Your resume is your first chance to make a strong impression on employers. A clear, professional CV shows you’re serious about the role and boosts your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.
This guide will walk you through each step of writing a standout security guard CV to help you highlight relevant skills and stand out from the competition.
1. Choose a Template
Visually, your CV should be clean, organized, and easy to read. Rather than starting from scratch, you can opt out for a ready-made template that you can fill in your own information.
You can find hundreds of free CV templates on Canva, Microsoft, and resume.io, among other sites.
For security guards, we recommend a template that uses bold headings, simple fonts, a neutral color scheme, and dedicated skills sections.
Here are a few examples:
After choosing a template, customize it by replacing the text with your own information and identify which sections work best for your specific case.
2. Write a Summary
For most CVs, you’ll have space to write a personal summary.
Here, your goal is to briefly highlight your key qualifications, experience, and skills to grab the employer’s attention.
Stick to a few sentences and be specific to the role you’re applying for.
When applying to security guard roles, your summary may be along the lines of:
Dedicated and vigilant security guard with five years of experience in surveillance, access control, and emergency response. Skilled in monitoring CCTV systems, performing routine patrols, and de-escalating conflicts to ensure a safe and secure environment. Keen to leverage previous expertise in security to contribute to a reliable and professional team.
If you’re applying for your first role as a security guard, you won’t have previous work experience to refer to. Instead, highlight transferable skills, relevant training, and personal qualities that make you a strong candidate.
For example:
Motivated and reliable individual seeking a security guard role to utilize observational abilities and commitment to maintaining safety. Strong communication and conflict resolution skills from prior call center experience, with a keen interest in securing and monitoring diverse environments.
3. Add Education and Work History
After the summary, list your most education and work experience.
If you don’t have experience in the security industry, still include past roles and, again, focus on highlighting skills that could be valuable in a security position.
For instance, if you worked in retail or customer service, emphasize your ability to handle difficult situations, assist customers, and maintain a calm demeanor under pressure.
Example
Customer Service Assistant
[Company Name], June 2021 – August 2023
- Assisted customers with inquiries and resolved complaints, ensuring a positive shopping experience.
- Managed high-pressure situations during busy hours, remaining calm and efficient.
- Maintained store security by monitoring entry points and reporting suspicious activity.
Include start and end dates for job roles and when you finished any education. Always list dates in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent.
Guard Training Tip: Don’t fluff your CV with too much work history. Roles from years ago that aren’t relevant to security or don’t showcase transferable skills can be left out. Keep your CV focused and concise.
4. Highlight Skills
The skills section in your resume is an opportunity to showcase your strengths and help you stand out from other candidates.
If you’ve had previous security guard roles, include any specific skills you gained, such as report writing, emergency response, and conflict resolution, along with a brief description.
Example
Conflict Resolution: Experience de-escalating tense situations and resolving conflicts peacefully to protect the surrounding property and individuals.
Team Collaboration: Proven experience working in a security team to effectively monitor a location and coordinate actions during emergencies.
For those who have not developed any relevant skills to include here, you can consider investing in online security guard training courses. Expand your knowledge and gain skills that are directly applicable to the security field.
At Guard Training, we offer licensed courses that cover essential security guard skills, including:
- Public Relations
- Observation
- Communication
- Liability
- Evacuation Procedures
- Arrests & Searches
- Chemical Agents
- Driver Safety
- Supervision
- Radio Procedures
You can work through any of these courses, and many more, during your free time. With detailed explanations, scenarios, and a final test, these courses are designed to provide key information, tips, and best practices.
Once you’ve completed a course, make sure you highlight it in your resume.
Our courses are also helpful for guards who already have work experience.
Despite already working within the industry, you may still be struggling to find a new job as a security guard. If so, you can invest in these courses to update your knowledge, refresh your skills, and gain a competitive edge in the job market.
For all applicants, completing online training demonstrates to potential employers that you’re committed to investing in your career as a security guard, making you a more appealing candidate.
5. Include Certifications and Other Achievements
You’ll receive a certificate when you complete any of our guard training courses. This, and any other certifications, should be referenced in your CV, usually at the end.
Provide the certificate name, issuing organization, and the date obtained.
Example
Certifications
Officer Safety Online Course, Guard Training, September 2024
CPR and First Aid Certification, American Red Cross, February 2024
Only include certifications relevant to the position you’re applying for, and if you have more than a couple, prioritize the most recently earned ones.
Additional achievements can also be listed at the bottom of your security guard CV – employee of the month awards, examples of volunteering, or measurable results from your actions in previous roles.
6. Proofread and Download
After writing out your CV, proofread it a few times to fix any spelling, grammatical, or formatting mistakes.
Finally, save your resume and download it. We suggest downloading it as a PDF, as this format ensures the document looks the same to all recipients.
Now, you have a polished security guard CV ready to be sent to employers.
Guard Training Tip: Prepare for the next step in the hiring process by rehearsing answers to common security guard interview questions.
Security Guard CV Tips
Here are some additional tips for when writing and formatting your resume.
- Use a professional font like Arial, Cambria, and Garamond, sized between 10 and 12 points.
- Avoid using any pronouns (first and third).
- Stick to an impersonal and formal tone.
- Leave plenty of whitespace to help readability.
- Ensure consistent formatting for dates, company names, and job titles.
- Stick to one or two pages, skip any unnecessary or outdated information.
Stand Out as a Security Guard Applicant With Online Training
Spending time carefully writing your resume will give you a helpful boost when applying for roles.
If you’re still not invited to interviews, review your CV again to double-check for errors. It also helps to get a friend or family member to read through it for you.
Finally, landing a good role can take time. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not hearing back from recruiters.
Just keep working on your skills, refining your resume, and completing any additional training through online courses whenever you can. Good luck!