Security Student Spotlight - Al Watson
We are thrilled to introduce to you our latest Student Spotlight, Al Watson. Al has worked numerous jobs in different industries, served in the military, and has multiple educational degrees and a wealth of professional experience. He originally started his career in security “back in the day” when the security industry was much smaller, and the pay was much less. After all his experience, he has come full circle and is pursuing the security industry again.
Al recently completed NITA’s Online Security D Training (40 hours), and we took time to catch up with Al to discuss his career and online experience at NITA. Here is a highlight of our call:
Tell us about yourself and your career path: Al has spent most of his career either in the construction business or the entertainment business. He claims he has “done it all and is a Jack of all trades!” Al chose to switch gears, so to speak, and wants to further pursue his career in security. His wife and son are both new to the field and he wanted a career where they could work together. He loves working security at events and all the details of a security post for event management.
With your years of experience, what do you enjoy about the security industry? Al stated he wanted to be “paid for his brain and make good money.” He enjoys working posts and security jobs where he can find the “soft” points in security. To Al, his security job is “more than just a paycheck too.” He takes his assignments seriously and is constantly watching the crowd, not the event, a very important distinction. “By watching the crowd, you can see the issue before it becomes an issue,” according to Al.
As an experienced security professional, what advice would you offer? “Realize that you have to start somewhere and sometimes, it’s at the bottom.” Al stated that he has learned from all of his experiences and would advise anyone just to LEARN, start from the bottom, and learn. “Every area or event is different; you need to watch and learn to gain your experience.” He stated as well, that in security, “it’s all about the team.” Al continued to state to remember that as a security officer, you are there to help. “Security is #1 about the security of the event and then #2 customer service is important,” Al commented. Keep that positive attitude and “give them a great day as they go away!”
You have several options for online training, why did you choose NITA? “I was referred to NITA from another security company,” stated Al. He took their recommendation to start training with NITA and was very pleased.
How was your NITA experience: Al stated that his experience at NITA was great. He further commented, that the instructor taught with real live experiences and allowed for engagement from all students in the class.”
Would you recommend NITA to others? “Yes! 100%, I would recommend NITA to others.”
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