It’s brutal out there. The job market is as demanding as ever. However, with the rise of the need for proficient security comes the increase in close protection job opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment in protective service occupations is projected to grow 8 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average, and will result in about 286,400 new jobs.”
The situation appears to be similar in Europe. For example, one Eurostat report remarks that the security industry increasingly overlaps with national security and public law enforcement. That’s because governments have become significant customers.
Additionally, the report’s authors suggest that “The main consumers of security and investigation services are other business enterprises and government and the turnover of the whole industry comes almost entirely from the services bought by them.”
Interestingly, however, Asia surpassed North America and Europe to become the largest market for security services in the world. In addition, Securitas, G4S, and Allied Universal comprise some of the most profitable global companies in the realm of protective assistance.
In other words, the security industry is booming, and incredible opportunities await aspiring and seasoned protection professionals.
As many operators know, the same job regularly gets thrown around social media and WhatsApp groups. Often by different people, companies, or agencies. This is a good indication that the role is hard to fill, maybe due to lack of pay and benefits, or someone is simply out to collect data or give the perception they are busy and have clients.
LinkedIn, unfortunately, is rife with this. You can activate a setting that notifies you when the job poster has viewed your CV. Many people do not know this, and it is helpful because you will find that out of 100 applications you send via ”Easy Apply,” you will be lucky if one gets opened. Just put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes.
Should a role be advertised on LinkedIn, it is always advised to visit the official website of the hiring party and apply this way, rather than on LinkedIn. This goes for any role unless the company only uses LinkedIn to advertise jobs; some do.
”High-level” EP tasks are rarely advertised, especially on social media or via WhatsApp, unless you are in the USA, where many companies do advertise such roles on LinkedIn. Even then, just remember that companies would likely have a pool of people to reach out to.
Register interest with reputable private staffing companies. Many exist in London. If you are UK-based, they provide staff to HNWIs. And with summer approaching and unrest in Europe, this requirement will likely increase.
Reach out to reputable companies that provide EP services in your geographical location but not a cleaning company that also says it delivers EP on the side. Companies such as Gavin De Becker are also worth touching base with, as they have the crème de la crème of clients globally.
— Adam WG Green MSyl CSMP, Security Risk Management Leader
How COVID-19 Affects Close Protection Job Opportunities
Amid the health crisis in early 2021, experts coined the terms The Great Resignation or Big Quit. The notion entails workers resigning en masse due to:
- Wage stagnation,
- Long-lasting job dissatisfaction,
- COVID-19 stimulus payments, and a slew of other issues.
Although the said movement formed predominantly in the U.S., it soon overtook vast portions of the West, including Europe and Australia.
Still, the Big Quit didn’t impact protective services as a sector all that much. We have seen changes in other areas, including leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation, education, health services, and others. Yet, none of these shifts profoundly impacted close protection job opportunities.
But that’s not to say that our industry didn’t change in the process.
In fact, we have seen the introduction of lockdowns that have limited operational capabilities of security companies and solo practitioners. Additionally, hand sanitizers, vaccination, face masks, and other considerations must all inform current EP work. Thirdly, it is now essential more than ever to avoid high-touch surfaces and enhance access control.
The Skills You Need to Land a Job
There is much talk about what constitutes an excellent close protection operative or an outstanding executive protection agent. For example, does this person need to be proficient in various skills — or should they only excel in one or two areas? In a nutshell, the two overarching skillsets include:
- Hard skills, or technical competencies, that are typically testable, and
- Soft skills, or personality traits, that are transferrable and useful across most domains but aren’t easily measurable.
Yes, a CPO doesn’t need to know how to build a smartphone app from scratch. Nonetheless, they should be well-versed in the art of general technology, as this agility comes in handy when dealing with high-tech vehicles or smart home systems.
Yes, an EPA doesn’t necessarily need to excel in social media management. However, they ought to have a basic understanding of how exposure on these platforms can affect the principal, their family, and their entourage.
All in all, when we discuss finding the best close protection job opportunities, we need first to ask a few preliminary questions:
- How well established are you in the industry? Where did you work, on which details (large or small), and have you had extensive contracts or one-week arrangements?
- What’s the total number of jobs you have landed over the years?
- Are you looking to manage up or keep your current role?
- What does your online presence look like (social media interactions and followers, website traffic)?
- How satisfied would you say your last principal, EP manager, or EP company was with your work on a scale from 1 to 10? Why?
Asking these questions will help you get clarity on your skills and make improvements.
EP Managers Versus Regular CPOs
But how does all this relate to EP managers? They indeed have a different job description than regular CPOs. Or, at least, they should have responsibilities that differ from those assigned to close protection operatives.
Regardless, many principals expect an EP manager to work as a close-in protector and simultaneously manage the rest of the team. However, many security experts argue that this isn’t how it’s supposed to be and that it’s not the best use of their time.
In fact, EP managers help enable CPOs to do their jobs. They shouldn’t complete the CPO’s assignment on the ground but create an environment where it is done smoothly and effectively.
Nevertheless, both regular CPOs and EP managers have in common the need to adapt to the business practices and procedures of the hiring company, but also the principal’s daily routines.
In short, hard skills such as security driving, protective intelligence, close protection formations do help — but they will only get you so far.
Quick tip: Learning how to read close protection news can help you make better career decisions on the go!
Market Yourself to Find Close Protection Job Opportunities
But aren’t we missing something amid all the talk about soft and hard skills? What good will they do to any EP manager or CPO if they can’t convince others of how professional and exemplary they are in what they do?
Before that, it’s important to cite a World Economic Forum report that frames the top 10 skills of 2025:
- Analytical thinking and innovation,
- Active learning and learning strategies,
- Complex problem-solving,
- Critical thinking and analysis,
- Creativity, originality, and initiative,
- Leadership and social influence,
- Technology use, monitoring, and control,
- Technology design and programming,
- Resilience, stress tolerance, flexibility, and
- Reasoning, problem-solving, and ideation.
Although no one can predict the future accurately, different reports have surfaced with similar conclusions. Thus, it’s safe to say that at least some of these skills will shape how we work, think, and behave in the near future.
But, more than anything, you need to learn how to market yourself and your company. Even if you master all the soft and hard crafts, it’s virtually in vain if you don’t master the talent that will make all your hard and soft skills glaringly apparent to others.
And make no mistake: Marketing for security professionals may be in its infancy but is quickly gaining ground. So it’s best to stay on top of things!
Not Selling Yourself Short
If you’re just starting out in the industry, then sure — take all close protection job opportunities that present themselves. However, if you have been in the EP game for a while, we recommend not selling yourself short.
In other words, you need to project an image of yourself as a professional who won’t jump on any detail or operation. Simply put: that you care about the pay, the team and company culture, the principal’s background, and the role as a whole.
Depending on the executive protection company, you can get paid between USD60,000 and 140,000 per year. Although the latter is far more challenging to attain, it’s not impossible after some years of working in the industry. But whatever the pay may be, remember to ooze confidence, learn constantly, and protect your image as an adept security professional at all costs.
Finally, with the number and scope of close protection job opportunities constantly increasing, allow yourself to explore and make the best possible decision, not a forced one. To help you with that, we suggest starting here!