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How to Move from a Public to a Private Sector Security Job

Advice on moving from the public sector to a position in private industry.

By Jerry Brennan

June 01, 2006 — CSO —

If you work for a government agency, or perhaps in the military, you may have watched with some envy as friends have left over the years and taken jobs in the private sector that pay, according to "the word on the street," double what they were previously making.

For starters, this is not reality. Raising total compensation by 15 percent is more the norm. More critically, because of the perceived similarities, often those leaving the military, law enforcement or intelligence communities will gravitate to a career in corporate security, believing that it will be an easy, comfortable transition. Nothing is further from the truth. Here are a few tips that can help you ease the anxiety and make a successful move.

First, plan ahead. You should start researching your next career stage two to three years before you plan to make the switch. This will give you time to learn about the type of position, industry and geographic location you'd like. Corporate security positions run a wide spectrum of responsibilities depending on a variety of factors, which leads to a second tip: As you are doing your research, keep in mind that titles do not always capture the scope of a position. The head of global security for a major oil company may be called "manager of security" with a $250K-plus compensation package, while the leader at another company is "VP of corporate security" but is making $85K. Network with former colleagues and become active in programs and organizations that will put you in contact with industry professionals. Don't rule out positioning yourself for an assignment within your current organization that will afford you private-sector exposure.

When it comes to your résumé, don't regurgitate your government position description. Give specific accomplishments. An e-mail contact is important, and if you don't want to use your work address, set up one with Google, Hotmail or the like—but don't use another family member's account and don't make up cute or hobby-oriented user names. (We have seen addresses like "crabsnbeer4me," "Mike007," "brewmeister" and "special-agent2.") Limit your education section to your college degrees, language skills and relevant professional certifications. Training courses should be listed only if they are specific to a position you are applying for. Include any government clearances that you hold, but please do not list all of your weapons qualifications unless you are applying for a job in a war zone. Lastly, stay away from using government jargon and acronyms that the general public will not recognize. Your local bookstore has a number of books that offer good examples of formats and listings of keywords most commonly used in résumés.