1 May 2023
![Application tips for private security guards: How to apply successfully!]()
Security guards play an important role in the private security industry and are often the first point of contact for customers and visitors. If you are a security guard looking for a new job, a successful application can make the difference between success and failure. The chances are quite good due to the situation on the labour market. It is also called an employee market — meaning: there are hardly enough qualified applicants for the current vacancies. You have — depending of course on some factors like your education and the desired place of work — in principle a good choice!
In this article we will give you tips and advice on how to successfully apply and find your dream job in the private security industry.
10 application tips for security guards in the private security sector
- Create a meaningful cover letter
The cover letter is the first impression you make on a potential employer. It is important that you take time to create a strong cover letter that highlights your experience, skills and motivation. Make sure you tailor the cover letter to the company and the security job advertised and that you find out about the company and its activities.
- Update your CV
Your CV is your most important application document and should showcase your work experience, skills and qualifications. Update your CV before you apply and make sure it is clear and easy to read. Use bullet points and clear formatting to highlight important information. Also include what training and certifications you have completed and what experience you have had in the security industry. Provide your certificates of competency, references and any training certificates. Do not include Fake documents and convince you with a professional correct expression.
- Emphasise your skills and experience
As a security guard, you should be able to quickly recognise dangerous situations and react to them appropriately. In your application, emphasise your skills and experience in the field of security and make sure to highlight your competences in the areas of communication, conflict resolution and de-escalation. However, do not exaggerate, e.g. by eccentrically sprawling narratives of your past exploits as a security employee!
- Be prepared for the interview
An interview is your chance to present your best side and convince the employer of your skills. Prepare for the interview by reading up on the company, preparing questions and thinking about the answers you would give. Make sure you are on time and well prepared for the interview and that you clearly present your qualifications and experience.
- Stay positive and confident
As a security guard, it is important that you appear positive and confident. Be confident in your skills and experience and convey to your potential employer that you are the best choice for the job. Remain professional and polite throughout the application process and make sure you leave a positive impression. At this point, please do not badmouth your old or previous employer. This does not make a good impression and the management staff in the private security industry are often better connected than you think!
- Use your network
Use your professional network to find potential employers and learn about job openings. Talk to former colleagues, supervisors and other contacts in the security industry and ask for recommendations or information about vacancies. Online platforms such as LinkedIn or XING can also help you find potential employers and make contacts. You can also indicate there that you are open to offers. Sometimes headhunters also get in touch who can be helpful in finding jobs.
- Be flexible and open to new challenges
In the private security industry, there are a variety of tasks and positions that require different skills and experience. Be flexible and open to new challenges and check whether you are suitable for other positions or tasks. You may be able to contribute your skills and experience better in another position or be interested in a new challenge.
- Present yourself professionally
As a security guard, you are the company’s figurehead and should therefore present yourself in a professional manner. Make sure that you wear appropriate clothing and make a well-groomed impression at job interviews or other professional occasions. Also pay attention to your body language and appearance and make sure you communicate politely and professionally.
- Do not shy away from high demands
A maximum of 20 years and 10 years of professional experience — of course that’s not possible. Employers often write quite a few requirements in the job advertisements. Don’t be afraid of this, but be honest if you don’t (yet) meet a requirement. You can still gain experience in your new job, you can improve your foreign language skills by taking courses on the side (e.g. at the adult education centre) and you can make up for missing additional training. Employers are often more flexible than you think, especially if it is otherwise a good (human) fit!
- Keep your eye on the ball and don’t be afraid of setbacks!
Landing a direct hit on your first application and getting your dream job is the exception rather than the rule. Don’t be afraid if you don’t succeed with your first application, but try again somewhere else. Often it is helpful to ask for open feedback about why you did not make it to the shortlist or to have professional application training, where your application documents are also reviewed and optimised. Just stay on the ball here, subscribe to relevant job offers on job portals. You will then be automatically notified when new vacancies arise in your search radius.
Conclusion
A successful application in the private security industry requires time, effort and commitment. Use the tips above to optimise your application and find your dream job. Stay on the ball and continue your education. Compare job offers and try to sell yourself in the best possible way. Be confident, flexible and professional and show your potential employer that you are the perfect choice for the job.
12 February 2023
![How much money does one earn as an employee in the security service with a certificate of competence?]()
Talking around it is useless. One thing is clear: The traditional security industry is a low-wage sector!
Nevertheless: the security industry offers variety, responsible, exciting and also quiet jobs. And if you’re smart, you can make ends meet. But — what do you earn as a security guard with a certificate of competence?
What matters when it comes to earnings in the security industry…
If you decide to work in the private security sector or are looking for a new employer, the financial aspects certainly play a major role. There are several factors that contribute to a good hourly wage. The most important aspects for a more attractive salary are listed below.
Level of education and training
Obviously, the better trained you are, the higher your earning potential. As an unskilled security guard only with training according to § 34a GewO, you will very often not be paid much more than the minimum wage. With the expert knowledge examination, you can achieve a good bit more basic hourly wage with manageable effort.. You can go even further with further training to become a certified protection and security worker or with training to become a specialist for protection and security. Incidentally, the minimum wage nationwide has been 12.43 euros per hour since 1 January 2023. The increase to 13 euros per hour from 1 April 2023 has already been decided.
Additional qualifications
Additional qualifications, for example in first aid or fire protection (e.g. as a fire protection assistant), are very helpful and increase the market value of security staff. These do not always have a direct effect on the hourly wage, but they are always a plus point in job applications. Additional qualifications include the following:
- Fire safety helper
- Evacuation helper
- Lift rescue (rescue of persons from lifts)
- Intervention force
- NSL specialist
- Safety Officer (Occupational Safety)
- Hygiene/Health Officer
- Basic knowledge course in radiation protection and decontamination
- Weapons expertise examination
Intercultural skills and knowledge of foreign languages, especially at least basic English, should also not be underestimated.
Activity
The security industry has many facets and therefore the activities that security workers perform are also very diverse. Accordingly, there are sometimes serious wage differences. Security activities such as separate guards and simple guarding activities are often rather poorly paid. Jobs that require special skills often pay well. For example in the Aviation security, in the range Cash and valuables transport, during the activity in nuclear facilities, in which Underground and suburban railway guarding or as an NSL specialist in Emergency call and service control centres the earnings are often significantly higher than the industry average. The exact amount of the wage for the job can be found in the Collective agreements take from them. If they have been declared generally binding, which is usually the case, they apply to all employees. (It is best to add the federal state to the Google search to narrow down the results).
Working hours
Anyone who is already active in the industry and works in shifts knows it: Often, biorhythms and private life suffer from the changing working hours. However, working night shifts, Sundays and public holidays often offers decisive financial advantages. Depending on the federal state/collective agreement, the following benefits can be earned Night, Sunday and public holiday surcharges that are well worth seeing. What’s more, these tax-free! On public holidays in many places 100% Surcharge possiblei.e. in addition to the actual daily wage, you receive the same amount again — but tax-free! Viewed over the month, depending of course on the amount of night, Sunday and public holiday hours, the following can be achieved Several hundred euros on top earn. Especially around the turn of the year or at Easter, this can be a lucrative affair.
Overtime/overtime
Overtime is, of course, a partial aspect of working hours. Nevertheless, I would like to devote a separate point to this aspect here. Why? Because experience shows that a lot of overtime is worked in the security sector, often much more than is legally permissible and with too few breaks between assignments. Think carefully about whether you want to go along with this and should actually work 200, 220, 240 or even more hours per month. My tip at this point would be to invest in further education and not to trade so much time for money: Memento Mori — your lifetime is also limited. Set priorities and make a good decision for you, also for your future.
State
As in other industries, there is a West-East divide in the private security sector. In the past, these wage differences were really glaring. Security workers in Berlin earned in some areas not even half of those who worked in Bavaria. As a rule, the best-paid federal states include Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Among the lowest paid are still the new federal states, for example Brandenburg or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Just a few years ago, one could barely keep one’s head above water with a job as a security guard in the East German states. However, the minimum wage and the gradual convergence of collective agreements are increasingly putting the differences into perspective. In addition, one should not forget that where people earn more, they usually earn less. Cost of living (especially rents) are higher. So think carefully — if you are toying with the idea — whether a move is really worth it for you.
Industry
Many people think of security service jobs in the classic way, as the security company that as a service provider external customers. Whereas in the past, veteran employees in factories came to the plant security service towards the end of their working lives to spend the last years of their careers doing less strenuous work, the situation has changed considerably nowadays. Professional, external security service providers look after a large number of companies from business and industry or the public sector as clients. But they still exist, despite the decades-long trend towards outsourcing. The Internal plant security. Especially in industry, property and plant protection activities are when you are directly employed by the manufacturing company, very well paid. Der Grund hierfür ist, dass Sie nach dem Branchentarif bezahlt werden, dem die Masse der Belegschaft angehört. Werfen Sie einen Blick in die Rate tables for the metal and electrical industry! These monthly salaries are in a different league.
Allowances
Allowances regulated by collective agreement are usually paid for guard/shift leaders, for dog handlers or in certain facilities such as military properties. Likewise, there are often allowances for on-call duties, e.g. for (additional) work in the plant fire brigade. These range from a few cents per hour up to over 10% more pay. In Bavaria, there is also slightly more money if you work in the greater Munich area.
Security companies or their clients also sometimes pay Voluntary (revocable) allowances. Manchmal gibt es auch Einmal-Prämien für besonders erfolgreiche Einsätze oder für herausragende Arbeitsleistungen. Leider sind diese Art Zulagen aber eher die Ausnahme. Immer häufiger vorzufinden ist aber eine Wechselprämie, also so eine Art „Begrüßungsgeld“. Das allein sollte aber aber nicht unbedingt der alleinige Grund für einen Arbeitgeberwechsel sein.
Concrete numbers
You would like to know concrete figures?
If you have read the article up to this point, you will realise that this is difficult, as it can depend on a number of factors such as the federal state, the job, the working hours and their (additional) qualifications. Nevertheless, a concrete example:
- Monthly salary in the separate guard service with IHK specialist knowledge examination in 2023 in Bavaria:
14,00 Euro per hour
180 hours per month
thereof
- 12h holiday
- 16h Sunday
- 60h night
This results in approx. 2520 euros of taxable income (gross) and just under 420 euros of tax-free supplements.With income tax class 1 and no children, a single person thus receives approx. 2170 Euro net transferred. However, this calculation is for illustrative purposes only. Your actual salary paid out may depend on numerous factors!
Hint: This article was last updated in February 2023. As there are regular adjustments to both the minimum wage and collective agreement regulations, the framework conditions may have changed in the meantime! (All information without guarantee.)
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