Security Guard, what’s next? Career Options

Working as a security guard can be a great way to meet people and protect the public. But it is a physical job. You’ll be on your feet and often stand out in the cold British weather. Well, it’s time to move on if you are a security guard with tired, cold feet. 

The security industry is far from a dead-end job, and it can be the perfect springboard to progress your career. If you are a diligent timekeeper with perfect attendance and a team player with a responsible attitude, you’ll soon be spotted for more supervisory and managerial roles.

Here’s what options are open to you once you have gained your SIA licence and have gained some experience in the security industry:

Team leader/trainer

The next step up from being a security guard is becoming a team leader. If you are a confident team player, talk to your manager about your career path. As soon as you know the ropes well, you’ll be able to help train new staff and organise the team. And you’ll get a pay rise! The average salary for a security team leader in the UK is around £30,000. 

Security Management

Managing security is the next step after becoming a team leader if you choose to stay in the security industry. Companies often recruit from within their company as it’s cheaper, and they already know from experience a person’s work ethic and attitude. As long as you can learn, you can be in charge of recruiting and managing large contracts. You could be a security manager within five years of starting your security career. The salary when you reach this level is around £45,000. 

Close protection Officer

If you really want to boost your career, once you have a taste for the security industry, you could invest in yourself and take the Get Licensed Close Protection course. The course takes 16 days, so you’ll learn a great deal. After taking the course, you will be fully qualified and gain all the skills needed to work with wealthy clients and celebrities. You can also command a salary of up to £100 an hour. It’s also a very exciting job with many perks, such as driving expensive cars and staying in luxury hotels with your clients.   

Security Consultant

Once you know the security industry like the back of your hand, you could work as a security consultant. The salary is on par with a security manager at around £45,000. As a security consultant, you’ll be responsible for assessing the security and possible breaches while implementing policies and solutions.  

Police Officer

Lots of people use experience in security as a way to launch a career in the police service. For many people, becoming a police officer is a dream job, and if you want to protect the public, the police service offers an exciting job and an excellent career path. While the starting salary is low at around £21,000, you’ll double that in 7 years just by staying as a police constable. For example, your pay will increase dramatically if you move up the ranks to detective, sergeant, or inspector. 

Corrections Officer

Over 10% of former security guards move on to work as correctional officers in prisons. The average salary for a correctional officer is around £28,000, so it’s not the best-paid job in the world. However, the hours and work are regular with holiday and sick pay. Being a prison officer is a great way to help people turn their lives around by using your confidence, positive attitude and compassion. If you are a great role model, this could be your perfect role. 

With so many career paths to follow, after gaining some experience, security work can be a great way to get your foot in the door of an excellent company or use that experience to take you where you want to go. 

If you haven’t yet started your career in security, why not take a look at the courses we have available? Once you have taken a short 4-6 day course, you are well on your way to a career in security. And wll even help you get your first job in security. You can also download our unique security-focused GuardPass app, which will help you revise for your course and look for work. 

With so many options available after working as a security guard, this could be a perfect career path for you. Best of luck!