Security officer CV example

Licence first, because it is a legal requirement

The Security Industry Authority licenses people who work in the private security industry in the UK, including security guards, door supervisors and CCTV operators. Anyone hiring you has to confirm that you hold the right licence, and they can check it on the SIA's public register. GOV.UK warns that paying someone to do licensable security work without the right licence can lead to a fine or prison. So the first thing a security manager looks for on your CV is your licence, and if they cannot find it, many will not read on.

Put it in your headline or in a short licences section at the top of the first page. For each licence, give the type exactly as the SIA names it, the expiry date, and "licence number available on request" or the number itself. Types include security guarding, door supervision, public space surveillance (CCTV), close protection, and cash and valuables in transit. A door supervision licence also lets you work as a security guard, so say that if you are applying for guarding roles. If a licence is close to expiry, say that you have applied to renew. The SIA lets you apply four months before your licence runs out.

A complete work history, with no gaps left unexplained

Security is a vetted industry. The National Careers Service notes that you need to pass background checks, and that your personal and work history is looked into before you are licensed. Employers then carry out their own screening, which usually means confirming where you have been over a period of several years. Every unexplained gap on your CV is a question someone has to chase, and it slows your start date.

So list every job, including ones outside security, with start and end dates by month. Fill the gaps in plain words: "Unemployed and job seeking", "Full-time carer for my mother", "Travelling in Ghana", "Studying at college". Keep old non-security jobs short, one line each. Kofi's warehouse job gets a single line, but it is there, and it covers two years that a vetting officer would otherwise ask about.

Describe your sites, not just your duties

"Patrolled premises and monitored CCTV" could describe any security officer in the country. What sets you apart is the type of site and its scale. Retail, corporate offices, hospitals, construction sites, events, warehouses and residential blocks all ask for different things. Give the kind of site, how large it is (staff, footfall, number of cameras or entrances), your shift pattern, and whether you worked alone or in a team.

Incidents and how you handled them

The part of the job employers worry about most is the moment something goes wrong. Show that you stay in control. Pick the incidents that are typical of your sites, such as theft, aggressive customers, medical emergencies, fire alarms, trespass or lost children, and say what you did. You do not need to give names, dates or anything that identifies a member of the public. Say how you de-escalated, who you called and what records you made.

If your evidence has supported police or a prosecution, you can say so in general terms. If you gave first aid, mention your qualification alongside it. Door supervisors and security guards need a current Emergency First Aid at Work qualification before taking their refresher training to renew a licence, so it belongs on your CV with its expiry date.

Report writing, CCTV and the control room

Good reports protect the client, and a manager who has had a case fall apart because of a vague statement will look closely at whether you can write. Mention incident reports, occurrence books, witness statements and handovers. If you have exported CCTV footage as evidence, say that you followed the site's procedure for it, because data protection matters here.

Control room work is a step up from patrols on many sites. If you have done it, give the number of cameras, the systems you used, and how you directed patrol staff by radio. A CCTV licence alongside a guarding or door supervision licence makes you more useful to a contractor, since they can place you on more of their sites.

Moving up to security supervisor

Supervisors run shifts, brief officers, check patrols and paperwork, and deal with the client. Most officers have already done some of that before they get the title. Kofi acts as shift lead when his supervisor is off, so his CV says so, with the team size and what that involves. If you cover briefings, rotas, breaks, key control or client meetings, put them in your current role. Training newer officers and writing site instructions count too. Management qualifications and apprenticeships exist for people moving into supervisor and manager roles, and are worth listing if you have started one.

Length and layout

Two pages is normal for a security officer with a few years behind them, because a complete history takes space. Keep the first page for your licences, profile and most recent roles, and let older jobs run on to the second. Large contractors often receive applications through online systems, so use one column, standard headings and plain text rather than tables or graphics. Leave out your date of birth and a photo; your licence already proves you are over 18.

Security officer pay and hours

The National Careers Service gives average pay for security officers of £20,000 for a starter and £35,000 when experienced, usually for 37 to 48 hours a week on shifts that include evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Supervisory posts, control room work and specialist roles such as close protection sit towards the top of that range or above it.