| Private security is a niche sector of the | | | | Unarmed security guards are usually found in |
| professional investigation industry concerned with | | | | business capacities, such as in retail stores, office |
| providing for the safely and wellbeing of the public | | | | complexes and schools. Armed guards are found |
| and organizational staffers. The security business | | | | in areas which represent security risks, such as |
| continues to grow year by year and now | | | | banks, armored cars, government installations, |
| represents one of the best career fields | | | | penal facilities and dangerous locations worldwide. |
| worldwide. There is an ever growing demand for | | | | Private security has many smaller specialties which |
| qualified security personnel which far exceeds the | | | | offer additional income streams for workers who |
| supply, providing many employment opportunities | | | | choose to pursue a particular career focus. |
| in a wide range of positions and job assignments. | | | | Bodyguards are also called executive protection |
| Private security is not law enforcement. It is a | | | | specialists, personal protection specialists or |
| separate entity which exists to fulfill a range of | | | | personal guards. These experts are assigned to |
| assignments ranging from general peace keeping | | | | serve and protect a specific subject and will travel |
| and regulation enforcement to highly specific tasks | | | | with their client, live with the client and interact as |
| for businesses, NGOs or even governmental | | | | part of the client's normal life. Bodyguard |
| clients. There are many possible jobs in the | | | | assignments require years of experience and truly |
| security field, with basic security guard at the | | | | detailed training in order to prepare agents to |
| bottom rung and paramilitary contractors at the | | | | provide the best service to their employer. |
| upper end of the spectrum. One thing is for | | | | Personal protection is one of the highest paying |
| sure, for talented and hard working security | | | | facets of the investigation and security industries. |
| professionals, there is always a job available and | | | | Finally, paramilitary contractors offer services |
| the possibility for advancement seems virtually | | | | which amount to being part of a private army. |
| endless in this competitive field. | | | | These dedicated security experts are almost |
| Security system contractors set up, service and | | | | always retired military personnel who choose to |
| maintain central station monitoring of home and | | | | return to war zones or areas threatened by |
| business alarm systems. These jobs deal with | | | | terrorism in order to protect private clients, |
| equipment more than actual public interaction and | | | | business installations and even government |
| providers must be up to date on all the latest | | | | facilities abroad. This class of security specialists |
| methods of securing a location against theft, fire, | | | | must have training in fully automatic weaponry, |
| gas leaks and other potential threats. Alarm | | | | explosives, counter terrorism and intelligence |
| systems come in many levels of effectiveness | | | | gathering, as well as crowd control and wilderness |
| and the majority of contractors provide basic | | | | survival. Paramilitary contracting is very popular |
| equipment for general usage. However, true | | | | with former soldiers as it provides a similar |
| experts in fortified installation security must be | | | | lifestyle to their past military experience, but can |
| able to provide a truly impenetrable barrier for | | | | pay five to twenty times more than the military! |
| sensitive locations such as banks, government | | | | Private security represents an industry which is |
| facilities and hospitals. | | | | always evolving as new threats arise around the |
| Security guards may be armed or unarmed. The | | | | world. Statistics show that the industry is not |
| ability to carry firearms is highly regulated in many | | | | even near to reaching its true potential, so |
| areas of the world and generally involves licensure | | | | interested and qualified workers should be able to |
| requirements and possibly specialized training. | | | | find gainful careers far into the future. To learn |
| Armed guards generally earn better than their | | | | more about a career in professional security, call a |
| unarmed peers, since they can handle a greater | | | | private investigation association or a security |
| diversity of case assignments effectively. | | | | training school near you. |