Vigilant's Employee of the Year 2020 reviews his first year on the job
Like most students entering post-secondary education, I needed a job. It would be ideal if I could do that job part-time during school and easily switch to full time when not in school. At the time, I knew I wanted a career in law enforcement and so I wondered what the best way to prepare myself could be. Having spoken to many Police Officers and asking for advice on preparing myself, they all advised me to do something I enjoyed. I had a flashback to high school when I worked at a fast-food chain and thought, “I didn’t really enjoy that.” Some of the Officers noted how a number of them had prior experience in Private Security.
I started to explore the idea of working in security. I began looking at videos and reading articles to get as much information as possible about the profession. Then came searching for suitable employers. After looking at the websites and social media of various local Security Agencies, Vigilant Security Services stood out. From what I could tell, it was a fairly new company but I was pleased with how community oriented it was. The Instagram page featured snapshots of fundraising campaigns and interactions with different community members. Another thing I noted was the high level training that was offered by the owner of the company. Having seen all of that I applied and on the night of January 23, 2020 I was officially hired as a Security Guard for Vigilant.
My career started in the Alarm Response section of the Security Response Unit. I soon found myself working uniform security at various local stores. From there I received specialized training (Stay Safe Instructional Programs) that would make me eligible to work in higher risk environments. Now I can say that I have worked in Alarm Response, Hotels, Retail Stores, Private Beaches, Affordable Community Housing, and more. I see and do different things on a regular basis. I have had shifts where I was painfully bored, but I also have had shifts where the length of my reports made me feel like I was writing a University level essay. Meaningful interactions and conversations with members of my community make the job even more rewarding.
Working for Vigilant, I enjoy what I do. Vigilant has a very supportive work-place culture, not to mention that you see the owner in uniform working alongside the Guards on a regular basis. The training is also top tier. As a Tier 2 Guard, I have training in Crisis Management, Effective Communication, Expandable Batons, Active/Compliant Handcuffing, Advanced Criminal Code as well as Use of Force Theory and I can easily recall scenarios in which my training played a large role in my ability to successfully manage stressful situations.
Looking back to when I started a year ago, the job had its ups and downs. Whether it was just a boring shift, getting yelled at for having to enforce COVID-19 protocols, enduring Mall Cop jokes, or those really exciting shifts when you catch a thief in the act or stop a robbery in progress. You never know what you’re going to get into on any given day. That being said, I am proud of the difference I make in my community and I am happy to help those in need. My plans for year two are to continue to develop my skills and hopefully earn a leadership position. I am proud to be a Security Guard with Vigilant Security Services Inc. and I look forward to what the next years hold!