Jeff got his SIA door supervision licence in December 2022 and is a supervisor at a corporate building in the City of London. He reflects on his experiences of retraining to work in private security and opportunities to progress.
I had worked in hotels since the age of 14. I started out as a concierge, became a front of house receptionist and worked my way up to duty manager. About 8 years ago, I changed job and worked in the HR department of Kensington and Chelsea borough council, doing learning and development. Unfortunately, I was made redundant during the pandemic. It was difficult to get back into the hotel industry. I decided to retrain and get an SIA licence.
The training process was seamless. I had good instructors who were very flexible, supporting people of all learning levels. On the last day after our exams, a security company came and did a presentation. We had the opportunity to have an interview afterwards. It was a bit like speed dating. I was lucky enough to speak to the Head of HR. I told them about my experiences, and they said I would be a good fit. I formally applied for a role and started with the company soon after.
I’ve been working in private security in the square mile for just over a year. We have about 1,300 people coming into the building every day. When I was a hotel duty manager, I oversaw all departments, including security, so this role is not a stranger to me. However, I feel I have more authority with a licence. It’s also made me appreciate how much security are relied upon. We are the unsung heroes. We have a hand in every department. We speak to occupiers, tenants and building management.
A lot of positions in this industry have rolling rosters, but it was important to me to work a day shift Monday to Friday. I’m a family man with 4 girls aged between 2 and 16. I’m a bit outnumbered at home – even our dog is female! I really appreciate the flexibility I’ve been given. The long hours can be a bit of a challenge, but it has become part of the routine.
There’s no typical day in this job. Recently we’ve been handling a lot of protestors. A few months ago some came into the building. Thankfully, they were not violent. They had megaphones and were handing out flyers. We have a good security team here. We contained the scene within 5 minutes and the Police were there in 6.
I was a bit apprehensive after retraining. I’m a person that wants to grow. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get up the progression ladder in security. I was thankful to find there are opportunities. After I was an operative for a few weeks, I had the opportunity to become a supervisor. It’s great as I get the chance to learn and also fill in for the manager at times.
There is quite a lot of admin compared to being front of house. You are changing and amending procedures, involved in building and contract meetings, doing reports to building management, and checking contractor permits and risk assessments.
Getting into security has opened doors for me. There’s still a lot to build on, but I enjoy learning new things. I hope I will continue to take steps up the career ladder.