Hello all :)

[Gulpy]

Hey guys! My names Tom, I'm a 20 year old male from Ohio but will be moving to New York City in the coming months. At first glance I look nothing like what you would expect a bodyguard to look like (A little computer nerdy), but this line of work is in my blood. I'm actually the first male in my fathers bloodline that hasn't gone into the military since the 1400's. After high school I did some college, did a little of traveling, and now I'm here. I've been around military minds/weapons/hand to hand combat all my life. I've done a few mock situations with the local SWAT team using paintball guns and have been fascinated with this line of work since then.

I am a computer nerd and gamer at heart. I have a lot of knowledge in computer security and general electronics. But i've decided to stray away from that aspect and fixate on what I think I was born to do. So I guess this brings me to a few questions...



-How does one get into the field with no formal training or military background?

-What skills should I focus on directly to better prepare myself for this career?

-Are there any schools or programs you recommend? (And avoid)


Thanks guys for reading and feel free to ask me anything!

[usabodyguard]

Welcome to the site Tom... Hopefully I can help with some answers to your questions...

-How does one get into the field with no formal training or military background?


Training is going to be your answer, especially if you dont have any former military or LEO training, even those guys need training for domestic work, for the most part.

Choosing a school is important on many levels... different schools teach different things, but most have a "core" class, which is the first step in the process.

While ESI out of Colorado offers super extensive programs, their prices reflect this and run around 10k+ per program, last I checked anyways, while other schools offer shorter programs with lower pricing.

Before choosing a school, make sure you have a good idea for the type of protection you want to do... 1-5 year goals... who do you see yourself working for? Once you know, at least for the first few years what type of protection you would like to do, find a school to match your needs.
If you see yourself working celebrity type of gigs, you'd probably want a school that specializes in this... a shool in Los Angeles (socal) would probably have an advantage over a school in the midwest persay, just on location alone. Most executive protection training company instructors usually work for clients in the area they live in when they're not in a training session...

And for the military and police background, I have neither, but Ive been an EP agent for 20 years, I have written a training manual that has aided in the training of several top EP agencies, and have worked for some of the biggest names in Hollywood, and yes, I invested the money in my profession to attend many schools along the way. So military and LEO is not mandatory.

-What skills should I focus on directly to better prepare myself for this career?

Quite honestly - common sense. It doesnt matter how much training you get... you WILL be placed in situations SEVERAL times in your career that you have not trained for, common sense is critical and it is the common denominator between a short or a long career.

I am the director of BTI, a training academy here in Southern California. I would be happy to give advice over the phone or point you in the right direction... and anyone who has ever attending our training can attest that I will not BS you, you will get the truth, even if you decide to train with another academy... again, any former students reading this are welcome to chime in!

Call me at our office - 805-499-8050

David

[Gulpy]

Good to meet you David

I would really like to focus on business executives and family protection. Celebrities don't seem to fully grasp the seriousness of some situations and, to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of how some EP personnel are treated like an accessory rather than a professional. I believe NYC is better for this line of work; I could be wrong.

In doing research I already planned on about $10,000 for training. It will take me a while since I'm moving to NYC with almost no money. Something near there school wise would be ideal. But of course I'd be willing to travel for proper training.

Hehe, the common sense is pretty much a given in every career path like this. I have damn good intuition but what I lack is a eye honed for assessing situations. I suppose this is where training comes in.

[Local Talent]

Hey, Gulpy, :welcome: and thanks for joining!

To answer your questions, a lot of us are former or current LEOs or servicemen, and have received "formal training", but this is not a sine qua non condition (see what usabodyguard just said). Sometimes, it's nothing more than a card to enter the "club".
Nor do you have to be an enormous "bullet catcher" or martial arts champion, although these things can't hurt you...

There's actually been a shift in the industry toward more intelligent and skilled agents. So the nerdy look is not the kiss of death that it used to be at all. People and computer skills are becoming paramount.

But frankly, EP is a career that you don't improvise. It's something that comes as a natural progression after years of handling emergencies with a cool head and a strong hand. You have to be battle-tested and proven.
Right now, you're a complete blank slate and that's a hard sell to potential employers and clients. When it hits the fan is not the time to find out what a man can do. This is no accident that veterans returning from combat and cops get a lot of work: they have paid their dues and their abilities and training standards are a known quantity.

So given your young age, I think that the FIRST thing to do, besides joining the discussion here to learn more about the job, is to take a few serious classes, so you're on the right track with that. That should give you a clearer picture than games and family war stories about what you like and can do. You'll also get to talk to the instructors, who are all part of the industry in some capacity. Their assessment of you will be more reliable that what some guy on the other side of the interwebs can say.
Just read David's generous offer and you should obviously jump at it.

And not to rain on anybody's parade (I know that a lot of people consider this profession without a clear understanding of it, not saying this is your case), but it's not all big money, fun travels, and exciting action at all. Matter of fact, it's closer to the military's classic "hurry up and wait (lots of waiting)" than from what TV and the movies show you.
I have a feeling that in spite of your young age, you already have a pretty good idea about what the deal is (witness your correct assessment of celebrity work, IMO... ;))

Now to be honest, quite a few companies here (I don't know about NY, although I got a feeling that Gavin DeBecker operates there) actually seek younger applicants that they can train and shape to their liking. I personally don't subscribe to that mentality (I don't think you can make an EP agent in 2 weeks or even months), but that shows that you could get lucky.

Still, I feel that a 20 y.o. looking for action should get into LE or the military, where training is free and recognized everywhere, then only turn to EP after a few years. While still inside, you can make connections and try your hand. But that's personal opinion.

As far as skills to focus on, we can talk about tactical (weapons), emergency driving, and combat (hand-to-hand) training. There's also surveillance/counter-surveillance, communication devices, and more.
All this is again not improvised or learned after one course, BTW. It takes years of practice and ongoing schooling to be on top of those.
BUT what I consider the most important trait of all, and something that one can work on but is mostly innate, is to be a serious and dedicated professional. Somebody who's discreet, quiet, observant, meticulous, ethical, smart, and who thinks on his feet. Everything else really just derives from it.
Again, I'm re-writing this after reading usabodyguard's post and common sense is a must, I agree.
Training gives you tools. Experience and common sense will determine how successful you'll be at utilizing those tools.

I'll let others more local speak to the issue of schools because yours is not my AO at all. I know that Oatman in MD is top-notch. There's gotta be more over there.
And I think you may be right about NY, although there's obviously serious clients everywhere. LA work is not all about fighting off the paparazzi... I hear that the Pacific Northwest is also a target rich environment (executives).

Good luck to ya, and again, welcome! Let us know how things progress.

ETA: wanted to add, reading again usabodyguard's post, that "civilian" training is a must, as he states. I see a lot of guys think they're "it" because of skills they acquired on The Man's dime, only to fall flat on their face on their first EP assignment. Kinda like a NASCAR driver who thinks he can just jump into a cab and drive people around. The track is not a city street. Now if one has raced AND is a properly trained and licensed cab driver, then we have something good.

[Gulpy]

I've been considering LE as a potential career as well. The only problem I've found with that is in order enroll in the NYPD's academy you must be a college graduate or ex-military to even be considered. Sure, I could do another semester or two of school and get an associates degree, but I'm trying to find the quickest and most effective route to an end goal. I also learn quickest by doing. It may be a long shot but I was hoping to get training, and then find a company or person to take me under their wing for what you could call an "apprenticeship". You know - be treated like a rookie.. stand back, shut up, and learn kind of thing.

With a profession such as this; is that possible or has anyone experienced something like this? I suppose you could point to the military again... but again I would like specialized training for protecting individuals, not countries.

[Local Talent]

Clarifications:

1. Most people really bent on getting into LE cast a wide net, even if they have set their sights on one particular agency. I know a few guys here who were turned down by LAPD (very sharp guys - wrong skin color), their first choice, and had to fall back on neighboring city PDs. Although disappointed, they'll attempt a lateral transfer at a later date.
There's heavy competition for LE careers, and it's not for the easily discouraged! A lot of folks have to give it several tries.
They make it hard on purpose, precisely because they don't want to waste time and money on dilettantes.

2. As for the military's training not necessarily translating into civvie protective duties, you're often right, but as I said, it's an invaluable tester and shaper, AND I know several guys (some on this board) who have served on the protective details of government officials or military higher-ups. Great business card that...
At the last estate I worked at, military service, esp. with combat experience, was given priority.
Another client, ex-military himself, had set the bar at spec ops/SWAT as a requirement because he could afford "the best".
Regardless of their abilities as EP agents, trust me, HSLD guys have NO trouble landing gigs.

Food for thought.

Now I hear you on wanting to go straight to your "end goal", but I want you to think about this: patience is a GREAT virtue in our line of work.
I have seen companies "test" applicants by not returning phone calls or emails, cancelling interviews at the last minute, and otherwise giving them the run-around.
If you don't persevere and with cheer (!), they're not interested in talking to you. Their rude M.O. is a filter. "If you're going to be short with our staff, how do we know you'll behave with our clients when alone in the field with them and after things don't go your way?" is how one hiring manager put it to me. Makes sense, actually.
I had pursued them for months and with a smile. That ended up netting me a $75K/yr gig that a buddy of mine was turned down for due to his impatience.

Have I seen untested newbs on details? You bet, I'm sorry to say.
Everyone has to start somewhere of course, but I wish you had seen what I've had to put up with on my last job as a team leader. I ended up leaving in good part because of the constant embarrassment caused by a company sending out "agents" with still wet guard cards to work for a Fortune 500 VIP (they're cheaper and easier to boss around, ya know?).
One guy had an ND in front of the principal (not my account). Another, supposedly ex-special forces (non-US), asked me whether a (semi-auto) pistol was ready to fire after insertion of a loaded mag (I had to patiently explain about the chamber thingy...) :omg:
We just don't have the time to teach someone all the ropes - there's so much that goes into what we do (way beyond shooting straight and kicking butt). That's why, again, LE and mil guys get the preference: you just need to point them into the right direction. It's predictable, if a little more complicated than that in reality.

And believe me, this is a very patient and easy guy talking here. But for one green agent that you take under your wing and coach (something I love doing, BTW), ten unfortunately end up a complete waste of time at best, and a danger to clients and partners at worst...

In all honesty, however, a lot of security jobs are little more than window-dressing, and therefore skill, training, and experience often take a backseat to being "available". That "warm body" thing nobody wants to acknowledge.

Gulpy, you sound smart and mature for someone so young, and I'm sure that if you try hard enough you'll get your foot in the door. So I'm addressing all young folks considering our profession and reading us, here, not you specifically: don't be a "millennial", put the ADD on hold (sniper school is a good antidote!) and learn to pay your dues, fellas. They'll bring you dividends you can't even imagine. :)

[Lone Wolf]

Well said LT.. BRAVO.... *Golf Clap*for LT...

[Gulpy]

I didn't mean to sound necessarily impatient, just direct. Part of my personality is to find the most effective way to do something. Trimming the fat so to speak. So while doing a little more college, going to the academy, and joining LE might be the most thorough way available to me.. perhaps it isn't the most efficient? My apologies if I sound a bit confused. I grew up hunting with my family. Anyone who has hunted knows it takes a great deal of patience and concentration to creep and sit and wait for that perfect shot. Sometimes you won't even find anything at all, and you come back the next day. Of course this isn't even remotely close to the amount of patience a marine sniper would have, but its something. :)

I can't stop rereading the statement about the supposed special forces guy not knowing how to fire a semi auto. How does someone like this even get hired? He might have some sort of skillset to make up for this but cmon! This isn't the 40's. Semi-autos are the new standard and have been for quite some time.

Just wanted to thank you LT for these great responses. I honestly expected to get two or three sentence answers; not these very in depth paragraphs. Too bad you don't do any training eh? Hehe

[Local Talent]

Ha! Ha! Not qualified to train anybody, I'm afraid... Now to put them to sleep with verbose lectures and boring old stories, I'm your man! :D

Seriously, I know what you mean and I hope you score before long. If I had been more agressive myself, I'd be a little further along professionally by now. ;)

Realize, though, that what you're asking is akin to someone walking up to A or B-list celebs and saying: "I wanna be a star! Can anyone help me?"
You're likely to be advised to take acting classes and try your hand at theater for a few years, of course. That's if they even talk to you. And even if we all know that sometimes you just need to, ahem, "know" somebody to end up on-screen.

If you were in my neck of the woods, I'd point you to a few companies and training courses. You don't necessarily have to spend years and a fortune. But the faster you wanna get started, the more homework to do, obviously.
I hope that someone local to you or more knowledgeable can do that for you.
What you're talking about (skipping the foreplay :)) is done everyday.

About that ex-SF dude... I didn't check his creds - the company did (or was supposed to). In a lot of countries, military service is mandatory for a year or two, and he may have "embellished" his resume. I dunno. You'll find that a lot of military folks aren't familiar with handguns at all. Still, that was scary from someone having a CA firearms permit, period, let alone "elite" military training!

And many thanks to my man Wolf. :cool:

[Gulpy]

Oh c'mon, I'm sure your lectures could keep my attention for a minute or two. And what a minute it would be *swoons* Anyway.... I spent the majority of today looking at training courses throughout the country. I've found a few that seem professional enough and arn't the "We can make you a professional in 2 Days Guaranteed! Free Lunch Included!!". So I'm most likely gonna take your advice and do this thing low and slow. School/LE/EP training/Finish Line. Seems to be the only way that everything will get accomplished in full. I'll see if I can find a few door security jobs or bouncer work. Sorta like changing tires while trying to be a professoinal stunt driver. But hey, its something. Again, thanks man

[Local Talent]

Please don't forget to keep us posted, brother.
Don't miss that opportunity to consult with usabodyguard, either. A little mentoring from a pro is priceless.
Also, via phone or PM people may be willing to give you more specific intel on schools and companies than they would online.

And again, good luck to ya. :)

[Bentot56]

Hey Tom, Welcome aboard. Just want to help you out a little from my point of view at least. This job is all about trust. The client has to trust that you are capable of doing the right thing at the right time and able to make that split second life or death decision. The people you work with have to be able to trust that you are going to be there when they need you. You don't get that by attending Oatmans 7-day course or EPI or ESI or any other school out there, you get that by having been there and done that.

The competition for jobs right now is getting brutal. There are a lot of HSLD guys out there looking for work after having spent the last 6 years running the streets of Baghdad. The chances of you fast tracking getting on a high speed detail are not good. As was mentioned earlier patience in this business is a necessity.

Lone Wolf and LT and USABodyguard have given you some good advice, get the training needed, go back to school, join the reserves (either LE or military) prove yourself and slow down. If you start cutting the fat as you say when your doing an advance, if you cut corners to make things more efficient, your going to miss something that you should have caught and somebody could die. This is not a game Tom this is the real world, take your time and do things right, it may not seem efficient to you but things in this business are done for a reason.

Don't mean to rain on your parade brother, it's just my opinion.

Again welcome aboard, there is a lot you can learn from the people here and I hope you find what your looking for.

[Gulpy]

As you guys have all said, this is a profession that isn't one you can just jump into. I took a few days to do a little research and this is what I've come up with. After I move to NYC I'll be enrolling in college again and getting a degree in either Internet Security or Computer Science. Once I have my associates , I'll be applying to the NYPD academy. After graduation I'll be doing my duties for a couple years to get a feel for the big city and to learn from it. When I can, I will try to take either the detectives exam or SWAT exam. Who knows, I may like that career more than EP. If I still have a good deal of interest in EP, only then will I go for training and move onto that sector. What do ya think; sound like a plan?

[Local Talent]

That sure sounds like a better plan IMO, Gulpy!

You seem organized, and being the type to do checklists and planning is a big plus in our line of work. Just be prepared to go with the flow and adjust your plans as necessary. Because as you said, you may end up staying longer than you thought in LE: it is an addictive profession for sure.
And another word on LE, agencies really want to retain their people and weed out applicants who are not in for the long haul. So they'll want to be sure that this is your end goal before hiring you. They are not interested in giving away their training to folks, only to see them depart for more lucrative careers right away (or even after a few years).
I personally think that if you get into LE, you'll want to go to retirement.

A lot of enterprising cops start a PI or private security business while working for their agency, BTW. And a lot more moonlight as security officers or EP agents right after the academy, so you can have your cake and eat it: ensuring yourself a future in LE while trying your hand at EP and gaining experience and training all along.

To add to what Bentot56 said about returning vets grabbing a lot of jobs: the economy has forced a lot of government agencies (including emergency services) to cut back their budgets. So a lot of cops of all stripes are going "hungry" and vie for EP jobs, making your initial goal to make it, make it quick, and make it while cutting corners, a bit of a pipe dream.

You're young. Take your time and do it right.

[Lone Wolf]

In deed some very wise words.. I started out in the military myself and have been working in this business for a very very long time on and off over the last 25 years... Me personally Im looking to slow down to a point at this time.. Im very selective about what and with whom I work.. Why because I can be.. Im to the point in my career that Im starting to wind down and go back into the PI industry and even security type work.. The high speed stuff.. AHHH thats for you younger guys now.. Ive been there done it and worn the t shirt out several times over... Its all good though if an offer came across that I really wanted to do I will.. ie certain offers to other persons here and things like that but the main point is that you have to do it right the first time because there may not be a second opportunity if you mess up.. By the numbers... LE is a great place to start.. Me personally Ive got a background in LE, Corrections, and Private Security.. It all works for me.. Thats my past.. It was fun now time to look for other adventures... I dont mean to rain on anyone's parade at all but you also have to look at the effects that a career like this can and more than likely will have on your life.. Me personally it has cost me 3 marriages.. Im with #4 now and maybe thats why Im considering slowing down although she is like you go play with your friends in another country if you want.. She likes the money as much as I do.. But then again... You have to have a great support network in place...

[Local Talent]

Good point above: LE, military or private security careers can be very taxing on one's private life. And IME, it's a lot harder to convince someone that plans are cancelled by a job emergency if you're in EP than the 2 others. Because your friends and/or significant other will consider that just a job ("Can't they just get someone else?").
Expect all plans to be constantly thrown off.

[Zeami]

Hey Gulpy, a couple of tips on EP in NYC. I'm from the Pocono Mountains, in PA. It's a bedroom community, short commute from NYC. I went to college in the city, worked Law Enforcement and Corrections in PA.

1. Licensing is everything in NYC. All the training in the world won't help if you aren't licensed. Not sure what you need to work EP or armed in the City these days, but it is doable, not cheap and you can't do it without an attorney. Training is good, but get your licenses and you are ahead of the game.

2. Corrections Officers get all the perks of Cops in NYC. It's a lot easier to get into Corrections and you can't beat the experience. You won't see Rykers or the Tombs on American Lock Up anytime soon, but NYC jails are probably as rough as any prison in the country. MTC