Most of us in the working world have always assumed that after a certain age, it is a “reward” for many long years of work to retire. The vision of retirement that many people ascribe to is dropping out of the “rat-race,”
and lying on a beach in the Caribbean doing nothing. Well, that might be interesting and even fun for a little while, but the reality is that it will probably get old quickly.
We need to be busy. People thrive on creative thinking, social interaction, and making plans to get things done. Individuals in the Executive Protection business may have shorter careers in the field–depending upon their mental and physical fortitude. A well-seasoned EPS is extremely employable, but (especially in the celebrity work) the assignments when you’re 45 are not as appealing as they may be to an individual in his/her 20’s.
An EPS with a family finds that priorities change…so it is important to remember when you are young and single, making the big dollars (assuming you’ve worked your way up in this industry to earn the big dollars) that this career won’t stretch on forever. Put away some money for the future. That way, when you reach an age where either by choice or because of diminishing skills you decide to transition out of the field, you can do so with less financial stress. A good number of people in Executive Protection switch gears and take part-time security guard details, or manage security teams. They may do undercover work for department stores, or they may decide to become consultants for the industry.
I think it’s important to think about the future, and to understand that there is a limit to the amount of time a bodyguard will be able to perform at peak capacity. And just like any job, you may find that your passion for it subsides, and in this line of work, the moment you stop really enjoying it, is the time to leave it.
This is a very important thread. Many people that I speak to want to get into the industry because they believe that it is all about the quick big bucks. I am in it for the field within itself. Not everyone is cut out for this work. What happens if you get hurt? What happens if a family member gets sick? All these things have to be taken into to consideration before one gets into the field. Thanks for this post Hucky. You always place things in its proper perspective.