Jobs

Best Reasons to Become a Security Guard Today there are a lot of different job options out there. However, one that you might not have considered is the job of a security guard. Many businesses need security, including: local businesses, casinos, hospitals, banks, bars, airports, stores, retirement homes, and more. Hiring security guards to help protect their assets can be very important when these businesses have thousands of dollars of equipment or product at their location. Depending on what type of business you end up working with you will have a wide variety of tasks as a security guard. This is why it is important to be familiar with both local and state security regulations and laws.  Being a security guard can be a very fulfilling position to work as. Here are some of the top reasons that you might want to consider training to be a security guard.   1. Low barrier of entry: one of the best things about getting a job as a security guard is that it does not take long to complete the necessary training. Instead of years of education you will simply need to complete an 8 or 16 hour course about basic security. There are more options as you go along for training to increase your pay; but the fact that you can start right away is great.  2. Good stepping stone to future career: once you have secured your position as a security guard you can use it to advance your career. Whether you plan for a job in law enforcement or are simply using it as a quick job to get in order to pay your way through college, being a security guard is a fun and fulfilling job. 3. Responsibility with little supervision: it is your job to protect the business that you are assigned to. More than likely you will not have a supervisor around throughout your shift. So if you like to be personally accountable for the work that you do then a security guard position would be perfect for you. 4. You get to protect people and property: beyond the obvious benefits of the job as a security guard you are also responsible for protecting the people and property of your company. This means that you can take pride in your work and in the knowledge that people are depending on you. Satisfaction at work will make your career much more enjoyable. 5. Security experience is a dependable fallback option: no matter what you decide to do with your life you will always have your experience as a security guard to depend on. At any point you can easily renew your security license and get a job. It is a skill that you will keep for the rest of your life.  According to Jackie Paulson, a Chicago area security officer “It’s [security guard] a great stepping stone job to get to where you want to go in your career.” So what do you think? Is security guard the job for you? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Last week, 46 U.S. veterans graduated from a trade school program in San Diego with not just a diploma in hand, but jobs awaiting them in advanced manufacturing. The newly minted CNC machinists, CAD/CAM programmers and welders made up the largest graduating class yet at Workshops for Warriors, a nonprofit that provides a free 16-month training program in welding and fabrication for veterans transitioning into civilian life. Graduates are placed at manufacturing companies large and small--many of them right in San Diego, a manufacturing hub where their skills are in high demand. RELATED How Veterans Get the Job Done in ManufacturingFord Partners with Girls Who Code on STE Since its founding, Workshops for Warriors has placed all of its graduates in jobs with starting salaries typically around $50,000. Even those who complete only part of the program often land skilled jobs that pay a living wage, says founder Hernàn Luis y Prado, a veteran himself. Prado served 15 years in the Navy, with combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Seeing more of his fellow service members “die of suicide and drugs in San Diego … than bombs and bullets in Baghdad” compelled him to start the organization in 2008. “If we want to help veterans, we need to have a secure civilian path that they can be trained into,” Prado said in a statement on the organization's website. Most students in the program are post 9/11 veterans, ranging in age from 22 to 35 and transitioning out of the armed forces sooner than they expected due to military drawdowns or major injuries. In San Diego alone, more than 40,000 veterans transition out of service each year. Students can earn credentials from industry organizations including the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Mastercam University (computer-aided manufacturing), SolidWorks (computer-aided design) and the American Welding Society.  Since 2011, 238 veterans have been trained on-site in the program, receiving close to 600 third-party nationally recognized credentials.   Workshop for Warriors’ next 16-month session begins January 4. Students choose either the welding or machining track, training on a long list of up-to-date equipment. Courses include computer-aided design, machinery repair and maintenance, CNC and manual machining and turning, and welding and fabrication.