present yourself professionally.
With literally hundreds of training companies offering SIA Close Protection courses how does a potential close protection operative decide who to give their money to?
Finding the right training course should be your first step in your career as a close protection operative. Prospective employers often gauge an operator’s competence on who they completed their training with so, choose the right provider and your career could be boosted from the start!
Choose the wrong one and you may fall at the first hurdle. It shows that you are taking your new venture seriously and not just taking the cheapest option.
There are something like 250 SIA accredited training companies providing Close Protection training in the UK all undoubtedly offering THE best training from THE most experienced instructors on the planet!
All have a list of testimonials as long as your arm and are often accompanied with the added lure of potential work on completion of their training., No wonder it can become a confusing minefield to an outsider.
Unfortunately, as with CPO’s themselves, the fact that a company holds SIA accreditation is not proof of either competence or professionalism. For many companies the whole process is financially motivated with little regard for the finished article being sent into an industry where expectations are high.
Try not to waste your time and money by following these simple guidelines:Research the companies of interest to you. Try and establish their track record, training ethos and reputation within the industry.
– Question the training provider; ask if their instructors are all qualified to teach and if they have a credible background in CP as a military background alone is no basis to delivering Close Protection training.
– Trust recommendations from friends but be wary of forums as they are often used as marketing tools by companies to promote themselves.
– Don’t go with the cheapest options – corners are most likely to have been cut!
– Don’t be fooled into the promise of potential work on completion of the course.
Treat your initial close protection training as your introduction into the industry. It is important to look beyond this in terms of training. Ensure that you target and undertake further training to improve your skillset and ultimately make yourself an attractive addition to an employer’s team.
James Spensley
Prime Media Safety
