Check your security officer CV against the job advert
Security adverts check your SIA licence first, then your experience in similar sites and how you handle incidents. Make the licence impossible to miss.
Start with your advert
Every security officer advert is different. The list below is what adverts for this job usually ask for, not what yours does. So start with your advert:
- Read the advert and copy out every "must have" or "essential" line, then the "desirable" ones.
- For each one, find the line in your CV that proves it. If you can't point to a line, that's a gap.
- Fill the gap with something true: a duty, a setting, a qualification or a result you really have. If you don't have it, say what you have that's closest, or leave it out.
Our guide to matching your CV to a job description goes through this in more detail.
What security officer adverts usually ask for
SIA licence
Why they askMost security roles need a front-line Security Industry Authority licence of the right type.
How to show itState the licence type and expiry near the top.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- SIA [Security Guarding / Door Supervision / CCTV] licence, valid until [month year].
Site types
Why they askRetail, corporate, events, construction and hospitals differ.
How to show itName the sites.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Security officer at [type of site], covering [access control / patrols / reception].
Patrols, CCTV and access control
Why they askThese are the core tasks.
How to show itList what you did.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Carried out patrols, monitored CCTV and controlled access for [number] staff and visitors.
Incidents and reports
Why they askCalm conflict handling and clear reports are essential.
How to show itDescribe how you handle incidents and record them.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Dealt with [type of incident] calmly and wrote incident reports in [system or logbook].
Vetting and first aid
Why they askMany roles need BS 7858 screening, and first aid helps.
How to show itMention them.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- BS 7858 screened; first aid at work certificate ([year]).
Only use a line if it's true for you. Swap each [gap] for your own detail: the setting, the number, the tool or the result. If you can't fill a gap honestly, cut that part of the line.
Mistakes that cost security officer applications
- Licence type or expiry not stated.
- No sense of the sites or scale.
Questions
Can I list an SIA licence that's being renewed?
Yes, say so: the licence type and that renewal is in progress, with the date applied.