A close protection career can be rewarding in many different ways. You’re finally doing your dream job and loving every minute of it. As with any career, you also need to consider the long term. Using your life skills will make all the difference and help you create a lasting career in close protection.
You might think you don’t have the right life skills to be a close protection officer. However, ex-military personnel have some of the best life skills for this role. This article will explore these essential life skills and explain how close protection training will help you excel.
Using Basic Life Skills to Great Effect
It’s all about going back to basics. Security is a very reputational industry. Remembering to say “Please” and “Thank you” is crucial. It can cost you your next paid job or future career if you get it wrong. Regardless of the situation, wherever you work, you need to respect your client and the people who work around you.
As a close protection officer, you must:
- Provide confidentiality
- Be honest
- Have humility
- Show integrity
Building Your Reputation in the Security Industry
At Blue Mountain Group, we have experienced situations where door attendants in prestigious hotels have refused to work with a close protection officer because of a lack of respect. It’s all about being humble wherever you are working. You are in service to others, so you must be polite to gain trust and respect in the industry.
It Takes Time to Succeed
It can be something as simple as smiling. Over time, you will build rapport with all your work relationships. This rapport makes clients feel comfortable and secure working with you. Building your reputation can take anything from six months to up to two years. A good reputation is crucial in the industry as it will help you succeed.
Show Respect for Your Client at All Times
It doesn’t matter who your client is or what they do. Behind closed doors, the public mask of a networth client will come down. Because you work with them closely, one-on-one, you will see everything. Your role is not to be judgemental, even if they’re in a bad mood. You are there to do your job and always do it well.
Make an effort to put a smile on your client's face. Be respectful and polite, and treat them like human beings. Think about how you like to be treated by other people and ensure you give your clients the same respect. It will help you to build bridges and push your close protection career.
The Importance of Reading Every Situation
Every client is different, but there are certain things you should automatically do. Ideally, working with networth clients, you should only talk to them when they talk to you. For example, if you are a chauffeur and are generally chatty, you must control your instinct to talk
Your client might not want to talk because he has business things in his head. Read the room in different situations and act appropriately. Your client will appreciate it, and it will help create a better client experience and relationship throughout the job. Clients will remember your conduct, which can help you retain and gain more clients.
It’s The Little Details that Make a Big Difference
At Blue Mountain Group, we give you something extra. You learn everything you need to know about close protection to gain your SIA qualification. However, our close protection education also focuses on the details to boost your life skills. We know how to do this because our trainers have been or are working operatives.
Boosting Your Life Skills
For example, imagine you are a trained bodyguard. You know your role as a bodyguard and where to stand so your client is secure. But do you know how you should hold yourself? What type of image do you need to portray? These key details can help you be more effective and confident as a close protection officer.
Accessing a Professional Support Network for Your Close Protection Career
Many trainees like to stay in touch after our close protection courses. As a result, we have a community of like-minded individuals who connect and discuss close protection issues. It’s a great way to spend time with people who understand your job and offer friendly advice. It can help in many different areas, such as:
- Reassurance when you are worried about not having much work in the quiet periods of close protection employment.
- Vet individuals or organisations before you work with them and sign on the dotted line.
- Discussing personal problems, such as a relationship breakup, gives you some support to arrange your thoughts.
- Anything else that the trainees feel they need help with, such as online job hunting. It’s the ultimate support network for our post-trainees.
Our Culture and Charities Help People Excel
We offer many courses at Blue Mountain Group and pride ourselves on our company culture. We are passionate about helping others and giving service. The feeling is priceless if we can help one person progress in life. We are an open, inclusive organisation that offers security training for men and women.
We also work with several charities, and the Hire a Hero charity specifically helps service leavers and veterans as they transition into civilian life. Our CEO, Nigel, is the Chairmen of the charity. The trained staff, career coaches, and volunteers support people in making the right life decisions.
Unleashing Your Transferrable Skills
Many military leavers don’t realise how many transferrable skills they have for the security industry. At Blue Mountain Group and at charities such as Hire a Hero, we help them unleash their skills. We give them the confidence to learn more about themselves and use their hidden talents.
Here are a few examples:
In our courses, we push our trainees so we can see their strengths and weaknesses. We then help them in the areas they need so they can become the best version of themselves.
We explain how being a civilian differs from being in the military and using different terminology and words is necessary. It helps them become more familiar with how they need to communicate effectively.
We can guide them on how to create a CV or cover letter and also how they need to conduct themselves at an interview. For example, they led a team and would be perfect for a project management role in security.
We have a network that helps people find jobs more quickly. We also encourage our trainees to embrace the concept of networking to improve their job opportunities and support network.
Ready to Start Using Life Skills in Your Close Protection Career?
At Blue Mountain Group, all our courses are about life skills and helping you maximise them in your career. We like to say that we “sell life skills” rather than courses. We can help you secure the qualifications you need for a close protection career. You can contact us using our quick and easy form.
Also, don’t forget to download our free close protection officer guide to learn more about becoming an SIA Close Protection Officer.