How can a person working as a security guard become better at his or her job? Well, like most jobs, continuous learning is ideal. If there are workshops to attend, new information/methods to learn, and/or certificates to obtain you might as well get all the knowledge you can. A well-informed, well-educated security guard will be more valuable to any company he or she chooses to work for, and others will appreciate the acquired knowledge of a smart and perceptive guard.
Skills to Improve Upon
People skills can always be improved. A lot of the job involves communication skills– how you interact with other people will help determine how effective you are at the job as well as how people respond to you and your commands. There are ways to tell a person what to do whereas they’ll comply, while there are other ways where they’ll just blow you off. The more you can practice looking and sounding authoritative (with some compassion and empathy as needed) then the better you’ll be as a security guard. The job involves knowing when to “take charge” and lead people as well as when to just observe and record what happens around you.
The more aware a person is of their community the better a security guard they’ll be. Take, for example, someone asked to guard a famous person in the community. If they know who this person is and who their friends are, that’s a good thing. The worst mistake a guard can make is telling a beloved family member they can’t “go in there” to see the person they’re guarding simply because they don’t know the ins-and-outs of “who’s who” in a person’s inner circle and such. Also, knowing the “news” of an area can help with planning, logistics, routes to take, etc.
When a guard has access to a solid mentor that’s a real win-win situation. A mentor is someone who can offer guidance, advice, and act as a sounding board. Furthermore, a mentor can give constructive criticism in order to help the mentee become better over time.
Security guards should be relatively fit and able to perform the physical aspects of the job. Work on your body to make sure you’re prepared for all situations.
Finally, a security guard should be open to change– flexible enough to adjust their routine as needed. Being open-minded and avoiding the mistake of making assumptions helps a lot in the long run.