Security Officer
What the work is
Patrols and guards industrial and commercial property and other facilities.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Undertakes patrols to ensure the security and safety of property and personnel, including checking doors, windows and gates for unauthorised entry, and watching for irregularities such as fire hazards, malfunctioning equipment and property damage
- Operates security equipment, such as CCTV cameras and alarm systems
- Responds to alarms, investigates and records disturbances, and reports any suspicious activities or incidents to appropriate authorities
- Enforces security policies and procedures to maintain a secure environment, and conducts regular inspections of premises to identify and address security risks
- Monitors and controls access and exit of persons and vehicles from premises, and monitors individuals and crowds for suspicious or disruptive behaviour
- Provides assistance and support to staff and visitors during emergencies or security incidents
- May use alarm, restraint and duress systems to manage, control and prevent aggressive and violent incidents, and ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors in health service settings
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional football stadium on match day, and the shopping centre next door. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A crowd of thousands files out calmly and every gate runs the way it should
- You spot a problem on the cameras before anyone else even knows it is there
- A lost child is back with their family within minutes of you finding them
Hard days
- Standing at a gate in the rain for hours while people are rude to you
- Telling someone they cannot come in, and having them take it out on you
- A night shift alone in a quiet building where every noise makes you look up
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 452238, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.