I recently came across this post in one of the groups  that I belong to. It’s a response to a new individual from one of the true professionals in the industry, Joe LaSorsa. Joe’s response is 100% spot on and it’s definitely something I thought would be worth sharing with the readers of my blog.  Enjoy.

Hucky

“There are so many individuals out there right now, as the Recession and the economy are hurting all business, to include the E.P. business, who are offering training as an additional avenue for revenue stream.

I suggest you search and review the available courses out there and evaluate the course content and who is offering the course and the credentials of the instructors. So many of these individuals have questionable, vague or nebulous backgrounds and experience. There are courses of all different types, levels and of varying durations and fees. What you have to determine is what is your need to be instructed in and who do you wish to provide you with your training.

Furthermore – a point about firearms and martial arts in our industry: They are great skill sets, but, first and foremost, work in the private sector is done with one or only a few agents and the issue of being armed because almost a non-relevant entity.

This is because your first and foremost concern is your protectee and client. Covering and evacuating your client is your primary concern! So, how does anyone expect that taking on an agitator or a person causing a nuisance to your client or even responding to an assailant can be accomplished effectively when you’re working by yourself or with only one or two other individuals, who may not even be anywhere close to you?

(more…)

By Matt Stiehm Ed.D

Introduction
Leadership is relatively easy term to define but hard skill to find.  Everyone makes claims that they are a good leader, an exceptional leader, however many fail to live up to the hype. A good leader does not need to wear their bravado on their sleeves, they walk the walk and talk the talk.

A good leader makes solid decisions, the right decisions, and those decisions might not seem right to you but they are right, a good leader must make the tough decisions.  Sometimes the leader makes unpopular decisions.

Leadership is defined as “a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in way that makes it more cohesive” (www.nwlink.com).  But how does this affect you as an executive protection specialist?

Career
In your daily career as an executive protection specialist you have a variety of options to protect your client(s).  They trust your training and experience, and ultimately your leadership in finding solutions to any problems that they might encounter.

As your career goes on you might be assigned to lead a team or much larger group or protection specialists.  You are chosen for your ability to understand the job, protect the clients, and to get the other protection professionals to do what is right thing at the right time for the right reasons.

(more…)

By Matt Stiehm Ed.D

Understanding and preparing for the future is key to your career path.  In your career, you conducted key research on which training program to attend.  From there you were provided contact with some initial clients.  At some point in your career you are considered a prime executive protection specialist and can secure clients on a regular basis.

After a successful career your retirement is upon you and hopefully you have saved some money. What happens if a recession hits the country and you cannot secure regular contracts? Or suppose your wife or family is positioned in a dire financial strait, how do you plan to protect your family or your savings?

(more…)

Many individuals trying to break into the Executive Protection field spend years training and networking but fail to recognize that one important (and inexpensive) tool is missing in their arsenal: a professional resume.

Resumes represent an individual’s ability to plan and organize and sell their skills. As they say in marketing; the packaging is key to selling a product. And YOU are the product. We have seen countless resumes that simply don’t pass muster and unfortunately, even if you have skills and/or experience, a poor resume sends a statement that your attention to detail is lacking.

Think about this from a potential employer’s viewpoint for a moment. If you can’t create a strategy to obtain a professional resume—the perception may be that you don’t value the importance of advance work. If you don’t take the time to check for spelling or grammatical errors—it sends a message that you may not be careful to double-check an itinerary or evacuation plan. If you don’t have a strong career objective, employers may feel you are unable to take decisive action. Sloppy margins, inconsistent formatting. . . you get the picture.

Your resume is your first point of contact with potential employers.
Bodyguard Careers can help you to put your best foot forward by working one-on-one with you to create a resume that will increase your chances of landing an interview. We will assess your training, experience and skills to help you prepare a strategy for your career path that starts with your resume and cover letter. We are confident our guidance will increase your chances for success. Learn more by clicking on the BGC CAREER TOOLS tab on our website.

“You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression”

By Hucky Austin

I normally don’t post testimonials, but after having a very challenging week this was just what I needed. Robert, thank you for the kind note.

Mr. Austin, I just wanted to send you a message thanking you for several things, actually. First, it was you that pointed me in the direction of Icon, which after over 2yrs of searching, turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. Second, your advice both on your website and at the course are already proving to be invaluable. I am hoping that both pay off in the very near future. And finally, thank you for being there for people like me who are trying to break into the field. It is refreshing to actually meet someone who is not just in it for themselves. You truly care about this industry and those who want to be in it and it shows in all that you do for us. I hope you still have the card that I gave you and will use it if/when you get down to the Houston area. I’m sure you know that Texas hospitality knows no bounds and I know that all three Texan Alum from this last course would be more than happy to extend to you, anytime. Again, thank you for all that you have done and are doing for the EP world.

Rob Moore