Multiple times a month, I get requests from Police Officers looking to transition into private Executive Protection (EP). Here are some of the questions I receive:
- What courses should I do?
- Who should I speak with?
- Where do I start?
- What roles are there?
- What’s the most important thing I need to know?
- When’s the right time to make the leap?
Mistakenly, often the uninformed think it is going to be easy and that when they leave policing, the magical job fairy will be handing them positions. The reality is that it is an outrageously competitive market, and the opportunities are limited.
While people with policing backgrounds have some extremely valuable and applicable abilities, those alone are rarely enough to succeed. Here is my advice to Police Officers looking to transition into private EP.
Executive Protection Awareness & Self-Reflection
While there are many transferable skills from policing to executive protection, the most important aspect for someone making the leap is making sure they know what they are getting into and are prepared to do what it takes to be effective. Being a Protector is an excellent career and has lots of perks, like being part of a noble cause, being a solo and autonomous agent, or working as part of a specialized team. For some, it also involves travelling to some exotic and exquisite places. It can be very rewarding on many levels, including financially.
That’s the good; now for the ugly. If you have never worked in EP, then you may not fully know the negative aspects of the job. As a trainer on a government team, new agents would often ask me early on, “Hey, how am I doing?”. My response was always polite and kind (as that is my standard as a Canadian). “You’re doing fine, but the real test of your quality comes at around the one-year mark and beyond.
The measure of excellence that I expect from you is that you are still maintaining a high standard and putting in all this effort when you are past the honeymoon phase, and no one is watching you”. This is because EP work is not flashy or altogether that fun, exciting, or as romantic as some make it out to be. For those still reading, if that’s what you’re looking for, then you will be very disappointed, and your quality of work will suffer.
EP work is a profession like any other, based on providing a service to someone or something beyond yourself. It requires significant effort, with results that are not always obvious or glamorous. It is protective planning, diligent logistics, long hours, and extensive time on the road, often with little sleep, no food, and limited control of your schedule (yes, that sometimes includes when nature is calling). You are also not able to share your experiences, so don’t be looking for accolades or fame. For Police Officers, some of that may sound familiar to your current role, and if that’s for you in retirement, then keep reading.
Prepare for Your Departure Early
Whether you are retiring or just planning to leave policing, the biggest suggestion I can make is to start planning and preparing your departure as early as possible before the end of your career. This should occur a minimum of one to two years before you leave your agency, but ideally up to five years out. This will help ensure a smooth and effective transition into the private sector. Years ago, you could leave policing and walk into a specialized protection role like EP with little effort. The reality is that today, the field is highly competitive and requires specialized abilities. Some of which are obtained in policing while others rarely are. That is, unless you were in a full-time EP role in your agency, with exposure to VIPs and not just high-profile witnesses or prisoners (a common close protection assignment in policing for tactical teams or other specialized units).
With that said, policing offers many transferable human skills like effective communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and performance under pressure, or technical skills like managing violence, driving, and crisis intervention. However, those individual skills are not enough, and the EP professional of today requires more specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. A former police officer may also require a mindset shift from moving to the fight to getting someone away from it as safely and quickly as possible. For someone who has trained a lot of EP professionals, this is something I find many police officers struggle with, especially at the early stages of learning this new role.
Get Started with a Specific Goal
Once you’ve decided EP is your plan after policing, the first thing you should do is identify what type of EP work you want to do.
Do you want:
- To work for a corporate client,
- A celebrity,
- An Ultra High Net Worth individual, or
- Be an independent contractor with your own business?
All of these are great options but have different risks, needs, and pathways to success. You should also consider where you want to work. Your base location is a big part of EP work, as some places are abundant with opportunity and others are not. If location is critical to your plans, then that deciding factor may influence the type of EP work you are able to do and the efforts you undertake.
Build a Professional Network
Once you’ve decided what and where, the next step is putting in the work to set yourself up for success before you leave your agency. The best way to do this is by connecting with professionals in the region and the EP sector you want to work in. As a police officer, you use your ability to talk to people to solve problems, obtain intelligence, and conduct investigations. As an aspiring EP practitioner, you will use those same skills to connect with industry leaders who can provide the necessary mentoring and coaching to support your transition. A quality network should also be able to help connect you to employment opportunities if you measure up to their standards. Remember, if they recommend you to others, their reputation is connected to your conduct and performance.
To get started, build yourself a professional LinkedIn profile, making sure not to breach your agency’s social media policies or acceptable cultural practices. Next, start connecting with or following EP industry leaders, joining professional groups, and reading EP-specific content (drop a like, share, or professional comment in there for best results). If you need help with LinkedIn, check out this article.
While the digital realm is effective, you’ll also need to conduct your networking efforts in person. It’s like the difference between getting some intel from a tip line or bulletin as opposed to a direct street contact. The in-person source is often going to be more valuable, but be cautious, as it is based solely on their experience. Like all good intel, it’s best to have multiple credible sources, which is equally applicable when building an EP network and obtaining advice to develop your portfolio.
I cannot stress the value of networking enough. In the final two to five years in your police agency, you should be seeking out as many opportunities to network as possible. Some of the best results will come from attending EP industry activities like conferences, focused networking events, training courses, and yes, even online efforts (if done right).
Some great organizations for events to look at are:
- Your local ASIS Chapter,
- The International Protective Security Board,
- The Board of Executive Protection Professionals,
- CTG Intelligence,
Smaller or more locally focused events are also extremely valuable, like the ones run by EP Mixer, SpecVIP Protection Group (yes, I’m plugging my company) or the Texas Executive Protection Professionals group. Look to attend as many of these events as your schedule and budget will allow, but at least one event in every quarter.
Also, don’t be afraid to attend networking events put on by local EP training providers. Yes, they are trying to promote their training. However, the great ones do it for more than just financial benefit. They truly want to help you succeed. Training companies with strong moral values and a good business sense are usually quite successful. These industry leaders and the professionals they surround themselves with are worth their weight in gold. Gold in the form of knowledge, experience, exposure, and potentially opportunities for you
Remember this common saying in EP: “Your network is your net worth”.
Continuous Assessment & Deliberate Effort
As you build your network and learn more about EP, you will need to continuously assess your abilities and strengths but also seek to fill gaps in your portfolio. Your resume or CV is a very effective tool for professional assessment. In fact, it’s probably more effective for professional gap analysis than for its intended purpose since so many private EP jobs occur outside of traditional hiring practices (do you see the value of your network here?). I strongly recommend reviewing your resume on a regular basis and using it to guide your development efforts. I also recommend sharing it with EP industry leaders who are willing to give you advice on the document and, more importantly, on areas to focus your development efforts.
Author’s Note & Pro Tip: To take my own advice, a draft of this article was shared with multiple successful practitioners who have transitioned from policing to private EP. Their feedback was invaluable and greatly enhanced the content. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and make sure you take the advice of successful professionals.
Specialized EP Training
One of the most important elements you will need in your portfolio is specific training in EP. You must understand the fundamental knowledge and skills required in EP. If you pick the right training company, you will also be able to double your efforts by getting exposure to professional networks who will get to see what you are capable of. As a bonus tip, attend as many EP training programs as possible in diverse protection networks to maximize your exposure and potential results (while getting diverse perspectives of the fundamentals as well).
EP training recommendations should be one of the most important pieces of advice you get from your mentors, but recognize they likely have a bias toward training programs they have attended or are connected to. That bias is ok if it helps you, but you must decide what is best for you. Just remember, not all training programs are created equal, and not all will provide you with what you need. You are your own career manager and training coordinator. Choose wisely, as there are many great marketers out there but few professional training providers.
Do not underestimate the need for specialized EP training. As a bare minimum, you must have extensive knowledge and skill in advanced work, risk assessments, providing close protection, secure transportation, surveillance awareness, reaction to attack, medical intervention, and so many other nuances for working with and protecting VIPs.
As a police officer, it does not matter how many other skills you bring to the equation. If you are missing these unique fundamentals that are often counterintuitive to policing, you will be ineffective in EP operations and have a very short EP career. Trust me, I’ve seen it all too often where a police officer enters the industry with no specific EP abilities, drops the ball on a protective assignment, and quickly finds themselves on the “don’t call back list”. Do not take the specialized training for granted. Start developing the skills well before you leave your police agency. Even if your agency offers that specialized training, plan to take courses privately as well. This way, you can learn the differences in the private sector and gain access to those networks.
I would also suggest some refresher training in communication, de-escalation, or negotiation skills, with an emphasis on influence-based outcomes. A career in policing gives you some amazing skills, but it also comes with abilities, tools, and other resources to force compliance when required. Private EP rarely, if ever, has that luxury. Abilities in influence and service will take you further than most other skills you have. Making a shift toward persuasion versus enforcement in both development and mindset is critical to success in EP. Another great way to prepare for this ability is through leadership training and experience. There are so many correlations between leading people and EP that I would highly recommend pursuing those opportunities to add to your portfolio. Just make sure this isn’t the only thing you do and that it supplements your specialized EP training.
If you like checklists, here are the abilities you MUST have in your EP portfolio and where to focus your training efforts to be successful:
- Executive Protection (or Close Protection) Fundamentals
- Advanced Professional Driving
- Reasonable Use of Force & Managing Violence (unarmed and, if applicable, armed)
- First Aid or Medical Interventions
- Risk Management
- Surveillance Awareness, Detection & Response
- Emotional Intelligence
- Customer Service, Communication & De-escalation
- Ethical Judgement, Decision Making & Problem Solving
- Operational Planning & Logistics
- Protective Intelligence
- Travel Risk Assessment, Planning, & Protection Operations
- Behavioural Threat Recognition
- EP Specific Career Success Concepts
- Business Acumen & Language
- Cultural Awareness & Etiquette
- Cyber Security & Evolving Technology
Wow, that’s a daunting list. Don’t worry; depending on what you did in your policing career, you likely have general knowledge and abilities in many of those areas. So, start with an EP/CP fundamentals course, then reassess your abilities, and work incrementally to fill the gaps. Maybe you can address some of them before you retire. Have you figured out your posting or assignment for the last 3-5 years of your career (if you’re fortunate to have diverse areas and a say in rotating portfolios in your agency)? That might be a great place to build some new skills and experience before changing careers.
Be Humble & Seek Variety
As you embark on this transition, it may be tempting to stay in your comfort zone of police or public sector contacts. While this may be beneficial at first, if you continue down a comfortable path, you risk missing out on valuable lessons. When I started my business, my goal was to use what I learned in the public sector to help others. While I was able to do that, I frequently found myself crossing paths with people who did not share the same background. These are folks who had zero public sector experience but were extremely capable and successful. The more I associated with these folks, the more I learned from them while they learned from me. Do not limit your efforts to typical audiences or development opportunities, and seek to gain as much relevant variety in your portfolio as possible.
Legal Requirements
As a police officer, your career has been focused on enforcing the law. Before transitioning to the private sector, make sure you fully understand the legal requirements needed and have them ready before you start working in private EP. It may be hard for you to accept, but you’ll likely need a private security license or “guard card”. Don’t let ego or fear of this new label hold you back from getting it, as the penalties for non-compliance can be very high.
If you are in a jurisdiction where you can be armed as a private EP agent, then make sure you have all the necessary training and licenses. If you’re in the US, your retired police status may also allow you to be armed in your personal life, however, that status likely doesn’t transfer to professional EP work in all circumstances. If you plan on setting up a business to be an independent contractor, you will need all of that and so much more. Make sure you do your homework on what is legally required and take the appropriate steps to be compliant. A criminal record and ruined reputation are no way to start retirement or your new career.
Some of your licensing efforts might not be possible to obtain while you are still employed as a Police Officer. In Canada, in particular, local laws or agency policies will not allow you to be licensed as a private security guard or to own a security business (if you want to be an independent contractor), but at least you can be informed and prepared before you transition. Again, research what is required for your jurisdiction and situation, take any required training, and get yourself ready for success. Then act accordingly as soon as you leave your agency.
Final Thoughts
Remember, private EP is a completely new career, despite all your past accomplishments. You will need to be a new guy or gal for a while, but if you keep an open mind, listen to the advice of successful people, take the necessary training from the right providers, and put in the effort, your experience in policing will prove to be extremely valuable. If you need help in your transition or protector career path, please reach out to me on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
As a police officer, you bring so many excellent abilities to private EP. This is why, for many years, it was an easy transitional path. However, the landscape has evolved, and now, the industry requires you to have more robust and specialized EP skills. If you combine your policing experiences with the nuanced requirements of EP, you have a greater chance of succeeding in the private sector. If you want the greatest success potential when you leave your agency, then start focusing your efforts on your post policing EP goals as early as possible before you leave your agency. If you haven’t started yet, then now is the time.
