Visit any shopping centre, office block, college, hospital, or large building site and the chances are that you will find security guards on duty.

Without doubt security guarding is by far the largest sector within the industry and with the ever present threats of theft, vandalism and terrorism the demand is likely to grow.

Security is a 24/7 operation with opportunities for long shifts, but equally there will always be jobs with less demanding time requirements, although with most people working on a full-time basis, part time employment is not widely available. It is also common for SIA guards to be self-employed, so that they have to pay their own tax and National Insurance rather than having them deducted at source by the employer.

There are huge numbers of security companies in the UK specialising in employing security guards, from the smaller private enterprises to national operators. To work for any of these you will need an SIA licence (either Security Guard or Door Supervisor will be acceptable), but there is also a legitimate side to the industry whereby security officers are employed direct by the end user (known as 'in house') but do not need an SIA licence.

Many of the well known high street retailers recruit their security in this way, as do some shopping centres. Whilst working 'in house' has some benefits over agencies (most notably a contract which specifies the minimum number of hours per week/month that will be guaranteed), there is still the issue of training. Whilst this is compulsory to SIA licence holders it is also strongly recommended to those planning to work 'in house'. This is because the employer will save time, and money, if a new recruit has already undertaken some training so doesn't need to be taught the basics of the job.

Most employers (either agency or 'in house'), will request a 10 year checkable work history, and in the case of companies within the SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme this will be mandatory. It is also likely that 'in house' employers will also ask for a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check to be undertaken.

The term 'security guard' is used to describe a number of different roles, all of which have similar key elements as well as more wide ranging duties. The key elements are to ensure the safety of personnel (the general public, customers, or staff), prevent theft and vandalism, and alert the police to any potential terrorist activities.

• Introduction to the Roles and Responsibilities of Security Officers
• Patrolling
• Access and Egress Control
• Searching
• Technology and Systems in the Security Environment
• The Security Officer and the Law
• Communicating, Reporting and Record Keeping

Although the above list of topics have been developed specifically for the security guarding sector, they are seldom offered as "open" courses to the public. This is because under the SIA licensing scheme anyone who is in possession of a door supervisor licence can use it when carrying out work as a security guard.

Consequently most people coming into the industry prefer to do the door supervisor course as this will get them an SIA door supervisor licence which they can use to work as a security guard and it will additionally allow them to work in Event security, for example at the numerous music festivals throughout the summer months. This has meant that training companies generally offer just the door supervisor qualification.

Generally speaking, anybody looking for security work with an agency will need to be in possession of an SIA licence before they can start the job. However there is an exception to this, which is when the company that you are working for is part of the SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).

An Approved Contractor can have a small percentage of their staff working under a Licence Dispensation Notice (LDN) whilst they are waiting for their licence to be issued. For the ACS company to apply for this LDN they must see your letter from the SIA to confirm your licence is being processed.

• How to be a Security Guard
• Get Security Guard training
• Security Guard course in the UK
• Security Guards in London