Create Your Safety and Security
Resume in 5 Easy Steps

  • Step 1: Add Contact Info

    Heading Resume Slide
  • Step 2: Include Work Experience Details

    Heading Resume Slide
  • Step 3: Provide Education Details

    Heading Resume Slide
  • Step 4: Select Your Skills

    Heading Resume Slide
  • Step 5: Fill in Your Background

    Heading Resume Slide

Build my Resume

Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Safety and Security Resume

Professionally written, category-specific phrases are a great way to catch the attention of hiring managers in the field of safety and security. To help, our certified resume writers have created pre-written, industry-specific text suggestions for your resume. Use them verbatim, or modify them to better fit your experience and qualifications.

Here are four examples of engaging, action-oriented text that LiveCareer’s Resume Builder might recommend for your safety and security resume:

  • Used metal detectors or performed pat-downs and bag searches
  • Triaged problems quickly, providing precise and clear information while working under minimum supervision
  • Provided top-notch protection for traveling public by conducting tests for explosives residue
  • Oversaw team of up to 30 security officers and managed administrative duties, including scheduling and performance evaluations

6 Dos and Don’ts for Writing a Safety and Security Resume

  • Do use data and numbers to highlight your experience. Using data and metrics is a great way to quantify your achievements. Instead of stating that you are a trained police officer, pack a punch by writing that you have “completed a 23-week police officer training program.” Security guards can list metrics about the property they oversee, such as the square footage of the building or the number of occupants they protect.
  • Do study each job posting. Study the job ad to see what qualifications and skills recruiters are seeking. For example, bilingualism may be a requirement for many jobs, such as police officers and correctional officers. If that skill is listed and you’re bilingual, you can give more space to that skill on your resume.
  • Do include a mix of hard and soft skills. Being a security guard requires hard skills and training. However, people in this role must also be strong communicators. Include soft skills like communication, customer service and conflict resolution to your skills section.
  • Don’t include high school information if you have a degree. Many employers find a high school diploma sufficient for police patrol officers, security guards and loss prevention specialists, among others. However, if you have a college degree, do not include high school information on your resume.
  • Don’t use the same type of resume for each stage of your career. Candidates with limited work experience benefit from functional resumes. A police academy trainee should use this format. Meanwhile, a police chief candidate has extensive managerial and work experience. This person should choose a chronological format. Candidates in between these two extremes should explore the combination resume format.
  • Don’t list irrelevant training or certifications. It may be tempting to include a three-day crisis intervention workshop, but this type of training is not equally relevant to all security jobs. It’s helpful for police officers but not so much for freight inspectors.

Beat the ATS With These Safety and Security Resume Skills

An applicant tracking system (ATS) saves employers time and money by scanning resumes for certain phrases and keywords. Those that contain the skills and qualifications outlined in the job ad will rank higher than those that don’t. Skipping the step of studying the job ad and customizing your resume might mean it never gets reviewed by human eyes.

Larger safety and security companies are likely to use an ATS, though some smaller employers will as well. Start with the job posting to get an idea of the terms the company may look for. Additionally, LiveCareer’s Resume Builder suggests ATS-friendly language. Some examples might include the following:

  • Security resource allocation
  • Conflict resolution
  • Weapons screening
  • Verbal communication
  • Daily incident reporting
  • Interviews and interrogations
  • Fraudulent activities investigations

Safety and Security Resumes for Every Professional Level

Entry-Level

School Crossing Guard

Since this applicant has limited work experience, she used a functional resume format to highlight her best assets —– her skills. This type of resume emphasizes abilities over experience. To emphasize her skills, she groups them into three industry-focused categories: communication, safety and relationship-building. A summary statement, list of qualifications and her education are near the top, while her short work history segment rounds out the resume at the bottom. This way, entry-level applicants have the chance to impress hiring managers before their limited job history becomes evident. Build my Resume

Mid-Career

Custom Protection Officer

This applicant who has seven years of experience uses a combination resume format to apply for a safety and security role. In this resume example, the work history section occupies more real estate than in a functional resume because the applicant has much for work experience. In a combination resume format, the skills section is placed right above work history, giving skills and experience equal weight. This balance is what makes combination resumes ideal for mid-career applicants; they allow job seekers to showcase both their career progression and their abilities.   Build my Resume

Executive-Level

Head of Security

This safety and security resume example features a chronological resume format. This format works well for very experienced job seekers since it showcases an impressive career trajectory at a glance. Here, the work history section goes right below the professional summary, giving it prominence, while the skills and education sections serve to round out the resume. Several bullet points throughout include metrics that illuminate the scope of his accomplishments and leadership experience. Build my Resume

More safety-security resume samples

Find resume examples for your desired safety-security career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.

Recommended
Safety and Security Cover Letter

If you find this sample helpful, we have many more safety and security cover letter examples.

Build my Cover Letter

Resume Success Stories

Statistics and Facts About Safety and Security Jobs

Popular Titles

  • Security Managers
  • Security Guards
  • Information Security Analysts
  • Security Management Specialists
  • Retail Loss Prevention Specialists
  • Loss Prevention Managers
  • Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers
  • Police Patrol Officers
  • Correctional Officers and Jailers
  • Freight and Cargo Inspectors

Source: O*NET

Median Hourly and Annual Pay

Security Managers

Hourly51.67%
Annual107480%
060K120K

Information Security Analysts

Hourly47.28%
Annual98350%
060K120K

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers

Hourly22.69%
Annual47190%
025K50K

Correctional Officers and Jailers

Hourly21.31%
Annual44330%
025K50K

Retail Loss Prevention Specialists

Hourly14.77%
Annual30720%
020K40K

Security Guards

Hourly13.70%
Annual28490%
020K40K

Projected Job Growth From 2018 to 2028

Information Security Analysts13.70% much faster than average
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers28490% much faster than average
Security Guards6% average
Freight and Cargo Inspectors6% average
Police Patrol Officers6% average
015K30K
Source: O*Net

Projected Number of Job Openings From 2018 to 2028

Security Guards153800% much faster than average
Police Patrol Officers52900% much faster than average
Information Security Analysts12800% average
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers10500% average
077K154K
Source: O*Net

Typical Education Level

  • Security Managers: Bachelor’s degree
  • Information Security Analysts: Bachelor’s degree or post-baccalaureate certificate
  • Police Patrol Officers: High school diploma, post-secondary certificate or associate degree
  • Freight and Cargo Inspectors: Post-secondary certificate or bachelor’s degree
  • Security Guards: High school diploma
  • Retail Loss Prevention Specialists: High school diploma

Source: O*NET

Diversity

Security Guards & Gaming Surveillance Officers

Female 24.5%

Male 75.5%

Information Security Analysts

Female 20%

Male 80%

Security Guards & Gaming Surveillance Officers

White55.3%
Black31.2%
Asian2.94%
03060

Information Security Analysts

White73.9%
Black12.5%
Asian9.52%
04080
Source: O*Net

As seen in*

brands image

*The names and logos of the companies referred to in this page are all trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically stated otherwise, such references are not intended to imply any affiliation or association with LiveCareer.