I always greet people and can tell instantly by the way they talk, whether they’ve had too much to drink.

I’ve been doing this work since November last year. I used to work for the trains, at the gate lines. I’d get abuse of customers all the time and couldn’t defend myself. So, I decided: I’m going to change my life and get my badge. It took me ten months to get this. My past life was a bit wild, so I had to prove myself worthy of my badge. I’d say one of the hardest parts of the job is standing on your feet. We work between seven to ten hours, and if we’re lucky we get a twenty-minute break. But here, where I currently work, we often work seven hours straight.

On a plus note, there’s the customer service side. I’m good with punters and see myself as a people’s person. I generally get on with everyone; people respect me, and I respect them. The way I work is this: I treat people how I want them to treat me, and that’s the simplest way to get by.

My work in this sector isn’t just limited to clubs, I work at hotels too. For instance, the Sunday just gone I was working for an establishment and received a call at four thirty in the morning. I was told that a diabetic guest had failed to leave his room and I was sent to check up on him. When I opened the door, I found him lying on his bed passed out, because of low blood sugar. So, I called the ambulance and waited for them to come. I kind of saved his life because I had to lay him on the floor and comfort him, whilst they told me what to do over the phone. I do have first aid training, but I need to renew it. I intend to re-take the test soon. So, working in this sort of job you find yourself dealing with all sorts of situations; from fights to the example I just mentioned.

Down the line I would like to do my CCTV licence, then close protection. One by one I want to get them under my belt and broaden my skills. However, of all the jobs I’ve done, this is my best one. I love interacting with people. I’m a helpful person by nature and like nothing more than to come to work and watch everyone enjoy themselves and then get home safe; that’s my goal. In terms of spotting potential trouble, I’ll always study body language and watch eyes carefully. A person’s eyes can say a great deal: weakness, fear, suspicion, anger, aggression – it’s all there on display. The thing is, everyday I come to work, my mentality is this: I deal with people how I want them to deal with me. I’m polite and respectful, so I don’t really get any trouble. The worst I get is the occasional drunk playing ‘Jack the Lad,’ and I have to restrain them and say, ‘you know what? Calm down or I’ll send you home.’ But that’s not to say the risks should be ignored. At the end of the day, I have five children and a loving family. Funnily enough, my dad was a doorman from back in the day, and my brother is also a doorman, so it kind of runs thick through our blood.

I would recommend this job to anyone…

I would recommend a job like this to anyone. If you’re thinking of doing it, do it. It’s the best work I’ve ever done and looking at this badge puts a smile on my face every time. It took me six days to get it and I got it through Get Licensed! It cost me a bit of money, but it was well worth it in the end and paid off massively. I don’t think I’ve ever looked back since and I’ll continue to look forward.”

Interested in becoming a Door Supervisor? Click below to learn more…