English
I have lost count recently of the times I have heard people in the security industry claim the moneys rubbish and we don’t get paid enough.
In this world of self-entitlement and never excepting responsibility it’s easy to point a finger at everyone except yourself. Pointing the finger at yourself would force you to admit your own shortcomings, and in this millennial age, we all know that nothing is our fault and we are all winners regardless of where we came in the race.
Suck it up buttercup, life isn’t like that.
Firstly, for those who don’t know me, I have been working in security longer than some of you reading this have been alive. I am a licensed trainer, hold multiple black belts and spend my days delivering training in physical skills to all types of people.
The SIA license is a baseline, nothing more. It does not make you an expert or turn you into Jason Bourne. Think of it like your driving test. What it says it that you are deemed able to now go out alone and learn the skills required over time. Gathering experience and working knowledge along the way. Most people stop there, never do any CPD and then moan and complain that they are only being paid minimum wage. What are you doing to make yourself more saleable? How are you adding value to yourself? What have you done to make you worth more to an employer? If the answer is nothing, then shut up. You are paid what you are worth.
Another line I hear all the time is the industry is swamped with jacket fillers. Usually, I hear this from jacket fillers. We work in an industry like no other. If you hire an electrician to install your electrics you would expect them to be able to wire a plug as a minimum. Not so in the security world. I regularly see people who struggle to hit the low-level physical intervention standard set by the SIA but then a month later are on a door tasked with the safety of hundreds of patrons. Dealing with the violent minority is part of our job and if all we have is the course content to fall back on then we will struggle. Get some training in, learn how to deal with the physical, by doing that you have to become physical less. I hear people moan non-stop about how the skills taught on the course aren’t enough, but then when asked they have taken zero action to improve those skills. They have done nothing to expand on what they have learnt and again look to everyone else for blame when a year after practising a skill maybe a dozen times on the day they can’t make it work under stress in a live environment. You, my friend, are the true jacket filler.
Minimum wage= minimum effort. This train of thought is why a lot of people will never get paid more. Look at the perceived value of a thing. You will pay what you think it is worth to you. Yes, it may be expensive, but it’s worth it. Here’s a secret, employers think exactly the same. They will pay an employee what their perceived value is. If an employer or venue sees your worth you will have a higher value to them than your colleagues and this will be reflected in the amount of work, type of work and payment for work you receive. Think about this the next time you are posted on a gate 3 miles from the stage in the pouring rain. You did that to yourself. If you had shown your worth to be more, you would be in the pit or on the search lanes or on a post far more rewarding.
So instead of blaming the SIA try these few tips.
Be smart. Iron that shirt.
Be punctual. People are relying on you.
Be reliable. Never cancel a shift that you have agreed to unless absolutely necessary.
Shut up and listen. You don’t know everything.
Take the job. You may think you are worth more, but first you need to prove that to the employers.
Be prepared. If you are working a night shift, bring a torch. It’s not hard.
Don’t be a dick. You want people to respect you, then earn it.
