In January 2016, Davina joined the Paladin family in Victoria as receptionist, and supporting our Human Resources team. In an effort to gain knowledge and insight to the security industry as she embarked on a new career path, Davina spent a week in the life of a Security Officer, visiting various sites within Paladin’s verticals of service.
Davina shared her experience and new found perspective:
What were the highlights throughout your experience as a Security Officer for a week?
I learnt so much! Each site and position is vastly different. From processes of an incident report, to superior customer service and team communication, there are key qualities that Security Officers require to fulfill their roles throughout the different sites.
It was fascinating to see how engaged our teams are; the emphasis on details and client support was something that was clear at each location I visited.
What did you learn about Paladin, aside from the operations?
It was great to see that the culture we encourage from the office truly lives at each client site. Observing and participating within each team showed me how passionate our people truly are. It’s like a professional family – the teams worked with view their sites as their homes, and our clients treat them like family too.
Did you notice differences between the different industries that we serve?
Yes. Some sites are a lot more hands on than others. A Security Officer is definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ type of position. Paladin can offer many different avenues for people with very different skill sets. Our people definitely have the opportunity to excel in a niche that meets their passions.
How will this experience improve your role in office?
Spending a week in the life of a Security Officer improved my knowledge of the company. Knowing what I know now, I have more insight to the actual roles and responsibilities on a day to day basis. When I am scheduling, I can further engage on the skills for each role, as well as understand where employees’ goals will align, supporting them to reach those goals.
What advice can you share now with someone looking to enter the security industry?
Apply yourself and you can excel. Be open to the experiences and opportunities that come your way because they can take you down many exciting paths!