Security guards, marshals, and officers are important in keeping people and property safe from harm. They are there to protect and can be the initial responder to a variety of incidents or circumstances. As a result, guards must possess a diverse set of abilities to successfully respond to incidents.
The demand for professional security has increased significantly. Industries are not only looking to hire security officers, but they are also searching for officers with a wider range of expertise. Advanced security guard skills can impact how you do on the job and allow you to better handle problems.
If you want to improve your skills in security, here are a few of the most important skills and attributes you need to gain:
- Communication
Communication is an important life skill that can help security guards perform better. Because security guards may need to deal with teammates or visitors, good communication skills are essential. This is particularly true when engaging in close protection security. You can easily provide guidance and support to a facility and its operations by having great verbal and written communication skills. This can also help avoid challenges or problems from arising as a result of a communication breakdown. Written communication abilities, in addition to verbal communication, can aid you in drafting daily security reports or reporting an event.
- Customer Service
Security guards come in contact with a diverse array of people every day. This requires strong customer service skills. Maintaining a positive yet authoritative presence can aid in the de-escalation of conflicts and the establishment of a safe and secure environment for employees and customers alike. Effective customer service abilities can also contribute to the development of strong client or interpersonal interactions and the maintenance of long-term professional relationships.
- Conflict Management
Every security personnel needs to know how to de-escalate a conflict. You’ll find yourself in difficult and perhaps potentially life-threatening circumstances as a security officer. It’s critical to recognize warning indicators of escalation, such as loud outbursts, profanity, invasion of personal space, and direct threats. You need to be aware of your surroundings all the time, familiar with the different ways to approach a subject, and if worse comes to worst, trained in weapons handling.
- Critical Thinking
As a security guard, you should always be able to gather information, assess the situation, identify the strengths and weaknesses of current conditions, find solutions. Some unanticipated issues may require swift and effective control and resolution, and you will be required to make the best decision or adopt the best approach fast. While working as a security guard, improving your critical thinking abilities will help you make more educated safety decisions and assess circumstances.
- Leadership
If you oversee a security team or many teams across multiple locations, having leadership skills may be advantageous. You could utilize leadership abilities to do things like teaching your security team how to handle various scenarios, providing them guidance to help them accomplish their tasks, and delegating specific duties to personnel given the current requirements.
You can also use leadership abilities to take charge of tasks or resolve problems even if you aren’t a supervisor. Using these talents may help demonstrate to your boss that you are capable of handling security management.
- First-Aid
Learning first-aid management improves your ability to respond to various situations since you will know what to do if first aid is required. Because security guards are trained to keep people safe, they are often the first to respond to incidents involving injured or sick persons until medical help comes. When a security officer knows how to administer first aid and CPR, it can help the person’s condition and bring relief to the individuals around them.
- Security analysis
Security analysis requires a diverse set of abilities, including an awareness of both security and the particular business and its difficulties. You’ll need to know how and when to use security tools tactically to manage multiple systems and situations, detect weaknesses, and offer strategies to reduce attack surfaces.
With the future of the security industry geared more towards cybersecurity, skill in security analysis is highly valued. In the next few years, Canada alone will need to hire 8000 cybersecurity positions.
- Organization
Several things may need to be completed during the course of a day. It is critical to be on top of the numerous duties simultaneously, as this can help increase daily production and the security team’s efficacy. Strong organizational abilities are advantageous for security guards because they may be required for record-keeping. They may also be advantageous if you are in a leadership role and must arrange team information, such as performance reports or personal information.
- Procedure Inspection
You may be called upon to respond to an emergency that requires quick decision-making abilities. Learning different emergency actions and procedures can help you manage situations more effectively and increase the safety of everyone in the area. For you to effectively develop, maintain, and inspect security procedures, it will require thorough research capabilities, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
- Surveillance
Security guards with effective surveillance abilities can help assure safety and monitor locations for suspicious activities. Your surveillance abilities will be crucial when monitoring activity from camera control rooms or front desks in office buildings, checking for suspicious conduct at night, and observing individuals’ behaviour in crowds at events.
Surveillance requires a high level of attention to detail as it can assist you in detecting activities in the area you’re guarding. This may provide you the opportunity to foresee potentially difficult situations before they occur.
Make Sure To Get Quality Training
Participating in specialized training can hone your security skills and advance your career in this industry. Training can either focus on a single skill or a group of related abilities. If you want to improve a certain skill or a set of talents, it is best to look into local training opportunities.
Train With the Best
It takes a lot more to become a successful security officer, and nowadays, companies will also consider the training institution where you studied. As a result, you should seek out a training institution with a proven track record and a solid reputation.
For almost 20 years, the Centre for Security Training & Management Inc. (CSTMI) has specialized in professional protective services and security training. Get your security guard license in Ontario and cement your career in securities. Call us at (416) 750-4747 now.