The safety and security industry offers some of the most rewarding professions in the job market. Security workers are trained to handle situations that endanger people or property, making them essential to nearly every organization. As one would expect, jobs in this sector call for very high levels of skills and accountability.

Unpredictable situations are hallmarks of a security officer’s job, so it stands to reason that the situations they encounter don’t necessarily have the textbook solutions taught in training. Technical knowledge and occupational skills are undoubtedly required. But to be successful in this field, one would need other qualities that we refer to as soft skills.

Soft skills are non-technical and transferable skills that characterize a person’s traits and attitude in the workplace. Employees who demonstrate an excellent combination of hard and soft skills see greater demand for their services. It’s great to be well-rounded, but some soft skills are more valued in the security sector than others, and these are as follows:

1. Communication and interpersonal skills

This skillset spans a range of people skills, including effective communication, team collaboration, and active listening. They reflect the security personnel’s ability to serve their client’s needs and communicate with their customers. A good hand at effective communication helps security officers defuse situations and de-escalate scenarios that would otherwise lead to complicated problems.

Interpersonal skills also comprise teamwork, which is the ability to collaborate and cultivate professional relationships with coworkers – this allows the pursuit of shared goals without the inevitable clash of personalities.

2. Monitoring skills and attention to detail

Good observation and surveillance skills are pretty much self-evident in this profession. After all, security concerns can arise at any time, and the security worker’s inability to stay focused may endanger the well-being of the people or things they are safeguarding. Thus, security personnel need to be constantly attentive and assess what’s going on around them.

Security workers discern problems and analyze situations that can potentially occur, and then figure out how to address them. This requires a fair deal of problem-solving skills, which leads us to our next point.

3. Problem-solving and conflict resolution

Security officers use logic and reasoning that lead them to the best approach or the right decisions. They analyze situations, collate information, and apply the best solutions given the circumstances. However, some problems need to be dealt with quickly, so they should be able to think on their feet and act decisively, even under pressure.

Emotional control is an essential factor since they deal with charged situations, so they need to remain objective and calm.

4. Personal responsibility and integrity

This is perhaps the most underrated soft skill and yet the one that brings home the point that soft skills mostly have to do with who people are instead of what they know. In other words, soft skills are a measure of a person’s character.

Security officers protect their employers and clients from untrustworthy people, so it follows that they must be dependable and trustworthy themselves. They have a sense of responsibility, meaning they take ownership of their work and do it to the highest standards, sometimes even going beyond their assigned duties to fulfil their mandate.

Conclusion

Hard skills help you get the job, but soft skills help you succeed in it. It’s essential to find the right balance as it’s equally critical to not lag behind in education and training. Enrol now in a course for security in Singapore to help you get ahead in your dream career as a security officer.