Maybe your career has been spent in law enforcement. You are approaching retirement and still want to keep your finger on the pulse of crime in your community. Becoming a security guard could be the most natural next step.
In fact, even if you have not been in the law enforcement ranks whatsoever but have the calling for something a bit more exciting than watching television each night with a police scanner crackling in the background well, now is your chance to do something good for your neighborhood or community.
Alright, not all security guard jobs are at banks and nuclear power plants, but the demand is there. For example, you have probably seen security guards working with armored vehicles, in shopping malls, in office buildings, at casinos, hospitals, large retail stores and in many other venues where illegal activities may go unnoticed without the assistance of a security guard.
That could be you stopping a shoplifter or preventing a break-in. Depending on where you end up being assigned you could be in a warm office watching a number of close-circuit security cam video monitors or stationed at the front entrance to a busy building confirming ID and providing a sense of calm to employees who will look to your presence as safety in the workplace.
Yes, I’d be lying if I said all security guards have an easy job. That is far from the truth in a number of cases as the job can be dangerous and require you to carry a firearm and receive emergency response training.
With this in mind what can you earn working as a security guard? Well, if you were to compare a job guarding a power plant to standing guard at an educational or medical facility you’d be surprised to learn that the average annual salary is not based on the level of danger involved. Power plant security guards make around $44,000 per year where a school hallway guard can make in the neighborhood of $28,000 in a year.
Of course, there will be some variables involved that can change those numbers. If you are working for a private security firm as opposed to hired individually under contract as your own private guard could cause those figures to fluctuate. The advantage to working as part of a larger security firm is you would have guaranteed work but if you contracted yourself out you could benefit in other ways related to hourly rates and flexibility of hours.
As for the basic requirements to become a security guard, you would simply need your high school diploma but in some cases that isn’t even required. On the job training will also be another item that will differ from job to job.
A security guard at a bank would be required to have specific training as would security guards taking jobs in hospitals, nuclear power plants and any other industrial setting with most of the training specific to the particular job site. This training would include various procedures and guidelines to follow.
Security jobs at office buildings, schools and shopping centers would not be as extensive. There are a number of doors that can open for security guards who plan to pursue additional career paths while working in this capacity. This may involve additional courses for certifications that will increase your value and provide opportunity for career advancement.
There’s also different fields of security that you may want to branch into such as gaming security at casinos and gambling sites like race tracks to earning a degree in criminal justice. These additional forms of training could lead you to management or even branching out and starting your own security business.
Even if all you are looking for is an exciting part-time job that satisfies that need to be involved in providing a level of safety to a company or organization, becoming a security guard will be a rewarding retirement option. You can learn more about becoming a security guard by visiting SecurityGuardTrainingHQ.com.