10 Skills You’ll Gain By Completing a Security Course
In today’s modern and technologically advanced world it’s easy to think that physical security is a thing of the past. With facial recognition software and AI surveillance you might wonder what need there is for actual security guards? But, security guards perform a vital service to our community.
In our shopping centres, universities, hospitals and stadiums security guards are everywhere. They are helping people find their way, keeping the order and controlling massive crowds, providing emergency support and assistance and deescalating aggressive situations.
Security guards are trained professionals focused on protecting people and property. It’s a fantastic career path with plenty of opportunity for specialisation and growth in the future.
Here are 10 skills you’ll gain by completing a security course.
Observation
Security guards are trained in keen observation skills to perform their duties. They need to be able to assess risk, threats and security hazards while on shift.
In the course you’ll learn how to read body language, monitor crowd behaviour and spot issues before they become problems. Security guards learn how to monitor and assess and report on these risks and security breaches.
Attention to detail
Security guards need to be able to spot the little things. Their job requires intense focus and the ability to zero in on small details to effectively reduce risks. The security industry is a highly regulated one and everything must be done by the book. Security guards must complete a lot of paperwork in their role. It’s essential that they are able to do so with a keen eye for the smaller details of all their reports and log books.
Communication
In the security industry, you’ll communicate with all kinds of people. From colleagues to managers, to people who need help and others needing to be reminded of the rules. Doing this course, you’ll learn how to build on your communication skills, how to talk to people, how to write and log reports, how to deescalate situations and communicate with people across a variety of functions.
Strength and fitness
Security courses include physical training in empty hand techniques and defensive tactics. In the course you will learn the importance of physical fitness in the industry. As a security guard you’ll need to be on your feet for many hours at a time, walk long distances and often maintain your focus for 12 hour shifts.
Negotiation skills
In security you’ll need to be able to deescalate situations and negotiate difficult conversations while maintaining the safest environment for everyone involved. In the course you’ll learn how to identify the best way to negotiate situations, to diffuse situations before they get out of hand and keep everyone and everything safe.
Problem solving
Security guards need to employ creative problem solving skills in their role. When a problem arises on their shift, they need to analyse the information, review the possible risks and issues that could arise and decide on the best course of action. The security course will help you to learn how to deal use creative problem solving skills to deal with issues.
Critical thinking
In the security industry you are in charge of keeping people and property safe. In order to properly assess the risk and threat from any given situation you need to use critical thinking tools. Employing logic and reasoning can help you to effectively negate threats and risks.
Organisation
Security guards need excellent organisation skills, good planning and effective time management. You’ll have tasks, patrols and reports to file in every shift and you will need to be able to organise your time and get all this done before the end of your shift. In the course they will train you on how to properly fill out log books, file reports and effectively manage your time while on shift.
Team work
Security is not one man show. You will be working as a part of a team. Whether that is on shift with another guard or reporting back to a central control room, you need to be able to get along with others. During your course you’ll learn about the functions of a security team, the different roles performed, and you’ll engage in group work that will build your collaboration and team work skills.
First aid / emergency management
Security officers need to be able to handle emergency situations and they are first point of call for first aid when something goes wrong. As a part of your course, you’ll complete first aid training and learn about emergency management, including work health and safety procedures, evacuation and crowd management.
Get those skills
Completing a security course is the required pre-requisite to enter the industry. You’ll gain lots of transferrable skills and get an insight into how the security industry works.
The course you need to take to be able to apply for your unarmed security guard licence is the Certificate II in Security Operations. In the course you’ll learn how to:
- Apply effective communication skills to maintain security
- Apply legal and procedural requirements to work effectively within a security team
- Apply WHS, emergency response and evacuation procedures to maintain security
- Apply risk assessment to select and carry out response to security risk situations
- Provide quality services to a range of security clients
- Protect self and others using basic defensive techniques
- Patrol premises to monitor property and maintain security
- Screen people, personal effects and items to maintain security
- Monitor and control access and exit of persons and vehicles from premises
- Monitor and control individual and crowd behaviour to maintain security
- Apply security procedures to manage intoxicated persons
- Apply security procedures to remove persons from premises
- Escort and protect persons and valuables
- Provide first aid
Employment Support
At ASSET we maintain strong links to the industry and we have relationships with various security companies across Australia. And we offer employment support after our graduates finish their course!
In our specialised employer connections program we help you:
- Learn about writing resumes for the security industry
- Get interview ready
- Make connections in the industry with employer connections events and referral programs
Find out what the security industry is all about with our free security career information sessions, or get in touch with us to learn more about getting into your new career in security.