Heading for pastures new

At one time, it appeared as though print media was about to be usurped by emerging electronic media, but the two sit cheek-by-jowl (with many newspapers and magazines replicating printed content in their electronic forums, or 'portals' to use technical parlance).

As a bonus, alerting facilities have been developed for electronic media whereby relevant jobs are delivered directly to the user's in-box. For all but the most unreachable of employers, potential applicants need only e-mail a copy of their CV, sit back and wait.

In all, the entire job hunting process can take as little as ten minutes and, if we are to believe the available statistics, that's ten minutes of your current Lord and Master's own time! In any event, employers are seldom quick at replying to job seekers (that is, if they bother at all). How applicants circumvent this problem very much depends on the employer.

Ten years ago we taught everyone that the trick was to write a catchy covering letter, explaining exactly why it is that this established supervisor in a contract security company wants to become an in-house manager. An idea greatly enhanced by the word-processed CV with all its twinkling lights and striking borders (leather bindings for such documents were all the rage at one time!).

Nowadays, such variations on a theme are dismissively crushed into a scanner, while another piece of computer software translates the twinkling lights into a recognisable word or phrase – often with mesmerising results.

Grabbing the attention of a computer is about talking the same language (in some cases quite literally). Unfortunately, job seekers have five main word processing packages to choose from, a myriad of selection software packages to negotiate and then a lexicon to overcome. Choose the wrong format or miss off a key word and your CV languishes in the pending tray, while the winners of this particular 'Job Seekers' Lottery' receive an invitation to YOUR interview.

Alternatively, you can look for the adverts that say: "Your response will be read by a real person"... to be found just after the endearing phrase "No agencies, please".

Making use of job agencies
Speaking of employment agencies, these are another established route to finding a new security management posting. Yet, if you have ever tried to explain what it is that you do for a living to a complete stranger, you'll have witnessed the glazed eyes, suffered the benign questions and, well... Let's face it, some people just don't understand. Of course, finding a recruitment consultancy that knows your sector is a major plus-point. Finding one that will correctly interpret your job function is another. A recruiter that returns your calls is probably a wrong number!

Under UK law, job seekers cannot be charged by a recruitment firm for using their job finding services – the employer pays a fee to the recruiter who found you. How the recruiters do actually find you is the irony of the situation. They advertise – using the very same media that job seekers and employers use (although some will employ a mystical technique called 'headhunting').

Once the recruiter finds you, they will endeavour to match you to their list of 'live' vacancies and, if that particular idea should fail, all but the dimmest of recruiters will add you to their database. Hopefully, this database will be tailored to the security sector, management level, salary and location – thereby avoiding the need to wade through endless lists of jobs for credit controllers and investment bankers.

One stage on from recruitment agencies and industry portals lie the specialist job web sites. In a recent search, I found over 200 different web sites offering jobs in the security industry.

Online recruitment relies on you depositing all of your career details onto a public computer system. Encouraged by the low cost, employers do advertise their vacancies on these sites, and regular viewing of selected sites is recommended for all security

Online recruitment relies on you depositing all of your career details onto a public computer system (and of course the system should e-mail or text your mobile 'phone if there's any interest from employers or recruiters). Encouraged by the low cost, employers do advertise their vacancies on these sites, and regular viewing of selected sites is recommended for all security managers.

At all times, beware of those sites that offer to send your CV direct to employers. Your boss may not be so appreciative!

Many of these sites offer assistance in designing your CV, or provide free psychometric tests and a mobile 'phone for referring your friends. You should congratulate yourself on denying access to the Internet cookies... and ignoring the free investment advice button.

However, if the web site is based outside of the European Economic Area, you have no control over the use of the data you have supplied (and to whom it's copied and eventually sold). This minor omission on your part may result in interesting conversations with your partner about why you are receiving e-mails from a certain sexy Lolita – or worse. This is the titillating price you pay for supplying personal details over the Internet.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has taken steps to regulate its online members, and I'd urge all security job seekers across the UK to only use sites displaying the REC's logo. That way, at least you can be certain of an efficient service.

Networking can be productive
For an industry concerned with keeping things secure, the security industry isn't shy in organising social gatherings via representative bodies or professional interest groups. These networking and learning events are an effective means of communicating ideas and sharing best practice. Yet, when it comes to more personal matters like job hunting, many members fall shy of announcing that they're open to a move. This is at odds with the custom of many countries where it's assumed everyone may be looking for their next move (or may have an opening for your particular specialism).

If your group or association is small then look to join others. Most Institutes and Associations (including The Security Institute, the International Institute of Security and the International Professional Security Association) welcome new blood. Even if you don't land a new job or make the right introductions at the first gathering you attend, you may well pick up some fresh ideas for approaching old problems while discovering a new wine or two.

You may feel that writing in the security trade press has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with finding a new job, but in actual fact that couldn't be further from the truth.

I'm reminded of a client who, in passing, made some comments to me about the difficulties encountered when looking for a peculiarly experienced loss adjuster. Apparently, advertising and recruitment companies failed, so too had web posting and networking. Before I was able to deliver a silencing kick to said person's shins, the bright-eyed recruiter accompanying me enquired: "Have you read the specialist trade papers, and talked to the authors?" Needless to say, this simple piece of advice unveiled several expert writers, and within days a colleague of an author filled the role with some aplomb.

The moral of this story for the job seeker is to remember visibility. Be seen and be heard. You may be surprised at how open some Editors are to fresh ideas and new writers. I recognise that some employers actively prohibit staff from writing articles, but if you're allowed to do so then give it a try in SMT.