Raj- can you do this part-time/on the weekends or evenings? Also, how did you get into this line of work?
Yes you can in fact do it part time and on the weekends, in fact that's what I did when I was in University.
The only downside to doing it part time is you are going to have to do night shifts if you want a shift or two every week, where as if you say day time only your more likely to get it once a month if you insist on doing only construction shifts like I do.
Basically if you want a lot of shifts regularly then it needs to be full time, but if you want a supplementary job to get income occasionally then it also makes an awesome side job.
Also the shifts are only so rare if you narrow it down to just construction, if your willing to also do normal security work your near guaranteed to get shifts on the weekend especially if your willing to do nightshifts.
I got into this because of my father and my laziness as a high school student.
My Father had been trying to get me to do a part time job through out high school and I would humor him by throwing a resume at a store if he was with me but otherwise didn't bother looking. (I was a lazy shit as a teenager who only wanted to read various fiction books)
I never got an interview and I was nearing the end of high school. My Dad was exasperated at me and my step brother Mark was a Security Guard himself who told him there are a fair amount of jobs in the field currently since you need a license and not many people are interested.
So for my 18th birthday present he enrolled me into a Security Guard Course, where on the weekend I had to attend some quick and easy lessons. After a few weeks of doing high school and this extra course I finished the extra course and took my Security Guard Exam.
It took a month or two to get processed so I graduated high school and got my Security Guard License around the same time.
Mark then told me that his employer was looking to expand and got me an interview.
The interview itself was barely even an interview at all, my boss just wanted to know that I had my Security Guard License and when told I had no experience said that I could learn on the job.
I was then told to go to the Uniform group which gave me a custom fitted uniform which cost around $300 all together and came out of my paycheck and then started my first shift late August.
A few weeks later I was then in College and continued doing Security Guard shifts on the weekends.
I did that throughout the years even after I shifted to University until I finished all my courses.
I couldn't find an Accounting Job in Co-Op which is needed to graduate right away, so I shifted to full time Security and have been looking for an Accounting job ever since although I recently have started applying to volunteer ones as well so I can graduate.
That's my story on how I got into being a Security Guard.
I'll now fully explain the process.
First you have to get your security guard license, I live in Canada so I'm not sure if it's different in Colorado but it's not difficult to do.
You take a few classes for a week or two and get taught how to do CPR etc.
You then take a test that is rather easy and pay to get your license.
I've actually forgotten most of what I learned in that security course because in my 4 years of experience as a Security Guard none of it has ever come up.
You've now gotten your license and apply to become a normal security guard.
A Normal Security Guard's duties are to deter theft by being an intimidating gargoyle that hovers around meat and medicine and patrols.
It's rather dull and the only source of entertainment is one headphone where you can listen to things like a podcast etc.
After a month of doing that Full Time or a year of doing that part time you can then apply to become a construction guard.
Your new duty is to secure the entrance and only allow authorized personnel inside the store. They either can't lock it so that construction workers can come in and out, or their is a hole in the wall and your by yourself.
Either way you tell any customers or unauthorized people who come that they can't enter, and you ask anyone who your not 100% sure about if they are working there.
These are usually 10 - 12 hours shifts and of that time, I spend less than an hour overall up and talking to people scattered about with the rest of the time being on my phone reading various fiction books or even watching movies during the more dead times.
It can be a little irritating to interrupt myself every 15 minutes or so for 30 seconds but it is definitely worth it.
All throughout this you'll being paid minimum wage or a bit above it if you get some experience.