Career change

vulcan

Evening/Morning chaps,

I've been lurking on the forum for about 9 months now. I thought it was about time to post something.

I'm 26 and have a DS licence, bottom of the ladder I know but it's a start. I actually quit my job to do my training as they wouldn't give me the time off so I've been unemployed since Feb because of it. I'm looking for work in Edinburgh just incase somebody knows somebody....

The instructor for my DS course was ex Rmp CP and listening to him for five minutes told me that CP was top of the tree security wise, at least in my view. He done plenty in Iraq and Afghan but even the Vip work sounded interesting. I can't really explain why I want to do CP work, call it a "calling" or something, the chance to do something that COULD make a real difference to someones life.

I'm keen to do a HECP course and Longmoor looked like the best option out of the ones I have looked at mostly because I liked their website and the emails we have passed have been totally professional without a hint of "Our instructors are all ex 22 and we have work waiting". I'm sure the companies that advertise like this are decent enough but I liked the no bullshit approach of Longmoor.

I know that if I do the HECP course the chances of getting sent to do a John Rambo on the streets of Kabul or Baghdad are nil but I'd like to have the firearms course behind me because it'll up my body count on the paintball field and I'd like to have a leg up on the weapons front as I'm looking at the TA for next year and being familiar with the basics before hand can't hurt even if I'm not using them in a professional capacity.

I have no doubt it'll be a hard slog trying to get my foot in the door. I know I won't make a truckload of money. I know the fact I'm a civvy will make getting anything high risk damn near impossible and I know I'll probably have to take that pot washing job to tide me over but I'm absolutely determined to get into this area of the security industry and will go to anywhere in the world at anytime to do anything if it means gaining experience even at the lowest level. I'm like a Barcly card, flexible.

I'm sure that with time, paitence and the good chaps of this fine forum I'll manage it but it'd be interesting to hear how many of you guys got started in the industry as I come from a building background and was wondering if anyone else had had such an immense career change.

Oddjob

Hate to be cruel here, But,
DS since Feb'? and you still have no work ?
Call it quits young man and go get a proper job,
you've fell at the first hurdle I'm afraid.

james1

not cruel OJ, but a fair assessment.....

no point in blowing smoke....

save your money pal.....plenty of other worthwhile professions out there

j.

vulcan

OJ, I done my training in Feb, my licence didn't get issued untill the end of Sept due to numerous feck ups at the sia end. I'm currently going through the screening process with G4S and I'm waiting on a start with a local company. I haven't worked a 40 hour a week job since Feb but I get by with doing what I can building wise which at this point in time is is very little hence "unemployed" as I'm lucky to get a job a week if that. I'm sure I'm not the only person suffering in this economy

james1

Interestingly the line between DS and CP seems to be thinning.....

or is it that the DS badge holders think its thinning.....increasingly its seems a route into CP......

get a job as a rent a cop at tescos and then within a month or so your ll be in frank farmers shoes!

couple of week course and everyones qualified! lol..........false hopes!

j.

annie

considering a DS course is £150 or free if you go through dole office, plus your licence fee as opposed to over £1k for a CP course and then licence fee, to be honest so far this year i have been only CP on any team i have worked with. Granted they haven't been actual CP roles, but i still expected to come accross one or two. Considering the fact that you can do a great deal on a DS badge and jobs covered are easier to come by than real CP work im not suprised people just do DS these days

mark6354

OJ's rite mate save your money.

i would be concerned about no work at DS level since feb especialy liveing near a major city lyk edinbourgh....

i think you may have been fantised by this guys stories and jus thought wow thats cool and that is not the rite reason to join this industry cos its far from wow. its not luxuary hotels and celeb parties(or maybe am jus getting the wrong jobs) its long hours highly intense at times and its not a case of turn up at clients pad pic them up and take them shopping all day you could spent a week just planin a day lyk that.


and am guessin that this ex Rmp is jus blaggin you with a few stories to big him up a bit so you recomend there training course.

DS is not the bottom of the ladder there is guys i no with 22yrs servive doin DS work its a personal choice. its the person that starts from the bottom as in most industrys until they prove themselves that are at the bottom level.

in major cities lyk were you say your from DS is a fulltime job maybe try harder to do that for a couple of years before you get into the CP side if things this will ground you abit and give you a much realer insite to the industry than listening to sum stories. if you go into CP for the reasons you have stated you will get someone hurt o killed if not urself.


this job DS or CP is not just a status job to brag about and think your kevin costner(bad speling i no)

good luck with wat ever you dicide

james1

Yes annie totally correct, you ve made a good job of it, but your v different from some of the numpties we get passing through!

j.

annie

I only did CP badge to make sure i had more opportunities and was covered for most things, and i'd still tell anyone who was thinking of doing CP work to do a Cp course first off and not DS then Cp as that makes it a very expensive route to travel, but i understand that cost wise it isn't always an option for people and if you start and don't like it then its a heavy cost to bear, unless your minted and can afford it. That and i suppose Ds courses come free now through unemplyment agency i can't see them putting up for a Cp course mind

james1

I think alot of the problem comes from the companies,

very few companies are going to tell potential recruits dont bother doing the course its a waste of your money as it makes no business sense,
i would go as far as to say that the insinuation that training companies have work waiting for course attendees is only making the problem worse, i m sure one or 2 of the stand outs from the course get jobs off the back of it, but the vast majority certainly dont.

j.