Make sure your resume includes the Security Officer Skills employers want to see!

If you've devoted your career to protecting people and property, then you need a resume that highlights the Security Officer skills every hiring manager expects to see. 

  • But do you know which core competencies you need to add to that resume to help you get noticed by employers? 

  • Which key skills will they be looking for when your resume makes it to their desk?

We've created this Security Officer skills guide to help you find the answers to those and other important resume questions. In this guide, we'll offer some insight into Security Officer skills and explain why they're so vital for a successful job search. We'll also explore the core competencies you need to add to your resume and provide tips to help you maximize their impact.

What are Security Officer skills?

Security Officer skills include all the core competencies needed to perform the duties of a security professional. Whether in a capacity as a security guard or security manager, these professionals are dedicated to the protection of people and property. 

In that role, they engage in a variety of security-related duties, including 

  • On-site threat and risk assessments

  • Security plan creation and implementation

  • Premise monitoring and patrolling

  • Response to emergencies and other incidents

Competent Security Officers rely on a balanced mix of hard technical skills and soft interpersonal skills to achieve their mission. The skills that you select for your resume should directly correspond to the key qualifications that employers are looking for in new hires. Those skills should include job-related technical skills, people skills that you can use to interact with others, and any relevant transferable skills that can bolster your qualifications.

Related reading: What Are Skills? (With Examples and Tips on How to Improve Them)

Why are Security Officer skills important for your resume?

It's vital to understand the important role that your Security Officer skills play in your resume success. The right skills can help your resume make a powerful impression on any hiring manager who reviews your application. 

At the same time, including the wrong skills could cause your application to be rejected out of hand – no matter how qualified you might be. With that in mind, it's easy to see why successful job seekers place such a strong emphasis on including the best skills to highlight their qualifications.

Related reading: Make the Perfect First Impression With Your Resume

Which Security Officer skills do employers prioritize?

If you've ever believed that hiring managers just focus on random qualifications when they review resumes, think again. Employers will almost always have a set of key competencies that they're looking for when they skim candidate resumes. 

To understand which skills they expect to see, you need to know what they expect from the person they'll be hiring. What duties do they expect you to perform? 

As a Security Officer, you will need to:

  • Conduct routine patrols and threat assessments

  • Operate, monitor, and analyze surveillance cameras and other security tools

  • Follow best practices for premise and personnel security management

  • Manage on-site access points in accordance with policy

  • Maintain compliance with company policies and governmental regulations

  • Initiate rapid response to incidents, alarms, and emergency situations

  • Maintain regular patrol, surveillance, and incident report documentation

  • Be proficient in fire security, traffic control, crowd management protocols

  • Experienced in law enforcement collaboration

  • Clear and consistent communication with team and management

  • Professional interaction with visitors, at access points and during premise escorts

Key Security Officer skills for your resume

Reviewing the chief duties and responsibilities we listed above should help you identify the kinds of Security Officer skills you need to add to your resume. By including a balanced mix of these skills, you can demonstrate your experience and ability to fulfill the role's key duties. 

To help you further narrow that list of skills, let's examine some of the top hard and soft skills you should consider for your resume's core competencies section.

Hard skills for a Security Officer resume

1.      Security procedures

One of the most important Security Officer skills involves keen knowledge of security-related protocols, policies, and procedures. Your resume should reflect this expertise in everything from threat analysis to access management, patrolling, and emergency protocols.

2.      Physical fitness

The average Security Officer may not be required to engage in strenuous activity each day, but they should still maintain a level of fitness that enables them to perform their duties. There may be times when they need to chase intruders or detain suspects, so good physical condition is a must.

3.      Incident response

When incidents occur, the Security Officer must be prepared to respond in accordance with best practices and organizational protocols. To do that, they need a high level of confidence, familiarity with the organization's security processes, and strong interpersonal skills. In addition, they should be well-versed in emergency medical response procedures, including basic first aid.

4.      Policy and legal compliance

In addition to knowledge about their organization's policies, Security Officers need to understand the legal restraints governing things like detaining suspects, use of force, and privacy concerns. Interactions with visitors, customers, and potential suspects should always be conducted in accordance with policy and applicable laws.

5.      Proficiency with security technology

Security technology is in use throughout nearly every sector of the economy. Competent Security Officers will be familiar with technology tools like access control, surveillance cameras and systems, and various security management platforms.

6.      Law enforcement

As a Security Officer, you will need to maintain solid relationships with local law enforcement. When incidents occur, those law enforcement personnel will be among the first people you contact. You may need to request information or ask for them to dispatch officers to assist you. These basic skills will help you to understand how to coordinate with law enforcement to maintain a safe and secure environment.

7.      Surveillance and reporting

In addition to knowing how to use surveillance technology, you should also possess well-developed surveillance skills to help you monitor your surroundings, identify security risks, and craft effective responses. You'll also need to be familiar with the right protocols for creating reports and maintaining timely documentation.

Soft skills for a Security Officer resume

1.      Communication

Excellent written and verbal communication skills are among the most vital Security Officer skills. Security guards and similar personnel need to be able to communicate information and ideas to many different types of people, including their team, clients, superiors, and members of the public.

Related reading: 11 Best Communication Skills for Your Resume (With Examples)

2.      Critical thinking

For a Security Officer, critical thinking skills empower their ability to solve problems. These skills include the ability to quickly analyze a situation, draw the right conclusions based on available evidence, and respond in a decisive and effective way.

3.      Situational awareness

Because the Security Officer role requires you to quickly respond to potential threats and other problems, situational awareness skills are essential for success. These skills include keen observation abilities, vigilance, and continual awareness of your surroundings.

4.      Attention to detail

It's also important to be detail-oriented. As a Security Officer, you need to be focused on the details of the job. The ability to read body language, remember faces, and identify questionable behavior is crucial for detecting potential risks before incidents occur. These skills are also important for accurate incident reporting and interactions with law enforcement.

5.      Professionalism

Security Officers need to possess a high level of professionalism. In many cases, they may be the first person that customers encounter when they visit an office or business establishment. They should always conduct themselves in an ethical manner, showing respect and empathy even as they enforce policy and maintain a safe and secure environment.

6.      Conflict resolution

When any type of disagreement or incident occurs, Security Officers need to know how to defuse the situation. Their calm and confident use of vital conflict resolution skills can help to de-escalate potentially volatile situations without force and reduce tensions that might pose a threat to people and property.

7.      Collaboration

The ability to work closely with others is essential for security personnel. Security projects are always team efforts and experienced Security Officers are able to collaborate closely with their clients, team members, and local law enforcement to identify risks, create effective solutions, and maintain operational efficiency at all times.

How to add Security Officer skills to your resume

The key to any successful resume lies in your ability to create a targeted resume that is tailored to the specific job you're hoping to get. Below are some tips designed to assist you as you create a tailored resume that helps you stand out from the competition:

Related reading: How to Write a Targeted Resume That Lands You an Interview

Find vital keywords in the job description

Many of the Security Officer skills you'll need to include in your resume can be found in the role's job description. Review the job posting to identify specific skill-related terms that the employer has included as qualifications. 

Those terms are keywords that you need to add to your resume – using those exact words. If the company is using an applicant tracking system to screen candidate submissions, the ATS will be scanning for those keywords.

Related reading: How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume - Tips for ATS 2024

Add skill keywords in your resume headline

The first place to include Security Officer skills is in your resume headline. Just create a single line of text right below your contact information that highlights the job you're seeking and your experience or specialty. 

For example:

Dedicated Security Officer with 5 Years of Experience in On-Site Risk Mitigation and Event Management

Include keywords in your resume profile

Your resume profile can also be a great place to highlight one or two skills. Just create a paragraph of between three and five sentences highlighting your experience, skills, qualifications, and a quantifiable achievement that reinforces your value. 

For example:

Solutions-oriented Security Officer with 5 years of experience securing property and lives. Skilled in access point monitoring and management, regular patrols, and incident response. Experienced professional with deep knowledge of industry best practices, legal compliance, and law enforcement collaboration. Supervised 10-person team credited with 33% reduction in security incidents over a two-year period.

Related reading: Resume Profile Explained (with Examples)

Focus on relevant skills in your skills section

Obviously, you need to create a list of these skills to add to the core competencies section of your resume. Start with the skill keywords you found in the job description and add as many other relevant skills as it takes to create a list of between nine and twelve hard and soft skills. You should use a bullet point list of skills formatted into two or three columns.

Add skills to your work experience achievement statements

To truly drive home a message of value, use some of these skills in your work experience achievement statements. These bullet point achievements should focus on tangible results that your skills helped you achieve. 

For example:

  • Conducted routine security audits that identified and resolved more than 40 potential access vulnerabilities
  • Revised monitoring procedures for four facilities at ABC Corp., resulting in a 35% reduction in trespassing and other access breaches
  • Implemented digital biometrics access system that reduced check-in and check-out processing times by 75%, with 95% reduction in unauthorized access to facilities

Separate yourself from the crowd with the right Security Officer skills

Adding the best Security Officer skills to your resume can be one of the best ways to demonstrate your fitness for the job. By following the tips and recommendations in this guide, you should be well on your way to impressing your next hiring manager – which could be just what you need to land your next great interview.

Get your free resume review from our team of experts today. They have the experience you need to make sure that your resume includes the Security Officer skills employers expect to see!

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