Ladies & Gents,
I thought it might be worth adding my two pence worth in here based on my own observations and experience. I am not UK based so please excuse the lack of BTEC /
sia related courses etc as my focus is on internationally applicable qualifications:
MSc Sec & Risk (Leicester) - took me 3 and a half years to get through it primarily due to work requirements (continual ad-hoc travel and irregular working hours (should sound familiar to the masses)). Yes it did cost me around 5000 pounds and meant a number of sacrifices during the period. Was it worth it - the qualification allowed me to apply for a function at a much higher level which I got based on operational experience and meeting academic requirements - the salary increase paid for the course in the first 3 months.. Yes it is worth it and is a good compliment to back up the operational background.
My personal belief is that we generally know less that we like to think. I recognised deficiencies in myself on the physical security side and did the ASIS PSP (Physical Security Professional) program. This was a good choice as a thorough understanding of target hardening methods and understanding the grass roots of how things actually work is to my mind only a benefit and will most certainly improve an operators survey ability. I would recommend this, it is a good program, not too taxing, not overly and allows an operator to talk technically (within reason) with confidence. Yes, it is slanted towards the US but so is Kentucky Fried Chicken and they are not bad either. I am also sitting the
CPP exam in November. Point to remember with CPP is that you need a certain amount of qualifying supervisory experience to do it. In a number of ways it solidifies a number core managerial skills / experience into a recognised course. There are large networking possibilities and it does mean that others will have a basic idea of your minimal knowledge level. It is becoming more and more prevalent and it is becoming an expected qualification to hold. Again a good investment providing you are at the right functional level to get the best out of it.
I am fortunate to have a few investigation related qualifications but again the application of this in the work place is not always relevant. A modern Sec Manager may have to deal with multitude of tasks from exec protection, loss prevention, security investigations, surveys, audit and lord only knows what else. I for instance had no background in any kind of financial transactions or fraud. Rectification was found in the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) course from the ACFE (
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners - Fraud Training & Education). I did the UK version as it made the legal side easier (there are US and international versions). This was also beneficial. It provides a grounding in relevant legal concerns, methods of fraud and detection, investigative process and interviewing. For anybody not with previous Police experience this could be beneficial, it is not an overly large investment and does provide another string to the bow. The market is only going to get more competitive.
Another hat worn is guard force control, the grass routes of keeping low paid staff doing a mundane job with minimal recognition. I did the Certified Protection Officer (not
Close Protection related - US based where protective security encompasses static guarding etc) with the IFPO (
International Foundation of Protection Officers). This was done with a view to getting accredited as
CPO(Instructor) so that I could run the program for security guards internally and facilitate professional development. In truth, very little was learnt from a practical level as it is aimed at the guard level. Investment here is to be able to bring more to the staff and enhance their performance. It is more a US qualification but will hopefully prove beneficial. Not a great career enhancer outside the US but it another bow string that will help with the staff matters by facilitating education (again - non UK).
As a general preference I would take more note of those persons with professional accreditation through examination than those with Associate affiliations. Why pay for instance for ASIS / ACFE associate membership if you do not go for the full accreditation. Being a inactive member of an organisation gives you nothing more than a few emails and news letters.
Where next……… well the CPP is for me a must have. After that, as has been mentioned in other threads, the need for an understanding of Info Sec / IT Sec is only going to become more and more important. I will be personally looking into the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) to round things off.
Of course, staying current across the board and retaining certifications is both a financial and time burden. Fact is that your were assumed to be current when you were hired, the employer rightfully expects you to stay that way, and that is down to you.
Apologies for the longwinded input, final comment is that I have seen some very well projected comments from obviously well qualified professionals on here. A strong CP background and skills base is a great asset, however it would be unwise not to be able to effectively turn a hand to other related tasks with some competence and confidence.
The more skills/experience and qualifications you can bring to the table, the better the chance of getting a good seat at it but before dispensing with the hard earned cash make a realistic assessment of what the qualification can bring you and if it is worth the outlay.
Stay safe one and all.
Linear Mode
