Career Development

I get this question a lot.

Sometimes from concerned parents. Other times from a spouse who’s worried their loved one is wasting time or talent.

We live in a time, culturally, where Americans think you have to go to college to get a great job. But there are some tremendous job opportunities that don’t require years of education or a mountain of debt. The security industry is not only creating a lot of those jobs, it’s a place where an entrepreneurial minded young guy or girl can flourish.

Kentucky doesn't directly required security officers to be licensed so not being able to find any place local that offers hand cuff training is almost certainly the reason you haven't located a training course yet.

Almost all of the courses in my State have a handcuff operation and application certification course. Most companies require you to take the course simply because of the reason that if you are going to carry it, you should know how to use it.

I started in security quite a few years ago and back then the hiring process was simple. The last job I applied for a few years back was still abundantly straightforward.

You made contact with the company to ask about openings, then you either went to a location to pick up an application, or you filled out a form online. After that you waited for a phone call for an interview and found out if you got the job in a week or so.

There's an old adage that says "It's not what you know, it's who you know". In a time when good job openings seem scarce and you feel trapped in a low wage position, you need to cast a wide net to find the best employment opportunities. Resume sites, like Monster or Career Builders are a place to start, but often the posts are out of date or the positions get filled before you get a chance to apply. I've found that LinkedIn is a much better place to look for security positions.

Unless you were lucky enough to get your dream job out of college, it's likely that you will change employers many times over the course of your career. Moving from job to job is natural. It happens when you reach a pay ceiling in your current position, or when you have co-workers that you just can't stand, or any number of situations that make another job seem more attractive. Whatever the reason, there will come a time when you're looking for a new job while you're still at your current one.

There comes a time, usually about an hour into your first graveyard shift, that you think to yourself , "They don't pay me enough for this." For me it was about 3 A.M. and my second day on the job.