Is the security industry the right place to make a career? It is a crucial question to ask yourself when choosing a profession for life, but this applies to any field. If you are interested in getting a job as a security officer, you may also want to know the best new and hottest business opportunities to grow professionally.

The best areas for advancement are management, administration, corporate, and cyber security that as any high-qualified position require a unique set of narrowly specialized skills. You can even get a degree in the cyber security services area now!

However, you can still start from an entrance-level position or seek one with help from a security staffing agency. In that case, you can begin just as you are, but it is essential to know that a term served in the armed forces and good knowledge of self-defense techniques and alarm systems will always be to your advantage.

Here are the top three security staff jobs for you to explore;

Security Officer

This position may sound simple, but in the security industry, it is the experience that takes first place in the recruiting processes. And it has another reason to be in the top security staffing jobs.

Firstly, the security services officer is quite a broad position covering several directions from correctional officers who work with inmates to private ones responsible for physical security and protection of high-profile clients. Security officers are essentially law enforcement workers, but it does not mean that their work is possible within the police department only.

Security professionals are responsible for:

• Reporting on criminal activities;
• Patrolling particular areas and recording observations;
• Interviewing witnesses,
• Watching surveillance footage;
• Inspecting buildings or pieces of equipment.

Secondly, security officers are frequently hired to provide protection both within and outside the United States for US-owned properties. It includes military installations, government agency offices, or other sensitive locations. Constant changing of personnel means that you will often have to join new teams and adapt to new partners, increasing your communication skills.

Lack of specialized qualifications allows you to apply for this job having only a high school degree (a driver’s license will also be a plus). It is also an excellent opportunity to explore the industry from the inside and find directions to gain more knowledge and experience. Or you can stick to being a security officer but explore the other levels! For example, to become a federal-level worker, you will need a security clearance.

Security Architect

To perform this part of cyber security, you will need to have excellent knowledge in IT systems and an understanding of the latest upgrades of security structures, authentication protocols, and standards. You will be responsible for planning, designing, researching, and testing security systems and their implementation to the organization’s network.

Other duties include:

• Performing vulnerability testing and security assessments;
• Identifying integration issues;
• Creating a disaster recovery plan for the organization;
• Implementing specified changes in weakened areas of security operations;
• Supervising the security team;
• Immediately responding to security-related situations.

It is one of many examples from the corporate security field, but starting here even as a security guard may be a great opportunity to evolve.

Security Analyst

The main aim of this job is to protect the organization’s information security. When taking this position, you will provide security to the company’s IT assets and properties and maintain protection from unauthorized access.

A security analyst is responsible for:

• Analyzing risks and vulnerability testings;
• Preparing and implementing responses to both attacks at physical assets and hacking;
• Access control;
• Internal and external audits.

Finding a job that will require talent in software engineering and constant improvement will allow you later to become a well-paid, experienced full-time employee that provides information security at a big firm.

Conclusion

Seeking a job in a security field opens up many directions: from cyber security specialists to risk managers and cyber crime investigators. The most important thing is that starting as a security guard does not mean that nothing will change until your retirement day. Like any other, the security industry evolves with the help of new technologies, which means that there always will be room for expanding your area of responsibility.

Regardless of whether you will be working in the field or with software, a military background is commonly appreciated for employment. It will help you gain more respect among future coworkers as well as bring some advantages to the recruitment process.

Jobs in the security sector vary considerably but it is possible to start from the bottom and work your way up if you have the passion and aptitude for the job.