Bodyguard Careers
Bodyguard Careers is an informational site with the purpose of providing bodyguards with all the information and tools necessary to succeed in the executive protection industry.
Mayor Dave Bing’s bodyguard is being treated for a knee injury after a fall at the Manoogian Mansion today in Detroit. Mayor spokeswoman Naomi Patton, said the executive protection agent was taken by ambulance to a local hospital between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. She did not know the extent of the injury, but said he remained at the hospital this morning. Patton also stated that the mayor was not involved in the incident
By Doc Rogers
This article will assist bodyguards to understand the commercial side of the business and give them some common sense suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victim of potential unethical business practices in the industry.
Contract: The bodyguard and client should agree to and sign a contract before each assignment. They must ensure that procedures are inplace to guarantee that the contract is up-held by both the client and the bodyguard and that all payments agreed upon are made.
Attorney: Hire an attorney to write you a professional contract. Don’t use a client’s contact because most contracts that clients provide are not very good for the bodyguard. Use an attorney to write up the contract in your favor. Retaining the services of a good business attorney is not cheap and should be viewed as an investment. They protect the interests of bodyguards. One of the most important aspects of the contract is to ensure the bodyguard gets paid what he agreed upon with the client before he starts a bodyguard assignment. Be smart hire an attorney to safe guard your interests and ensure that everything is legal and absolutely clear prior to entering into a contract with clients.
Independent Contractor: Many firms retain bodyguards under exclusive contracts. These contracts can range from one day to multi-year professional relationships. However, the majority of service contracts with independent bodyguard contractors are for a one year term. Payments for bodyguard services are usually made by weekly installments consistent with the bodyguard firm’s regular payment procedures. If you hire independent contracts let them know up front that they will be paid $XX base salary, which will be paid weekly, in the amount of $XX.XX.
Bodyguard Recruitment: If you are a bodyguard businessman you must ensure you retain only highly trained and motivated independent bodyguard contractors, whose compensation is tied to the revenue that they help generate on bodyguard assignments. As a bodyguard businessman you must continually seek to identify, recruit and develop additional independent bodyguard contractors for your business.
Sub-Contractor: Nowadays being a sub-contractor is the norm in the bodyguard world. The danger arises when the bodyguard sub-contracts unknowingly with a fly-by-night security company. These types of security firms give checks to bodyguards knowing they have insufficient funds to pay for professional services rendered. If sub-contracting with a newer security firm, make sure the contractor has placed enough money up front before the assignment starts to insure that all the bodyguards get paid.
Workers’ Compensation: Bodyguard who work as independent contractors need to realize that in the event of physical injury arising from professional activities they are not entitled to any workers’ compensation coverage or similar benefits for injury, disability, death or loss of wages. The bodyguard can’t make any claim against the bodyguard firm for such coverage or benefit. It would be a wise move to get independent contractors’ health care coverage from your local your health care provider.
Pay Make sure you get paid as much as possible for your professional services; get paid what you are worth. Hopefully you’ll hold onto some of the cash you’ve earned after your short bodyguard career is over. You don’t often hear of the sad stories of well-respected bodyguards of yesteryear now living in trailer parks on government subsistence. But it’s a gloomy reality for some. This is a cautionary tale; don’t squander away all your money and sound financial planning is the order of the day. In the bodyguard trade there’s only a small window of economic opportunity; save as much as possible when you are in the prime of your bodyguard career. Keep safe and God speed.
Doc Rogers has been the “Go To” person for executive protection and secure executive ground transportation in Southeast Asia, India and Pakistan since 1991. Visit www.icepltd.com for more information.
Course Details
Wednesday May 9th – Sunday 13th 2012
Hosted at the Target Center in Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cost; $995.00 (includes EPG Polo shirt, Certification)
Course Overview
A quick internet search using the words, “Executive Protection Training” reveals a number of courses that are available for about $500 dollars a day. Add this to the air fare, meals and lodging and you have easily spent thousands of dollars to attend this type of training. The websites that offer this training look slick, with professional rotating pictures of limousines, private jets, yachts, limos and guys with guns. It is testosterone heaven.
As you click through the tabs you see all the services that are offered: Personal Protection, Witness Protection, Dignitary Protection, Investigations of all types, and a multitude of courses that are offered; from VIP/Celebrity Protection to Handling Hostage Rescues. And, if you register for a course now, you get a 10% discount on your next outrageously priced course!
With all of these great pictures and all these services that are offered, they must be legitimate and professional, right? Many of these websites are more like the Wizard of Oz than the Fantastic Four; because what lies behind the curtain is often a big disappointment.
EPG Security Group’s “Small Team Operators Program” or “S.T.O.P” is specifically designed to meet the needs of the security professional that work alone or as part of a small team (2-3 agents). As a solo or small team operator, 95% of your role will be planning and preparation.
You will be engaged in providing logistical planning, advance site visits, route preparations, threat mitigation as well as interacting with vendors and 3rd party associates while at the same time trying to accomplish your main objective; KEEPING
YOUR CLIENT SAFE.
Executive Protection is much different in reality than what you have seen in the media or in the movies. This type of work is an art form that requires specialized training and incredible awareness. We designed “S.T.O.P” with several goals in mind.
• Held at the prestigious Target Center in Downtown Minneapolis. You will have full access to one of the premier venues in professional sports, giving you real world experience.
• The course is certified and affordable to those men and women who have an interest in Executive Protection.
• The course will provide the basic principles of Executive Protection; all grounded in a legal framework. Yet, the course goes well-beyond basic techniques to provide a unique learning experience for veteran protection agents as well. S.T.O.P puts the student into the position of the protection/security administrator for a major event. As such, the student will learn all aspects of the protection function.
• The course will provide a high degree of real-life application and experience in the field for the student, along with related testing and accountability; raising the credibility and value of certification upon successful completion.
S.T.O.P is a highly-interactive course, written by professionals who have real-life experience in working, planning and coordinating protection details throughout the world.
Register for the course; www.epgsecuritygroup.com
By Doc Rogers
Although we may be called bodyguards we utilize our mind more often on the job for client protection than actual physical action. As professional executive protection specialist we need rational judgment and intelligent to be “a thinking man’s protection specialist. Here are some recommendations to achieve this goal.
1. Remain cool under pressure and always businesslike.
2. Realize the value of your experience; be willing to give advice to the team. Be a ready point of contact.
3. Assemble a team of well trained, organized, and equipped BGs for your mission.
4. Employ BG tactics that suits your means and operational area. Become a master of the basic BG techniques and procedures.
5. BG operations should be planned in detail and based upon careful reconnaissance and up-to-date intelligence.
6. No route or venue is one hundred percent secure therefore; precautionary measures must always be taken in advance and security must be maintained at all times.
7. The use of motorcade route maps showing the location of chokepoints in an area is a valuable aid in motorcade planning therefore; make a detailed motorcade route map study.
8. Brief and rehearse all BGs on their individual responsibilities and duties at arrival and departure points as well as in the event of ambush.
9. Keep cautious of people watching your BG team, attempting to predict the movements or activities of your client. Stay alert and vary BG formations.
10. While on BG assignments keep vigilant and ready to react with your BG skills.
11. You are responsible for your official BG and personal actions. Keep discreet; do not attract attention by rude or unusual behavior. Reflect upon yourself and the BG team with respect at all times.
Stay focused, positive and take action. Visualize goals daily and strive to become a top-notch BG and a capable operator. Your success will ultimately depend on the effectiveness training, determination and the proper use of the mind. Keep safe and God speed.
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
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx-lm2rOQEw&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
For those of you who could not make it to the EPIC 30th Annual Executive Protection Institute (EPI) conference in Orlando Florida., here’s a video snapshot.
There was exciting educational sessions with well known speakers, social networking, and it finish with a Black Tie Awards Dinner, we had a great time!