Getting a Job in Security With No Experience

Once you’ve passed your security course and got your SIA Licence, it’s time to begin your new career path. Of course, it’s understandable that getting a job in security with no experience might feel tricky.

We’ve all been there. But with the right strategy, that lack of security job experience never needs to hold you back.

Remember, this is an industry with massive demand for workers — but it’s still important you know how to stand out. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you get a job in security with no experience — and no stress.

Making the perfect security career CV

There’s no real way to get a job without a CV. Luckily, these days there are always loads of ways to make things easier. At Get Licensed, we even have our very own free CV builder.

Click the link, pick your CV template design, answer some questions, and your CV is ready to download.

If you are struggling to know what a CV for a security professional even looks like, look at other security professionals’ CVs.

What skills do they highlight? What experiences have they had that help them stand out? How do they describe their personalities and work ethics?

Don’t forget to use a spellchecker. The best online software for this is Grammarly. That’s free too. With tools like this to help, you’ll have everything you need to work in security in no time.

Highlight your transferable security skills

When you are new to an industry, you need to talk about transferable skills. These are skills that served you well in one career, and can now be brought forward into your new security job.

For example, if you’ve been working in retail or hospitality, you’ll have developed strong people skills. Those skills are essential in the security industry too.

There are so many transferable skills to think about, including:

• communication skills
• teamwork
• observational skills
• decision making
• problem-solving

If you have developed these skills in any other jobs you’ve had, they’re transferable. It doesn’t matter what job you learned those skills in — what matters is they’re important to getting a job in security with no experience.

They’re the talents that employers are looking for. Make sure you talk about these skills on your CV, and at interviews.

Apply far and wide for security jobs

Finding a job is a bit like having a job — it takes time and needs you to stay committed. Set a regular time to log on to job sites and check for new vacancies each day.

Good job sites to look for vacancies include Jobsite.co.uk, Reed.co.uk, Indeed.com, and Find a Job at gov.UK. If you use LinkedIn, keep watch for security jobs there too.

It’s important to apply for as many jobs as possible. If you’re one of the first people to apply, you have a much greater chance of being asked for an interview.

If you wait to apply for a job after it’s already been advertised for a week, you could miss your moment. Many employers stop looking at CVs after 10 or 20 people — to them, that’s plenty of people to choose from.

It pays to find security jobs the old-school way

While it’s true that most jobs are applied for online now, security is a business all about people. When you are looking for a job in security with no experience, you have the chance to let your personality shine. No amount of internet job searching can ever replace the personal approach.

Get your CV printed out and head for local businesses. You never know when a company might suddenly need to take on a new security professional, especially with so much demand in the job market.

Lots of bars and clubs actually prefer the direct approach, too. Get out there and drop off a few CVs. It often feels more proactive than applying online — and you can flex your communication skills directly.

A good question to ask when you go in somewhere is, “Can I please speak to the manager about any security vacancies over the next few months?”

Going to the boss is key to this strategy. If you just ask a bar person, “Are there any jobs?” you could miss out. At least if you ask to speak to a manager, you can make a good impression on the person making the decision.

At the very least, you’re likely to get some valuable information. If there are vacancies, or are likely to be vacancies soon, there’s a strong chance the manager will speak to you.

Dress for the security job you want

Of course, job searching in person means taking pride in your appearance. Clean and fresh with smart-casual clothing is the way to go.

Another good tip is to never enter a place at the busiest time. If you head out to a club at peak time, you won’t get much attention — no matter how perfect your approach is.

You could also accidentally look like you have no understanding of their business. No manager wants to be bothered when they are overrun with customers.

Do your research when you job search

Getting a job in security with no experience means opening a new door in your career, yes. But you want to be certain it’s not a door to somewhere you wish you’d never gone.

One thing to remember is that not all companies are great employers. When you’re desperate to get your first security job, you don’t need to settle for a bad experience.

It can be tricky to know in advance if a new employer is going to take advantage of their staff. That’s especially true when you’re looking for a job in security with no experience — how are you supposed to know?

But take some time to ask a few people. You never know what information people might have until you try, and no amount of internet searching will ever replace talking directly to people in the know.

Maybe a club or bar has a reputation in the area for being a bad employer. Don’t feel like you have to waste your security skills on bad employers just to make ends meet. Taking a job that no one else wants rarely gets you far — it’s up to employers to treat security professionals right.

Manage your expectations

It often takes time to get your first security job after getting licensed, unless you get lucky. With the high demand for security personnel following lockdown easing, you could get hired get very quickly. It’s why now is such a good time to get into this sector.

Keep up with your daily applications and keep an open mind. It often takes several interviews to get a job of any kind, and that’s also true of UK security jobs. Learn from the interviews you attended and feel confident in your efforts.

Looking for jobs? 

To find the latest security jobs, check out our Jobs Board, which has 1,000+ jobs from the UK’s best security companies. 

If you’re on the hunt for a security job on the go, download the GuardPass app for all the latest jobs and more. The GuardPass App is available for download on the Apple App Store or on the Google Play Store.