What do you think of when someone says they want to pursue a career in the security industry? Do guards and guns come to mind? Or are you one of those who can envisage someone outfitting a Mission Impossible-type room, secured to the brim with access codes, lasers beams, and locked treasure boxes?
No doubt, the security industry is an ever-growing and thriving one with countless roles in a variety of fields. For Brad Small, Gallagher’s Regional Sales Manager for New Zealand and Pacific Islands, he had no prior thought for or experience in the security industry before joining the global security solutions manufacturer. But a chance encounter with someone from Gallagher almost nine years ago would change that.
Connecting with people and protecting them
Small recounts, “Right before completing my management degree, I was working at a swim school where one morning, while kids were doing their laps in the pool, I ended up chatting and connecting with one of the dads. And that was Evan Morgans, the then-Product Manager, and now Chief of Marketing of Security at Gallagher.”
Morgans introduced Small to the wonderful world of security and led him to securing his first role at Gallagher.
Asked what drew him most to Gallagher, Small says, “It feels cliché, but it’s the people. There’s an element of working on exciting projects around the country where we secure sites, from critical infrastructure to the local corner shop, that is great and gets me excited. However, it’s the talented people in my team, the wider Gallagher family, and even our partners around the country that I regularly work with, who make my workdays memorable.”
As a people person, Small is very passionate about empowering his team and building lasting relationships. He’s convinced that the connections and protection of such partnerships are the key to a successful career in the security industry.
Ignoring your insecurities
Another area to work on when choosing to start out in the security technology industry is to know and be okay with the fact that you might not understand everything at first. Whether you choose to be an installer, technician, engineer, or even an administrator, it’s okay to ignore your insecurities when starting out in the security industry.
Small says, “When I first got the job at Gallagher as an intern, I had no idea what I was doing. But I didn’t let that deter me because that’s probably just my personality. I was ready for the opportunity. Still, the experience of mounting the steep learning curve would take me months.
“I was confident though that I could learn everything because the people at Gallagher gave me time to do so. Many said it would probably take 12 months before you’re actually adding anything to the team. I started contributing at 18 months. I really knew what I was doing and at three years, I was fully capable in properly driving things forward, rather than just doing the task that was given to me.”
Discovering, designing, and delivering tech that protects
Fully embracing Gallagher’s DNA is to discover, design, and deliver customer-inspired solutions that redefine what is possible for making the world a more secured place. In a sense, security is everyone’s job. And building a culture that reflects that is a priority because security breaches, particularly cyber-attacks, don’t seem to be decreasing. This is further compounded by skill shortages in the security sector, as Small suggests.
It’s also a sentiment shared by Steve Cooke, Sales Manager at Gallagher. “It seems that many are not even aware of the viable, trade-based career opportunities that exists in this industry,” says Cooke. And after nearly four decades working in the security industry, Cooke can safely share that it’s a truly viable trade.
He sums it up by saying, “It is clear to me that a career in security is full of endless opportunities for people to progress and grow within the industry. My early days as an apprentice provided me with skills and knowledge that are still beneficial to my role today. The great thing about installing security solutions was that every day was different – I enjoyed designing leading-edge systems that helped my clients with their security requirements.
“Anything that runs on electricity needs a person to install, maintain, and fix it. So, as great talent and experienced people start retiring in the not-too-distant future, let’s start a conversation to encourage new talent to join this incredibly rewarding industry of security.”