How to become a bodyguard: By Doc Rogers
Considering a career change from your present line of work, maybe the bodyguard industry is the right fit for you? This article gives 10 powerful thoughts to help make this a reality.

1. Do you have the ability to help others? As a bodyguard you keep your clients out of harm’s way and give them the confidence they need to achieve their business and personal goals securely.

2. Continuously learning. As a professional bodyguard you will be constantly obtaining special knowledge (expertise) from your formal training, on-the-job training and independent study (often at your own cost). You should never stop learning the trade.

3. Appreciation for different cultures.  You will gain an understanding of the world we live and work in, so you can better protect your clients. As a bodyguard you will learn about the cultures and the traditions of the countries you will be operating in as well as the respect for it’s people.

4. Great salary. Bodyguarding is a labor intensive profession. Charge your clients accordingly. You want to avoid having your fees to low or to high. Provide the best quality service at the best price, at a happy medium. As a bodyguard you won’t starve, but you won’t become a millionaire either.

5. Bodyguarding is a rewarding profession. Bodyguards have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their clients. Bodyguards are not only rewarded with money, but also the feeling of fulfillment in keeping their clients safe.

6. Career security. Even with a weak economy bodyguards are still needed worldwide. Bodyguards rarely take pay-cuts; our salaries stay stable even in these tough economic times.

7. Job mobility.  Bodyguards can move to any part of the world and conduct business.  Bodyguarding is an excellent mobile occupation that allows you to live anywhere in the world and there’s a big world out there with lots of opportunities.

8. Prestige and respectability. The respect accorded to trained bodyguards rivals that of law enforcement and the military. Bodyguarding is considered a noblest profession, according to folklore it’s the fifth oldest profession in the world.

9. Client versatility. You have a choice of working with high powered business executives, politicians, superstar athletes, famous entertainers and celebrities, as well as everyday individuals who are under threat.

10. Life long friendships. Bodyguards develop life long friendships with other professionals throughout the world. Some of these friends will become your second family while on the road. This is one of the greatest aspects of the job.

Always keep safe and God speed.
Doc Rogers is the author of Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards and president and CEO of International Corporate Executive Protection Ltd. Doc has earned a Ph.D. in Security Administration from Southwest University and he is SE Asia’s leading expert on executive protection and corporate security. To learn how to make a full time living as a corporate bodyguard visit the websites below for more information.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707
http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927
http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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2. Kick Your Bodyguard Education Up A Notch
3. Bodyguard Services Recession Survival Tips

By Doc Rogers
7 Great Ways to Improve Your Executive Protection Career
Many young EP agents discover that the competition is fierce and a good a EP career is not as easy to acquire as they have expected. When trying to improve your EP career, you should applied the following methods over a period of time; as nothing worthwhile happens overnight. Apply these following improvement tips daily and watch your career takeoff.

1. Love Your EP Career. As bodyguards we wake up each morning  protecting clients from insane or psychotic individuals who prey on the rich, famous and powerful. You’ve got to love your BG career because if you don’t love it, you’re not going to last long in the industry.

2. Read EP Literature. Devote a few hours a day reading EP and related topics to keep up on the latest EP trends, to spark new ideas and to get motivated. Because motivation is what guides and maintains your goal-oriented behavior.

3. Improve Your Physical Appearance. Make an investment in a new suit and tie, quality shoes, hair cut, join a gym to lose weight or bulk up. Remember, these are classified as investments not liabilities.

4. Join BG Associations: Join a professional association to network with other professionals in the business and to attend association workshops and meetings. A highly professional association is the North American Bodyguard Association the National the Director is Mr. Elijah Shaw.

5. Get a BG Career Mentor: Having a BG mentor is invaluable for improving your career. Professional mentors have been there and done that.  They have the experience, connections and know-how to assist you with your BG career improvement goals you wish to accomplish. Mr. Harlan (Hucky) Austin President of Bodyguards Careers has a career consulting program that is fantastic.

6. Email BG Colleagues: Keep in contact with BG colleagues in the industry you have met. If you haven’t stayed in touch, re-establish contact with an email like this: “Wanted to send you this email to say that our friendship is a strong one and you can call on me if needed at any time.” Include your website and contact information. Don’t take up their precious time or ramble on, but do let them know about any recent BG training you have received.

7. Be Results-Driven. To improve your EP career you need to be results-driven and have a mission-oriented mindset. Focus your attention on your shortcomings. Create a training regimen for yourself: advance work studies, basic and advance EP tactics, report writing and contract writing, as well as motorcade dynamics. I hope these seven tips will help you to achieve your BG career goals. Best of luck and God speed.

Related posts:

1. Executive Protection Training
2. “Executive Protection Specialist Careers”
3. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF EXECUTIVE PROTECTION

By Rick Colliver
In my capacity as both a “consumer” of protection services and as a member of several associations seeking to standardize and professionalize the protection industry, I spend my spare time talking to other security professionals, attending conferences and surfing the internet for protection training programs; all in an effort to identify the competent professionals in this business.

By now, most of us agree that protection is a unique career field that we can’t learn about in college, in the police academy, or by watching re-runs of our favorite crime drama. Depending on where we envision our careers going, we should embark on a never-ending pursuit of training and refinement, hopefully from competent and capable instructors. But, how do we find them?

I have often been disheartened when I have been told by school operators (or worse yet, they advertise this on their websites) that “we don’t waste time on theory…we get people out doing the hands-on stuff”.

Are you kidding me? Do you really consider protection theory a “waste of time”? What is it about the protection profession that would make us different from any other profession out there, where we feel comfortable diving into specific techniques without understanding why we’re performing them?

Would you want someone taking your tonsils out after only having watched it done a couple of times by another doctor? Or would you rather your surgeon had several years of graduate level anatomy and physiology supporting their knowledge of “where to cut”?

Would you want someone representing you in a use-of-force case, whose only training in the subject was that s/he had watched another attorney mount a similar defense…or would you rather have an attorney that had learned the ins and outs of the judicial system and had a thorough knowledge of the decisions and precedents that got us where we are today in terms of case law?

More to the point, if the bulk of your protection training is spent interrupting AOP’s while working the ropes, I think you are missing the bigger picture of 1) why did you think you needed a rope line, 2) where were you going to put those ropes and 3) how many protectors did you think you’d need for this? As a client, if I assign a protection mission to you, I need to know that you know what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Recently, I contacted a security provider about setting up a protection detail in a foreign country. The manager’s response was, “How many guys do you want?”

“Isn’t that your job to tell me?” I replied.

“Well…then I think we need about five”. He said.

“For what…you haven’t done the advance yet”? I asked him.

“That’s what we usually use.” He said, somewhat perplexed.

This exchange led me down the path of asking where his personnel received their training, and what kind of training did his team actually receive. The company website boasted that they had the finest, best-trained agents in the known universe, former special forces operators (etc), and I was mildly curious as to what made them the best.

It turned out that each agent received “about” forty hours of training in unarmed combat, evacuation drills and firearms; which included more than 500 rounds on the M-4. When I asked him about training in advance work, threat/vulnerability assessment, operational strategies and etiquette, he merely grunted, “Yeah, they get that too.”

Needless to say, they didn’t get the job (and M-4’s were illegal in the country where we were going). More importantly, it illustrated the type of service a client should expect when they contract with the “hands-on” team that thought that theory was a waste of time. In short, there’s no such thing as the “usual” protection mission, because there’s no such thing as the “usual” threat.

What my research has shown is that protection schools that offer only “hands-on” training are equipping students for reactive rather than proactive roles. Worse, it indicates to a client that this curricular shortcoming may be due to 1) the instructors don’t understand protection theory themselves and/or 2) their training programs don’t have any real academic content. The school owners simply grab a bunch of firearms instructors or martial artists and sell a protection training program built upon reactive skills.

Central to security planning is the ability to understand the nature of threats extant in any given protection scenario. And, usually this can only be accomplished through risk and vulnerability assessment of the Protectee; including their work and residence venues. From these assessments, we construct design-basis-threat (DBT) profiles around which we can develop appropriate security strategies.

This particular assessment methodology was originally developed by Sandia Laboratories ( http://www.sandia.gov/ram/ )  and can be applied to a variety of scenarios/industries, including nuclear, chemical and public utility security programs, to name a few. More importantly, it can be applied to almost any security problem; such as programs for individuals determined to be at-risk due to occupational, environmental or relational exposure to violent acts.

As the Department of Defense tells us, a DBT is the threat against/from which an asset must be protected and upon which the protective system’s design is based. A DBT establishes the objectives of a security system or program; it 1) defines the assets to be protected, and 2) defines the threats to protect those assets against.

The DBT is often reduced to several paragraphs that describe the number of adversaries, their modus operandi, the type of tools and weapons they would use, and the type of events or acts they are willing to commit.

A standard definition of a DBT revolves around four important themes:

•    Insider and/or external adversaries – A potential adversary is any individual or group of individuals deemed to have the intent and/or the capabilities to conduct a malicious act.

•    Malicious acts leading to unacceptable consequences – Steps taken to prevent malicious acts, and protection against unacceptable consequences to protected individuals (intentional and unintentional injury, kidnapping, embarrassment etc).

•    Attributes and characteristics – The attributes and characteristics of potential adversaries describe their capabilities to carry out a malicious act. Capabilities may include weapons, explosives, tools, transportation, insiders and insider collusion, skills, tactics, and number of individuals committed to attack.

These capabilities help determine the detection, delay, and response criteria for design and evaluation of an effective physical protection system (protective intelligence).

•    Design and evaluation – A DBT, which is defined at the facility or personal level, is a tool used to help establish performance requirements for the design of physical protection systems.

A DBT is also used to help Operators and public safety authorities assess the effectiveness of the systems to counter adversaries; by evaluating the systems’ performances against their capabilities described in the DBT.

This assessment process involves not only security personnel, but other departmental leaders from the Protectee’s organization so that threats and responses can be reviewed in a multi-disciplinary setting. This type of approach helps balance our understanding of security problems and prevents consistent under or over-reaction to potential threats.

This assessment methodology is but one tool in the protection specialist’s toolbox to help determine the appropriate application of personnel and equipment to any given protection mission. It helps us build our credibility and perceived contributions to a client’s personal and organizational goals.

Summary

While it doesn’t have the sex appeal that shooting and car-smashing offer, theory is that component of protection training that allows you to sit across the desk from a client and make them feel like you are worthy of their trust and confidence…and their cash.

By understanding and applying protection theory, you are better positioned to adequately protect a client’s interests under a variety of circumstances, without over or under-responding, delivering a security package that keeps them safe without unnecessarily draining their budget or impeding their ability to conduct business.

So, when looking for a protection school, ensure that you select a program that will give you a solid foundation of protection theory so that you can properly analyze existent threats and find appropriate solutions for your clients.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Rick Colliver has served as the global security director for two multi-national corporations with operations in 24 time zones, and has managed protection details in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. He is the course developer and lead instructor in the Principal Protection program at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and is an adjunct instructor in protective operations through several police, military and academic organizations. His book, “Principal Protection; Lessons Learned” will be available in electronic format March 1, 2012.

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Bodyguard job hunting is a job in itself, and there are many ways of going about it. Job agencies, sending out resumes and posting ads are the traditional ways to get a BG and they still work. However, there are more ways to hunt for a bodyguard job. Use the bodyguard job hunter’s checklist below for your assistance.

1. Direct approach; knocking on the door of the corporation you are interested in working for and dropping off your resume personally. This may be done whether they have posted an bodyguard job opening or not.  This is called “cold calling” contacting the corporate bodyguard department or executive protection unit directly to find out if they foresee any upcoming vacancies.

2. Most bodyguard jobs are not advertised; for this reason it is a good idea to send your resume out to corporations at random. There are always hidden BG jobs waiting to be discovered out there.

3. The old standby networking; however I believe it should be done with a new twist. Don’t ask everyone you meet you are looking for a job, first develop a relationship with that persons, let them know what resources and expertise you bring to the table. How you can help them, and not how they can help you. The more people you develop a relationship and know what you bring to the table the more opportunities you will have.

4. Target overseas companies; don’t be afraid to send your resume to overseas corporations if you are not having any luck locally. Make a list of overseas companies in the areas of operation that you would like to work. Call these overseas companies directly to see if they have any bodyguard job openings.

5. Meet directly with bodyguards; put on some professional attire and meet up with bodyguards that you have met on the social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). Again, tell them how you can assist them with their operations locally and overseas. Don’t ask for a job, build a friendship, but do bring your resume for his or her review and for verification of your bodyguard training and experience so they know you are a legitimate professional.

6. Look for temporary bodyguard employment; these type of jobs can be found at boxing, mix martial arts (MMA) events, concerts and cultural entertainment and beauty pageants, anywhere there is a need for bodyguards due to local or international stars, celebrities, VIP’s and famous individuals being in attendance. Obtaining a temporary bodyguard job at one of these events, get your foot in the door, you may be called upon for future work or it can lead to permanent bodyguard position.

I hope this has been of assistance and I wish you all Good Luck on your bodyguard job hunt. Keep safe and God speed.
http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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3. Checklist for Bodyguard Opportunities

By Doc Rogers

As bodyguards we like to believe that most people are generally decent. However, on-duty everyone is suspect. Threats towards your client can occur in the blink of an eye. Criminal motivation is simple: to take from others and often doing harm in the process. Terrorist motivation is more complicated: to cause fear by violence and by causing chaos.

When on bodyguard assignments across the world or in your own city; these groups need to be identified and their activities avoided at all costs. None of these groups have concern for you or your clients’ well-being. Though far from comprehensive this article will assist you in minimizing the criminal and terrorist risks against you and your clients. The basics of bodyguard risk management include:

1. Who is the Enemy.  Ask yourself who is the most likely enemy in your area of operation (criminal, terrorist, or both)?

2. Appraisal and Evaluation.  Study and learn the enemy’s goals and capabilities and what is the most risky action they can utilize against your client.

3. Strategic Planning.  From historical events study the enemy’s strategies and tactics employed. Such as type ambush attacks used, weapons employed, do attacks occurring on roads, tunnels and bridges, etc. (history often repeats itself).

4. Power and Lack of Power.  Identify the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses from recent and/or past significant incidents. This will help you get the broad, overall view, the perspective on the potential risks involved and avoiding them for your clients’ protection.

5. Effective Methods Used.  Know the enemy’s effectiveness when carrying out their activities. Are they well organized or disorganized? Do they try to inflict maximum harm on their victims or just take their possessions with minimum violence?

6. Ability to Move.  Know the enemy’s mobility and movement; do they attack on foot, from automobiles, motorbikes or a combination, what are their normal escape route procedures?

Planning your bodyguard risk management strategies for client safety should be a careful and deliberate process.  As bodyguards we must know our enemies, the risks these so-called enemies’s present to our clients. It’s pretty basic stuff; but having this knowledge has a definite bearing on the bodyguards’ capabilities and the course of action he or she will take for avoidance of such risks. Keep safe my friend and God speed.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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Today, the mobile industry has more choices than ever as the Android and iPhone are being matched in the spotlight. Comparison arises as to which stands out in the mobile world. With that being said, we at Bodyguard Careers are working on a project that will help streamline the executive protection industry. We need your help though, please comment below and tell us what smart phone you are currently using.

Thanks for your cooperation

Hucky

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To be used as a quick review for all road movements during EP assignments:

•    All primary and secondary routes have been checked and mapped.

•    All routes to medical facilities and safe havens have been checked and mapped.

•    The number of motorcade vehicles has been determined.

•    The motorcade formation has been diagrammed and shown to all involved.

•    Police escorts know the primary and secondary routes.

•    Security drivers are to stay with their vehicles as all times.

•    Security drivers are ready for “short notice” moves with vehicle doors unlocked and keys in the ignition.

•    All security drivers have had at least two opportunities to conduct dry runs of primary and secondary routes.

•    There is a security plan in effect for the security of motorcade vehicles during periods of non-use.

•    There is a plan in effect if vehicles in the motorcade become separated.

•    Road construction areas along routes have been documented on the Route Survey Report.

•    All EP agents and security drivers have been issued appropriate radio communication.

•    All motorcade vehicles have a first-aid kit available.

•    Arrangements have been made for motorcade IED sweeps if necessary.

•    Security drivers have been instructed to refuel vehicles at the end of each shift.

•    Choke points or other potential risk sites have been documented on the Route Survey Report.

•    All security drivers and EPS know the security plan in place for possible transportation risks.

This Short and Concise Motorcade Checklist can be reduced in size, laminated and provided to all EPU members and security drivers on assignment for quick review and for consistent procedures. All the best and God speed.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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3. Executive Protection Motorcades – Biggest Cause of Client Risk

By Doc Rogers

You have earned the right to guard clients at the jet-set level on a high-budget detail. The myth is that you don’t have to do much on these types of assignments; don’t believe the hype.

These types of details are far from being glamour jobs and bodyguarding a client with a life in the fast lane lifestyle can be very stressful. You need to keep a level head and understand the complexities involved.

Here are a few simple strategies to help you make smart winning moves on when guarding clients with a reckless, self-indulgent and free-spending sphere of activities:

1. Protection. Maintain a mind-locked mental focus; keep alert and tough-minded even in luxury environments and high-class atmospheres. Don’t get sucked into the client’s extreme jet-set lifestyle.

2. Attention to Detail. Be a facilitator for your client; be superbly competent in contributing powerfully to the client’s ability to avoid headaches, stress, and saving him or her valuable time. Learn to make things move smoothly and productively for your client.

3. Client Service. Make yourself an indispensable bodyguard to your client; handle the client with care and dedication. Be a trusted adviser and the strongest protector of the tribe.

4. Budgetary Restraints. Handle your bodyguard budget in a smart, businesslike manner. Your client has a free-spending and glamorizes lifestyle you don’t. Spend on absolute necessities to assemble and produce the bodyguard assignment requirements. All funds must be accounted for and your must eliminate non-necessary expenses.

5. Health. Avoid the trap of following the clients’ self-indulgent, fast lane lifestyle. Do some heart-pounding, blood-pumping exercise on a regular basis. As a bodyguard you should avoid habits that are damaging to your health or cause physical deterioration.

6. Behavior. No irresponsible behavior. Take criticism well, don’t have a defensive attitude; arrogance in the industry can be deadly to a bodyguard career, so act accordingly.

7. Knowledge. Even on jet-set level details you must increase your knowledge, education and insights. Pursue your education seriously. Always striving to become wiser and better than before. Learn form the best and the brightest in the bodyguard industry, keep abreast of the trade and your ear to the ground.

Now we have taken a closer look at the so-called life in the fast line assignments, we now know that it’s not all that it seems to be. There is lots of pressure under the glare of the client’s attention. The glamour of the job disappears quickly. The path to success is to up your work intensity and push harder. Keep healthy and prosper. God speed.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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The bodyguard industry is not a forgiving place in which to make mistakes; neglect these six recommendations at your own peril.

1. Advance Work: Do your advance work and conduct your country research at all costs. The more prior knowledge you have and the more facts you obtain the better chances you have at keeping your clients safe.

2. Self-Promotion: Bodyguards sell a product; themselves, pure and simple. If no one has ever heard of you, you have no chance to experience the so-called fame and fortune the industry offers. Bodyguards need to be professional and aggressive self-promoters in this day-and-age, because the competition is intense.

3. Luck: In this business there is no such thing as luck. Don’t sit back and hope to get lucky. Put in the time, energy, sweat and grunt-work to prepare to be lucky.

4. Training: In your down-time use these empty hours to train your mind and body. Attend bodyguard classes, advance shooting schools, exercise read industry books, manuals, and trade journals. Pump-up your muscles and brain-cells.

5. Network: Spread your network far and wide. This means making friends with other bodyguards and keeping in touch with people around the world. Having a strong network will determine your professional life. Sure, daily networking is time consuming, but it will expend your bodyguard career and bank account.

6. Tools and Equipment: It is said that a bodyguard is only as effective as the tools and equipment he or she uses. Here are some examples:

A. Resume. Use only quality paper and envelopes when sending out your BG resume to potential prospects. Wrinkled, stained or poorly printed resumes go into “file 13″ (the trash can).

B. Clothing. Wear a quality suit and tie with shoes that are highly polished. You have to look and dress the part to be taken professionally and seriously in this business.

C. Weapons. Carry on the best handguns, knives, batons, etc. Make sure you are trained and licensed to carry that particular weapon.  Only carry factory new weapons with all original parts in one hundred percent condition.  Any weapon you carry must function normally and be fully operable as your clients’ life may depend upon it.

Keep consistent throughout every aspect of your bodyguard career.  Become known as a tough, solid, dependable professional and you will achieve the unimaginable in the bodyguard trade. Keep safe. God speed.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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By Doc Rogers

There are two things in the EP business that you should never do: lie about your experience and lie about your training. If an EP agent does not have the background or skill required for a particular assignment he or she should be honest about it. If its found out that the agent does not have the background or skills he or she pretended to have they will be dismissed from the detail and be replaced.

The agent’s name will be mud in the small EP community and his or her chances of earning a good living in the industry will be difficult. Never say you have done something in the industry or lie about your background; to do so is absolutely unforgivable.

I once interviewed an agent who lied about protecting a certain Hollywood actor, one that was under contract with our company in which the agent did not know about. He was caught in a lie, the word got out and unfortunately his career was damaged.

If golden opportunities come up but you don’t have the required credentials, background, or experience to handle it professionally; you can hire someone with a thorough background and knowledge of the business to manage the assignment on your behalf, but do not lie.

Be completely honest with the prospect client or the EP sub-contractor and yourself. Learn whatever you can about the EP trade, get educated about the business side of things to be better equipped to understand the assignments you may be offered and absorb valuable insights into the workings of the industry.

But, never lie about your qualifications. You may not get that particular EP assignment, you will surely be remembered for your honesty. Keep safe and God speed.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

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