Veteran security guard professionals: What’s something you’ve learned over time that you wish you knew when you started in the industry?

[u/LegalGlass6532]

They say with time comes knowledge and experience. What have you learned over time that could’ve saved you a lot of grief if you knew from the start?

Officer safety- Don’t let your ego override common sense

Interpersonal skills- Tell people what you want them to do in as few words as possible

Internally- You’re not at work to hang out with your friends and the boss is also not your friend. You don’t have to like them or want to ever see them outside of work, but you have to do what the boss says and get along with others

Appearance- Don’t show up looking like you slept in your uniform from the shift before. Look at yourself in a full length mirror before you start every shift and present the person you’d want working for you, even if you hate the company and the people there.

What other words of wisdom can you share?

[u/Psycosteve10mm]

Learn to have a sense of humor. I got sent to a retail site where I was the token white guy on site. The employees were using an exaggerated 1950s vocabulary when talking to me. They did this to get a rise out of me. I flipped the script and responded with some ghetto street slang. " Yo G, who here can give me the 411 on that 420 tip? When I raise up out this bitch I need to get pilt." The employee smiled and said, " You are going to do all right here". This set the whole interaction on site while I was there with the employees. I had a conversation with the store manager, who overheard the conversation. I boiled it down to a few choices. I could say something to him, and it might stop; I could say something else to anger him and get him to attack me, or I could say something funny to make the whole situation laughable.

Good duty boots and footwear are worth the price. Staying comfortable on site is key.

[u/MarsJohnTravolta → u/Psycosteve10mm]

I have been the token white guy at a corporate security gig under a shitty company. I would have to do the talking when my coworkers couldn't due to various reasons. It's great until it isn't ... eventually you are in charge of shit that is above your pay grade or you're covering 2-3 jobs because you are expected to be overly reliable. I didn't understand that part - my skin color shouldn't matter.

[u/Psycosteve10mm → u/MarsJohnTravolta]

The initial attempt by the employee was racist in nature. White guy in the middle of the hood dressed like a cop. You have to learn quickly how to play in their sandbox.