Executive's Guide to Personal Security, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 12Breaking into a Security Career in the Private Sector

PLANNING TO GO PRIVATE? This chapter is for you. A good many corporate security professionals are drawn from law enforcement, the military, and other government security agencies. Government security employees make attractive candidates for private sector security jobs for a number of reasons: leadership skills, expertise in managing complex security operations, knowledge of security procedures, knowledge of advanced security technologies, broad experience with managing relationships with federal and state law enforcement agencies, and managing large budgets and large numbers of people. There are a number of reasons to transition to the private sector, including the opportunity for higher compensation, better work‐life balance, greater flexibility, and the opportunity of trying something different.

While the decision to opt for a career in the private sector seems like a natural evolution, the transition from a government security job to the private sector is not that straightforward. A successful transition to a position in corporate security, consulting, or another private sector job is more than just informing potential employers about your past career experience. The biggest factors common to those who are not able to make a good transition is that they don't have a clear understanding of the role they are expected to fill, their employers' expectations, and the corporate environment and other characteristics ...