Women in the Security Field

[Dragonfyre024]

As a female security officer who has been in the business for almost 12 years, female officers can be as good as they want to be. There are some male officers who are not accepting of it, still maintaining the mentality that it is a man's job. But some have mentioned that women can be very successful and that is the truth.

I've been promoted myself on a couple of occasions and right now I am in charge of training for approximately 160 officers on a 5200 hour/week account. So the best advice I can offer is just do your job and you shall earn your respect over time.

[CorpSec]

I feel for officers in the warmer climates on day shift. If I lived in a state like Arizona, Nevada, or Florida, I bet I would like nights more than I already do.

Living in Minnesota, I can take the cold far more than I can take the heat.

[james2go30]

Hear ya there.

Even within the same type of security things can be different according to the shifts, In hotel day shifts are completely different from the other 2 shifts.

Yea 1st shift is totally different from 2nd and working 3rd is completely different then 2nd...I know what you mean.

[HotelSecurity]

A thing to keep in mind is that there are a ton of different types of security work. The vast majority of security work around here is in relatively nice office buildings where the most upset person you will ever have to deal with is an executive who is huffy about having to sign in when he/she has forgotten their access card.

A lot of the talk in this forum centers around the more enforcement oriented type of security positions. In a lot of areas, security positions where your employer expects you to engage in any confrontations are the exception, not the rule.

You have to make a determination what type of security work fit in best with your personality, abilities, and aspirations. I worked hospital security for years in my early to mid 20's. I was gung ho and loved the action.

Now, that I am getting into my mid 30's, I am quite content to work a corporate security gig that is centered more on things like privacy legislation compliance and stringent access control.

Even within the same type of security things can be different according to the shifts, In hotel day shifts are completely different from the other 2 shifts.

[CorpSec]

A thing to keep in mind is that there are a ton of different types of security work. The vast majority of security work around here is in relatively nice office buildings where the most upset person you will ever have to deal with is an executive who is huffy about having to sign in when he/she has forgotten their access card.

A lot of the talk in this forum centers around the more enforcement oriented type of security positions. In a lot of areas, security positions where your employer expects you to engage in any confrontations are the exception, not the rule.

You have to make a determination what type of security work fit in best with your personality, abilities, and aspirations. I worked hospital security for years in my early to mid 20's. I was gung ho and loved the action.

Now, that I am getting into my mid 30's, I am quite content to work a corporate security gig that is centered more on things like privacy legislation compliance and stringent access control.

[Miguel]

For any of you with experience working as or around females in the field... are there any significant differences or adjustments that need to be made? Are there different job requirements? Would you say it is perhaps easier or more difficult than being a male in the position? For the men... do you have any complaints about working with women? Do you feel they are treated as equals? I'm really looking for sincere answers here... i'm very curious to know!

Welcome to the forums!

I´ve worked ocasionally with females. Some were good s/o and others not, just like men. I´ve never seen that gender is a big issue in this industry those days. You´ll be judged by your performance, so you don´t have to worry much about anything else. You might find the odd dimwit that tries to give you crap for being a women, but if you´re a good s/o, he´ll soon will be told to STFU.

It´s important as well that you don´t accept ANY type of discrimination if you want to be treated as an equal. I don´t believe in the concept of "affirmative action" and neither will some of your co-workers. There are no "good" and "bad" types of discrimination as far as I´m concerned. So if your boss offers you any type of privilege for just being a woman, refuse it.

Study well the law, get in shape, learn some form of self-defense (Judo or Krav Maga are good options), and get any other sort of training you can. And never forget the most important asset you´ll be protecting is YOUR life.

[N. A. Corbier]

Just curious. As a presumed security professional who should know better, why did you commit these obvious security violations? It doesn't sound from your post like you were being paid to test the security of that building as you say you accidentally went into the wrong building.

If it was a "joke" on this "elderly gentleman" at the desk, I know it's a terrible personality deficiency of mine, but I've never been able to develop much of a sense of humor when it comes to security officers pulling stunts that might very well trigger full-building searches (as this probably should have done) or cause all kinds of other problems for someone. Call me humorless, but IMHO the one kind of stunt that security officers should never pull - on duty or off - are those involving security violations.

Mainly because I was never officially at either building.

[SecTrainer]

In other news, that office building complex was funny. I went into the wrong office building at 11 PM, the elderly officer at the desk was like, "Oh, hellos! What floor?" I was not an authorized visitor, signed my name into the book, and said 6. By the way. The name I signed into the book was Frank Castle.

Figured out it was NOT the right building, left by the stairs. Mr. Castle never signed out that night. He may still roam those halls.

Just curious. As a presumed security professional who should know better, why did you commit these obvious security violations? It doesn't sound from your post like you were being paid to test the security of that building as you say you accidentally went into the wrong building.

If it was a "joke" on this "elderly gentleman" at the desk, I know it's a terrible personality deficiency of mine, but I've never been able to develop much of a sense of humor when it comes to security officers pulling stunts that might very well trigger full-building searches (as this probably should have done) or cause all kinds of other problems for someone. Call me humorless, but IMHO the one kind of stunt that security officers should never pull - on duty or off - are those involving security violations.

[ValleyOne]

looks at N.A. and grins, softly speaking into his ear he states - N.A. nothing personal but ummm you don't have anything better to do then to complain about other peoples writings then you really need to get a life and move along, go become an English teacher or something as that takes no personality, whatever.........laughing

David, I know am one of the newest guys here. But, why don't you stop tossing people dollars here and there to go and buy themselves a sense of humor and save it up yourself. After all, Wal Mart now has meds for $4. Maybe get a refill on yours???

Food for thought...

[T202]

Marchetti, David, M]looks at N.A. and grins, softly speaking into his ear he states[/U] - N.A. nothing personal but ummm you don't have anything better to do then to complain about other peoples writings then you really need to get a life and move along, go become an English teacher or something as that takes no personality, whatever.........laughing

The part about speaking softly in his ear is scaring me. I now have an image in my mind that I can't get rid of.

[davis002]

looks at N.A. and grins, softly speaking into his ear he states - N.A. nothing personal but ummm you don't have anything better to do then to complain about other peoples writings then you really need to get a life and move along, go become an English teacher or something as that takes no personality, whatever.........laughing

More or less, he (along with many others) just complain about you

[james2go30]

Lol

The plot is weak and the characters...I can't connect with them on a personal level...it needs some spice...I know make one of them drug abusing serial killer that has fetish to dress up like a school girl. Might have a best seller then.

[N. A. Corbier]

Looks at you and laughs, I did not dig myself into anything you nimrod. We have a difference of opinion is all on various topics. If I had dug a hole rest assured a body would be in it - grins, my conduct was over the top?, laughing you don't know me too well do you. Dig myself out of what laughing, shaking his head. Whatever chuckles......

You're making my head hurt. Can you please either write in a novella form, or in standard forum posting, and not some strange hybrid of both? Its confusing.

For example, the quoted post would read:

David looks at Davis002 and laughs, "I did not dig myself into anything, you nimrod. We have a difference of opinion is all, on various topics. If I had dug a hole, rest assured a body would be in it." David grins. "My conduct was over the top?" he asks, then laughs. "You don't know me to well, do you?" he asks again. "Dig myself out of what," he says, laughing as he shakes his head. He chuckles, finishing with "Whatever."

[davis002]

Looks at you and laughs, I did not dig myself into anything you nimrod. We have a difference of opinion is all on various topics. If I had dug a hole rest assured a body would be in it - grins, my conduct was over the top?, laughing you don't know me too well do you. Dig myself out of what laughing, shaking his head. Whatever chuckles......

Thanks for proving my point...

[james2go30]

[/QUOTE]
Chick in this pic looks like a chick from this vampire anime I got last week lol.