Communication, safety consciousness and professionalism lead the way in recent job ads for safety and security professionals, according to a LiveCareer analysis of job postings and resumes. Job seeker resumes include more than enough safety-oriented skills, but they fall short on communication and professionalism. All three are key skills for landing a job in 2021.
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In a post-COVID world, security guards and other safety professionals must now enforce measures that prevent an invisible virus's spread in addition to the physical, visible threats they're accustomed to facing. They must communicate policies effectively and conduct themselves in a professional manner as they work more closely with customers and colleagues.
LiveCareer pinpointed the skills listed most often in safety and security job ads, including the precise wording of each skill. This data-based approach reveals the terminology employers expect to see on safety and security applications, and can help guide job seekers in refreshing their resumes.
Top hard, soft and remote work skills that will help you land safety & security jobs
We analyzed job ads for a wide range of safety and security positions, including security guards and security officers. Here are the skills that rose to the top.
Soft skills
- Communication
Found in 56.95% of security job ads
Look for words like communicate, articulate, voice and talk through. - Professionalism
Found in 47.68% of job ads
Look for words like professional, experienced and qualified. - Safety conscious
Found in 40.40% of job ads
Look for words like safety, hazard and secure. - Corroborate
Found in 39.74% of job ads
Look for words like test, validate and check. - Customer Service
Found in 37.09% of job ads
Look for the phrase customer service, help customers and assist clients. - Productive
Found in 32.45% of job ads
Look for a word like produce, effective and generate.
Hard skills
- Training
Found in 38.41% of job ads
Look for words like instruct, teach and train. - Climbing
Found in 27.81% of job ads
Look for words related to physical activity. - Computer skills
Found in 25.83% of job ads
Look for a wide range of security software, like Trackforce. - Handle crisis situations
Found in 17.88% of job ads
Look for words like de-escalate and conflict resolution.
Remote work skills
- Project management software Monday was found in 1.37% of job ads.
An experienced security officer resume example
How to add skills to your resume
Read the job description, understand what the employer is seeking and use the exact wording of the skills listed in the job posting.
1. Weave a few important critical soft skills into your summary statement.
Example one: Security Guard
Vigilant security guard experienced securing large-scale retail environments. Maintain professionalism while conducting patrols and interacting with employees and patrons. Able to provide basic customer service while assessing threats and performing searches. Ready to make use of flexible schedule and valid driver's license.
Example two: Director of security
Director of security and 20-year veteran of private security industry. Adept at monitoring video surveillance, executing efficient and accurate security assessments and communicating clearly with large teams of officers. Ensure effective risk assessment in both indoor and outdoor conditions.
2. Create a separate skills section. Make sure to include both hard and soft skills.
Example one: Lifeguard
- First Aid and CPR
- Parks and recreation policies
- Swim instruction
- Lifeguard operations
- Problem resolution
- Pool operations
Example two: Security engineer
- Penetration testing
- Security consultation
- Debugging systems
- Patching
- CompTIA Security+
- Risk mitigation strategies
3. Lace skills throughout top achievements in your work experience section.
Example one: Security supervisor
- Advised security team and conducted investigations of significant threats and loss or misappropriation of assets.
- Developed improved training methods with focus on public safety and officer awareness.
- Monitored work of contractors in design, construction and startup phases of security systems.
Example two: Security manager
- Established company-wide security best practices and protocols to mitigate risk of data breach.
- Led identification, development, implementation and maintenance of security requirements for entire organization.
- Developed improved training methods with focus on public safety and officer awareness.
How to grow this skill set
Employers are going to want to see you continuing to build your safety & security skills. There are many options available to you, including:
- If you work in loss prevention or do not hold an official certification in your current security role, earning a guard card is the biggest step you can take toward being a full-fledged security officer.
- Learning the basics of firearm use and safety may afford you additional employment opportunities as a security professional.
- Joining a union of fellow security professionals can be a great way to learn from more experienced peers, or impart your own knowledge to those with less experience.
