Like any organisation that wishes to remain relevant, the Royal Military Police (RMP) has evolved over recent years to ensure it is ready to operate in this complex, modern environment.

We exist to support operations overseas, however, our competence in our conduct in the UK, either individually or with our Home Office Police Force colleagues, gives us the credibility when we deploy.

Royal Military Police Personnel

The Royal Military Police (RMP) are made up of 1400 Regular personnel and 400 Reservists; these are spread across the UK, with people constantly deployed across the globe.  The RMP of the 21^stCentury is a diverse organisation, with 26% female representation, right across the hierarchy, including the next Chief: Brigadier Vivienne Buck, who will take over in July: the first ever female Provost Marshal (Army) in its 500 year + history.

 ‘The London Company’

One of our greatest successes is the link we share with the City: 253 ‘The London Company’ Provost Company is based in Tulse Hill and is closely associated with our Livery Company, The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals.

This Reserve unit is formed from a wide range of society, ranging from City and Metropolitan Police Officers to an ex-world champion boxer. ‘The London Company’ has a range of opportunities available to all including: undertaking top-class training; developing leadership abilities; the option to conduct specialist training, ranging from Close Protection to Counter-Fraud; and the ability to deploy on overseas on active operations.

 People Are Our Key Strength but standards are high

The Royal Military Police is one of the very few areas of the Military that is over-recruited.

We are lucky. We can choose. We need to annually select the best 100, rather than just the first 100. Many of our people (regular and reservist) have degrees: We have a Chief Constable serving with the Reserves, a recently retired Labour MP, a world Karate Champion and a former world boxing champion. We are incredibly fortunate and having such superb quality people – it makes my job easy”. said Brigadier Neal “We have recently targeted the newly formed Government Counter Fraud profession to increase our counter-fraud capability. We had 45 applicants almost without trying!

The opportunities are not just limited to those in and around London, and the same opportunities can be found right across the organisation.

Our key strengths come directly from the quality of our people, both Regular and Reserve, who are trusted to operate independently of the chain of command, with masses of responsibility with total professionalism and integrity.

Look out for the distinctive ‘Redcap’ proudly worn by our people conducting joint patrolling activity with Civilian Police colleagues: at the Army/Navy Rugby fixture or with British Transport Police colleagues at Waterloo station. They may be Regular or Reserve but you won’t be able to tell the difference.

If you want to find out more or are interested in joining the RMP, either as a Regular or Reserve, you can find more here.

Brigadier Dave Neal, Provost Marshal (Army)

The post Royal Military Police – Opportunities for All appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Rob added that he is very much a “people person, friendly, attentive and works well under pressure”. When asked what advice he would give someone contemplating joining the security sector, he said,“I believe you need to be strong, level-headed and have a passion to succeed and work well as a team – and do the Project Griffin course.”

Rob explained that his role has changed a lot since joining as a security officer a few years ago, with various promotions seeing him progress to his current position. His responsibility has also incrementally increased, working more closely with his client and client’s tenants. We discussed technology and whether it helps. “Technology plays a significant role, with CCTV, access control, radios and mobile phones all significant factors in securing the building, people and assets – as well as keeping the security officer safe in his/her workplace.”

The future, career wise? “I would eventually like to progress to an Account Manager or Operations Manager looking after a portfolio of clients.”

I also spoke with Theo Nicolaou, Rob’s MD, who said, “Rob Farmer is everything you want to see in a security professional.  He is hard-working, reliable, willing to take ownership and displays a calm manner in his day-to-day running of the building. He displays exemplary customers services skills, which are critical in today’s demanding corporate environment. Rob is highly praised by our customer and amongst all of his colleagues and peers within SmartSec Solutions – a true asset to our organisation.”

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More than ever before, consumers and businesses alike are painfully aware of the high stakes associated with poor digital compliance and inadequate cyber security protections. The media have widely reported the sharp increase in serious data breaches, such as Dixons Carphone paying £400,000 in January before announcing another data breach in June. As well as facing financial penalties, organisations also risk devastating effects to their reputations.

Cyber Skills Gap

Skilled cyber specialists are key for any organisation to protect itself. There is, however, a widely acknowledged global shortage of qualified cyber professionals. Estimates predict a shortfall of 2 million trained professionals by 2019, with some believing Brexit may exacerbate the scarcity of these skills in the UK. As it stands, the country is a long way from having a reliable, highly skilled and fit for purpose cyber workforce. All the while, cyberattacks on businesses are mounting.

Harness Veterans

To plug this skills gap, new initiatives are being set up to tap into and harness the well-honed skills of ex-service men and women by training them to become cyber security experts. As well as assisting the transition between military and civilian life, training provides the technical knowledge this well-adapted talent pool requires to flourish in cyber security roles.

But what makes veterans so well-suited to these positions? For one, ex-military personnel respond well to training. They possess a mindset which, when presented with a new skill, sets out to learn it quickly and efficiently.

Secondly, ex-service personnel are resilient to stress. With experience and training to think in terms of first, second and third order consequences, this ingrained technique allows them to efficiently assess a situation and its possible outcomes. In terms of application to cyber roles, this enables them to curtail a possible attack whilst ensuring that all eventualities are planned for.

In addition, many veterans possess exceptional leadership skills which are rare in the civilian workforce. It is not uncommon for a veteran to have experience managing hundreds of personnel yet, having worked in a rigid hierarchy, still be diligent in answering to a superior.

Further to this point, ex-service personnel have the personal soft skills necessary to clearly explain possible threats to somebody who has little technical knowledge.

In the face of the cyber specialist shortage, UK organisations should open their minds to this demographic. Historically, veterans face disproportionate unemployment rates to those who have not served in the military. By embracing these well adapted ex-service personnel, employers can ensure their recruitment pipeline is primed for survival against a growing threat.

Neil Williams

CEO and found of Crucial Academy

https://academy.crucialgroup.co.uk

The post Why veterans make excellent cyber specialists appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Rectech in security

Smart technology is shaking up recruitment in the private security sector with developers, start-ups and entrepreneurs embracing machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to make it easier and more efficient to match candidates to employers.

We’ve seen the emergence and rapid rise of fintech and we envisage that the same will happen in the recruitment and employment sector – hence rectech. AI, machine learning, gamification and apps are leading the way in disrupting the sector and replacing traditional recruitment processes, bringing immediate benefits to security companies, HR departments, recruiters and job seekers.

Empowering employees

Technology is empowering security personnel to find roles that suit them, allow them to work more effectively around their lifestyles, and be remunerated how and when they prefer. How job seekers are finding work in the private security sector now is completely different to how it was five or ten years ago. Power has shifted from the employer to the job seeker, with many individuals looking for flexibility and hours that suit their lifestyles instead of a traditional nine to five. There is also a rise in demand for temporary and supplementary jobs for additional incomes on top of regular employment.

For example, people on zero hours or part-time contracts may look for additional flexible shifts at evenings or weekends to top up their income and they need a quick and easy way to find job openings and flexible roles.

In addition, the rise of the self-employed job seeker is continuing as the workforce becomes more fluid, and the gig economy spreads into other sectors.

The robots are coming

If they haven’t already, security organisations should start to implement an AI strategy into their business, especially for recruitment. Some businesses are at the adoption stage and it’s certainly gaining momentum, so it’s important to test and experiment with different basic tasks to see what works best. AI can really improve business operations and enhance customer service and community management.

AI can analyse data quickly and accurately, learn behaviours, identify trends and perform repetitive tasks more quickly than a human. It can obtain better, quicker insights, speed up back office and admin-heavy tasks and customer facing systems as well as identify fraud, irregular transactions and security intrusions. It’s often more reliable, more efficient and cheaper than humans carrying out the same tasks, plus it’s 24 / 7 so allows for quicker problem solving, lower costs and happier customers. The aim is that HR and recruitment departments can use it for tasks such as interview scheduling, facial recognition, candidate screening, communication and much more.

Ahead of the gamification

The concept of gamification uses game theory and designs to digitally engage with and motivate individuals, and can support the candidate screening and job application process. Gaming principles can enhance a person’s interest and commitment to a business and can include elements such as profile rating, employee of the month schemes, hidden tokens and prizes, behavioural quizzes, loyalty programmes and community engagement. It can help build meaningful relationships, boost employee motivation and even support training and productivity. It brings personalisation and a fun addition to the (often boring and frustrating) recruitment and employment process.

Within recruitment, gamification can speed up the candidate elimination process, as it can test skills such as accuracy, time management, creative thinking and logic. It gives the business a point of differentiation and shows that it is adopting modern strategies and technology, which is particularly relevant for youth and millennial employment both now and in the future.

The only way is app

There has been considerable innovation within mobile apps for security recruiters to attract potential candidates. Many job seekers use their mobile device to find work but employers can take this one step further by managing the whole employment process via a personalised app – including timesheet management, payroll systems etc. Apps can discreetly send push notifications that match their profile, enable messaging, and offer urgent vacancies when time is tight or for out-of-hours requests. This is particularly useful for temporary roles and can reduce time spent calling round and alert available workers to positions.

Demand for security jobs in the UK has increased rapidly in the past two years. Private security spend is forecast to increase by nine per cent over the next five years and the number of jobs in the industry will increase by ten to twelve per cent. Many industry experts are putting this down to increased security requirements and safety measures in public spaces, at gigs and festivals, at events and in city centres.

Future shock

There is a fundamental need in the private security sector to make recruitment and employment more flexible, reduce paperwork and time-intensive timesheet and payroll systems, and to make the process work better – for recruiters, employers and job seekers. The end-to-end recruitment and employment process is becoming more digitised but greater deployment of technology within the sector is needed and can offer businesses the opportunity to reshape their operations and processes to suit the job seeker.

New technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, gamification systems and personalised apps are bringing disruption to the sector and can enable private security organisations to manage workforces more effectively, operate more efficiently, reduce labour-intensive tasks and streamline processes. In addition, they can lead to a happier, more reliable and productive workforce.

Tom Pickersgill founder of Broadstone

www.broadstoneapp.com

The post How technology is disrupting security recruitment appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Clare McIntyre, Security Systems Auditor, National Security Inspectorate (NSI)

Being raised in Northern Ireland during the Troubles meant security shaped many of my daily routines. Checkpoints, bag searches,  and surveillance cameras were all part of everyday life.

I started my career in medical research, eventually studying at the University of Leeds. After several years, I decided to change direction and do something that would offer a more varied role. My lab technician and research skills, combined with my familiarity with public security issues, led me to the fire and security sector.

Over the past twenty years, I have immensely enjoyed developing and expanding my knowledge of fire and security systems with two firms, one local to Northern Ireland and the other an international conglomerate. I started as a CCTV Manager for a public surveillance monitoring room, becoming a nominated fire alarm designer and progressing to integrated fire and security systems.

This led on to becoming Head of Quality, in charge of all internal audits and aspects related to quality, and as a result I became familiar with the National Security Inspectorate (NSI).

Applying to be an auditor for the NSI was a natural progression. I was appointed as security and fire systems auditor and lead auditor for ISO 9001 in Northern Ireland at the start of 2018. I am extremely proud to be the NSI’s first female systems auditor. It is a fact that the fire and security systems world is very male dominated; however, I do not consider my gender to be a barrier and focus on being the best auditor I can be. I am passionate about developing and improving standards within the industry. This is fundamental to the auditing role: identifying opportunities to improve business performance and customer experience. I really believe we can inspire change, and having a more diverse workforce will support that.

I have enjoyed the support of an expert team at NSI since my appointment and the advice and experience they have given me has been invaluable. My training as a researcher taught me the value of continual learning and an enquiring mind. I am an avid reader and have been known to have a copy of British Standards and Codes of Practice on my bedside table for my sins. I am currently writing a book about the history of the Fire and Security Industry that begins with the first patent (no. 9802) for an electronic burglar alarm, issued in 1853 to Augustus Pope of Somerville, Massachusetts, USA.

There have been many changes and advances since then!

It is essential to enjoy a good balance in life.  I run 5k’s to clear my head and enjoy fun family time at weekends with my beautiful son and amazing husband and friends.

I read somewhere… “find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life!!”  It is a maxim I have taken to heart.

A temporary job is start of long, successful career

John Sephton, Security Manager, Axis Security

Not by chance and not by choice, my career started as a temporary job for six months, and after I decided to make it a career, thanks to John Docherty (MD SecuriGuard Services), it has grown ever since.

My initial four-day training course was at Vauxhall Bridge Road, where I took and passed my SITO exam, then I was in as a new recruit at 80 Strand – the old Shell Mex House building. I was very fortunate to meet Dave Earnshaw (Oakpark Security), who was my supervisor at the time to guide me. After I had learned the ropes, patrols, emergency procedures, a vacancy came up as a supervisor, so I applied and was successful. This job, which was only temporary, became the start of a long successful career full of ups and downs, but came right in the end.

Security qualifications

With competence in security the time had come to educate myself. I had a negative mindset when it came to education as I didn’t do too well at school and this was affecting my confidence and chances at progression. I decided to bite the bullet and do a part-time degree at Portsmouth University, which was a great experience and I graduated. It has opened doors for me since. I know university isn’t for everybody, but there are other routes: find them, apply them and own them. The change is coming, the time is now and put yourself out there.

Maybe mentoring

The new security professionals coming into the industry really need seasoned professionals to believe in them and help them grow. When I started, I really didn’t know what was available, who to ask, how people climbed the ladder and if my CV was any good. I was there trying to figure it out along the way, and this is why I believe that mentoring is the way forward and developing your own style is a must. I have had a couple of great mentors in my time: Chris Lyons (Axis Security) and Neill Catton (MD CIS Security). They showed me the finer arts of account management and gave me a chance to improve and progress. The point here is to find a mentor for your questions; the worst thing you can do is guess, when help is available.

Stressful trying to be successful

Make your own chances, create your own light and take people along for the ride. My career has been up and down, but I never gave up. Experience is only created by mistakes and failures along the way and there is never a No, only the next opportunity! I have a great career, with a company and client that cares. I continually strive to make my teams successful by mentoring them, by not giving up and by finding the next opportunity.

Here are some top tips:

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make yourself known. Get on LinkedIn and into some professional groups on the platform; contribute
• Ask your company if they can use the apprenticeship levy for your development
• Seek out a mentor for guidance. The Security Institute has an active mentoring platform
• Take ownership of your career and set up a career path, because nobody else will do it for you
• Take control over your CPD. The Security Institute has a free CPD scheme
• Make your CV stand out from the others
• Never, ever give up!

Kat Hart, Head of Luxury and Close Protection, Amulet

I spent fifteen years in the adventure travel industry, working overseas, initially as an expedition leader, and then as a consultant in Operations Management and Logistics in remote and often hostile environments – setting up operations in countries where there was little to no tourist infrastructure (DRC, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Togo, Tajikistan, Eritrea). I would be the person leading the first trip with paying guests in order to perfect it in real time.

I then chose a career in the security sector because being able to put my incredibly compatible skill set (essentially real time risk assessment and management) to use in a different industry interests me and has a lot of different applications.

Initially drawn to the Close Protection sector, I spent four years on the freelance CP circuit, gaining experience in all aspects – Personal Protection (working with royalty, celebrities, and High Net Worth individuals in a wide range of environments, UK and overseas), Asset Protection for the luxury market (in both a covert and high-profile capacity) and also heading up large-scale events. A wider security consultancy role now suits my skill set and experience.

It is difficult for traditional security companies to bridge the gaps between standard man guarding and close protection, and standard man guarding and events and I think my background and experience, being from a non-standard route to the industry, brings a different dynamic to the table.

My day-to-day role depends on the time of year. It is currently the events season in London and I’m planning every aspect of operations for large-scale event security for a wide range of clients, such as the Royal Opera House and London Zoo, and heading up the event.

The three best aspects of my role are working with interesting and varied clients, developing bespoke security operations, and building teams and working with people. The most challenging are working with interesting and varied clients, and building teams! Educating clients about security matters in what is a too-often overlooked area of concern.

Professional qualifications and training

Close Protection training absolutely steered me and gave me a great grounding in a new industry. Although I had no intention of working in a role that would require me to carry firearms, I did my firearms competency training as an addition to the basic CP course, as I felt that not coming from the standard military/police background, this was a show of commitment I could make to an industry I was new to. (And it was also a fantastic experience!)

Networking and finding support

The CP industry is all about who you know, and a crucial part of making a success of the role is keeping your contacts and relationships going. You are only as good as your last job, and it can be a very cut-throat industry. It’s definitely good to keep a small and strong network of trusted people around you.

Ways of coping with stress and getting a work / life balance

It is very difficult to achieve a good work/life balance during the events season, which involves unsociable hours and long days, but it’s all about planning around it, and ensuring you have a good close team around you when it comes to the operation helps immensely. I don’t live in London, I live on a boat on the coast, and my free time is spent very differently to my working life, which helps to maintain the balance.

Tips for success

Security skills have such a wide range of applications – things you’d never have thought were important for a security role may actually be the key thing you are hired specifically because of… the languages you can speak, sports or activities you love. These may be the key thing that lands you your best job. I have my skipper’s licence and have been approached for a number of jobs on superyachts specifically because of this.

Also, I don’t have the usual profile for security, which is actually what I’ve found to be my biggest strength. I’ve been hired specifically because of my ability not to be picked out as the obvious security presence and in many contexts, this is worth more than you can imagine!

John Lyons, Head of Operations, QCIC Group

I have always had a career in security, albeit more aligned to my chosen field of electronic security systems.

To be absolutely honest, I chose an apprenticeship in security systems over electrical installation as a sixteen-year-old based solely on the fact that it was a three and not four-year duration. I’m glad I did. That choice as a young man has afforded me a career that has allowed me to travel the world and has also allowed me to work on, and hopefully influence, a large number of landmark developments.

At present I am the Head of Operations at QCIC Group. I am responsible for a team of Security Systems Consultants, and our main role is to oversee the tender and construction phases related to security engineering for many high-end developments – from Blast and Hostile Vehicle Mitigation to electronic systems such as CCTV and Access Control. I also support our Professional Services team and their work to deliver complex global security system upgrades to large multinational organisations.

I was asked to list the three best and the three most challenging aspects of my role, but would any of them be the best if they weren’t challenging? I think not, but here goes. Number one, working with people; number two, working with people; number three… you get my drift. I enjoy working with people every day; a few of you who know me may challenge that, but it’s true. I’m not advocating a working utopia: people can be difficult and complex but also warm and helpful, but I believe if you treat all with empathy and respect, be they the security officer at the gate or the CEO in the boardroom, you won’t go far wrong.

It would be misleading of me to advocate working your way up through your career, as I believe if you find a role that you truly enjoy there is nothing wrong in sticking with that, but use training and development to become the best you can be and then be even better.

I have always tried to use education and the knowledge of my peers and seniors to improve myself; none of us have all the answers but maybe all of us together might get very close.

Qualifications open up a world of opportunity, such as the ability to join like-minded others in professional bodies linked to your chosen field.

Always remember that it’s a job, a job that should empower and improve you and your loved ones’ lives, and not a job that should be a continual strain on you and your loved ones’ lives. Again, no working utopia here, we all get stressed, it’s because we care. So, don’t be afraid to push back, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. People are productive only when they have some degree of fulfilment.

Tips for success

Nothing really ground-breaking from me:

• Be honest, to yourself and to others
• Try and enjoy what you do; you spend a lot of time doing it, so why not enjoy it?
• Grow and nurture a mutual support network
• Always move forward and try to better yourself in work and in life
• Be open and learn from others, whoever they are, be that the good or the bad.

The post Exploring different routes into security appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Security job: Director and co-founder BeCyberSure

I began my career in the Post Office Telecoms, back when it was a subdivision of the PO, with the early opportunity to become an Investigation Officer. Fifteen years and a promotion later, I had travelled the UK tracking down and processing through to prosecution every type of criminal operating against the PO and Telecoms businesses.

In 1984, I helped set up BT Security, a new and exciting challenge. I lobbied to explore strategic security improvements, and set up an embryonic Crime Prevention Division, which even then included a cybersec and pen testing capability.

Subsequent years saw me promoted to General Manager of BT Security, followed by a series of senior security roles, including Head of Security for the Bank of England and CEO of Skills for Security.

Cybercrime

From my earliest BT days, cyber-related crime had always fascinated me and when friends suggested setting up BeCyberSure, I was up for it. I can share my expertise with companies who can’t afford a Director of Security, but need protection from the scourge that is cybercrime.

My early days toughened me while allowing me to understand how the criminal world worked. Later, I watched in awe as an ex-army general applied his political skills to get our security message across at board level. I realised that while I could never be that man, I could use my personality with his tactics: always being true to myself, seeking in my small way to create a better world. So, if you are starting out in security, do think about qualifications in your chosen specialism, always be ready to take on a challenge; but importantly, watch and learn from those whom you respect, think innovatively, and above all, fight for what you believe and be yourself.

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Security job: Academy & Qualification Design Manager, Securitas

When I left school, my parents suggested I go to university or take on a local gym, which was going into liquidation. I went for the latter, which produced some really interesting opportunities.

The gym was frequented by the local ‘doormen’ who persuaded me to join them. It was like the Wild West and it turned out to be my introduction to the security industry. I loved it!

I learnt the ropes at some of the largest UK ‘urban’ events. I gradually gained more recognition and increasingly took on greater responsibilities. I was operations director for over 300 major outdoor events, and also gained skills and experience in close protection, general security and surveillance.

Turning point: training manager

The key turning point in my career came from my best friend, an assistant police chief constable, who convinced me that training was the way to go! My education in the subject matter, together with my operational experience, proved invaluable as we successfully delivered a full suite of training programmes.

Next, I was appointed national manager for the Olympics 2012, the largest ever training event in the UK, providing specialist training interventions to the top five UK security companies.

Today, I’m proud to be the Academy & Qualification Manager for our City & Guilds accredited training academy and winner of the ‘Highly Commended’ Certificate for contribution to vocational education and training, presented by HRH Princess Royal.

I have a great work/life balance. My family is everything to me, and my time at home is precious, I guard it fiercely! I’m lucky that I love my job and the people I work with; it’s busy, challenging and always keeps me on

my toes.

The post Exploring jobs in security: Training Manager appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Security job: Security Services Manager, VSG

When I left school, I had no clear career plans and after travelling for a while, I arrived in the UK sixteen years ago. I took on various jobs, then the opportunity arose to attend security bootcamp training. This taught me physical restraint techniques, together with other counter terrorism related areas, all quite exciting at the time!

I decided to stay in the UK and further my career in security within the corporate sector, eventually rising to assistant manager. I had a fantastic manager who gave me many opportunities to take on projects, attend client meetings and further my management experience.

There was one obstacle I needed to overcome: the fact that English is my second language. I decided to enrol on a BSc in Risk and Security Management at the University of Portsmouth. This allowed me to improve both my language skills and my security knowledge. I find the knowledge I gained useful every day in my current role.

I studied part-time for six years while continuing to work and progressed into more senior roles. After graduating, I moved organisation into a role where I was able to gain an extensive range of HR experience and a year later moved into my current account manager role. I am now fortunate to have continued mentoring from my line manager, tremendous support from my client and a great team that supports me to reach our daily objectives.

Current role

In my current role, I provide tactical direction and operational support with the aim of delivering exemplary customer services on site.  I include my team on all daily tasks and use any opportunity to actively train the next generation of security managers.

I love being able to use my experience to teach others who wish to progress. The more work you put into developing your deputies and supervisors, the more benefit you will get from knowing that you can trust them to make the right decision in your absence.

Always be there for them when they need you, but give them the knowledge and the power to make their own decisions.

You are only as strong as your team – use every opportunity available to teach and develop them.

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Security job: Executive Director of Business Affairs, ICTS UK & Ireland

I joined ICTS UK in 1994 as a Security Agent at London Gatwick Airport. Having previously served in the military, I was naturally drawn to the security industry and, in particular, the unique challenges presented by aviation security. I became Recruitment and Training Manager at Gatwick. I was additionally asked to act as an Instructor across ICTS Europe, training future Supervisors at the different European subsidiaries.

In 1997, ICTS UK received ISO accreditation for the first time. This was a project I headed. It took 4-5 months to bring the company to the required standards and it was this project that paved the way to be becoming Quality Manager, responsible for all ISO systems within the Company.

It was at this point that I resumed my law studies, backed by ICTS, who sponsored me to complete a part-time, specialist course in Employment Law, which was later followed by a further specialisation in Business and Commercial Law. My qualifications allowed me to become Legal and Compliance Manager, eventually assuming responsibility for all legal matters for the UK subsidiaries in the role of Legal and Compliance Manager.

Further career milestones were: in 2007 when I was appointed Company Secretary (ICTS sponsored my studies with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators); in 2009, I was appointed Group Company Secretary and Head of Legal and Corporate Services; in 2015 I was appointed to my current position of Executive Director of Business Affairs.

The constant pressures of working in a security environment inevitably place stresses on you and I find that key to dealing with this is creating space where work is, even for a brief period of time, completely ignored. For me that is when I travel and I use this time to read and switch my mind away from work and recharge my mental batteries.

My 5 tips for success are:

Be decisive – indecision paralyses business

Encourage collaborative working between teams

Delegate –  you can’t do it all yourself

Learn from your mistakes

Believe that no problem is unsolvable – challenge yourself to find the solution.

The post Exploring jobs in security: Executive Director appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Security job: Security Systems Service Supervisor, Lazerbeam Fire and Security

I have always had an interest in electronics and was the kind of person who took things apart to find out how they worked. As a result, my parents encouraged me to begin my career working for my uncle who was a locksmith. Thanks to my parents’ encouragement, I went on to train as an installation engineer, later progressing on to a service engineer and eventually I was promoted to a supervisory level. Along the way, I took it upon myself to attend evening classes to obtain the qualifications I needed.

I worked with one company for 28 years, installing and maintaining various security systems such as intruder and flood alarms. This included about 5 years on the London Underground, working on access control, CCTV and PA systems.

Current role

Eighteen months ago, I joined Lazerbeam as a security systems service supervisor. My day-to-day role takes me to our customers’ sites, ensuring the smooth installation, commissioning and maintenance of security systems, including fault finding. A large part of my role is working with our customers, advising them on their systems and dealing with any issues that arise. I work closely with my engineers, training and guiding them, checking their workmanship, assessing new products and troubleshooting.

In this job, you are generally working in an environment where business must carry on as usual, so you need to have strong people skills, confidence, and patience. You should also be someone who thrives on customer service and takes pride in your work.

The best thing about this job is the variety – you are not stuck in the same place all the time – you meet many different people. In addition, you get to solve various problems often thinking on your feet, which on its own can be very satisfying.

There are not enough engineers in the security sector, and I would encourage anyone who is good with people and has an interest in electronics to get involved. You will always be employed. My top tips for success are work hard, listen and respect people.

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