They both help to handle enquiries, and provide risk updates for APAC, including (but not limited to, of course) what to do, and what to watch out in the various countries their clients head off to. It’s an incredibly important job in security, but not one usually seen on the frontlines.
Having both been in the security industry for over a decade, JX and Kevin have experiences and stories aplenty.
“It’s interesting,” JX shares with a laugh. “Handling people, and situations, but it’s also interesting to see how differently each person reacts to a situation.”
Kevin tells us that he enjoys not being bound to a desk, and has the freedom to move around. “Sometimes, I’ll help the on-site ops teams too.”
They’re not your typical security officers. In fact, they’re technically not security officers at all. JX and Kevin handle enquiries and provide risk updates for APAC, including (but of course, not limited to) advising what to do and what to watch out for in the various countries their clients head off to.
Background
Kevin joined security by chance. “I was in the police force when I was in NS so I just transitioned quite naturally to security,” he explains. “I tried other jobs but I didn’t like it. Previously I got an offer to work for the government, and actually stayed for 9 years, but then I resigned and came back to security.”
JX on the other hand, joined security to be around people, and to reach out as much as she could to help them. “I love being around people, knowing their worries and having the ability to help them ease the considerations and concerns in their daily lives, both in and out of work.”
Security misconception
“People say security is low class – people see condos and shopping centers with elderly guards and the perception is that it’s an easy, ‘for retirement’ kind of job. They say security is redundant, but when incidents happen it becomes ‘Why is security not here?’”
Kevin echoes JX’s sentiments, adding that they constantly experience getting scolded, and have people who think they know better telling them what to do.
“There are also the people who say ‘eh you should be doing this not that,’ and ‘Eh I pay for tax, I pay for your pay’ to frontline officers, and even police officers,” Kevin says, rolling his eyes at the arrogance. “We react based on what we see, and we do what we think would be the best in a situation, but these overly concerned people would say “No you should do this or that instead! Sometimes it ends up being more mafan.” (troublesome)
So… has the job changed?
For Kevin and JX, they were both on the same page, insisting that Security itself as an industry would never change, but that people change instead, and so the way they react also must change constantly.
JX explains that because she is now more at the back end of things, she has a different perspective. For those on the frontline – first responders, ERT (Emergency Response Team), SO (Security Officers) etc, speed is critical in their decision-making process. For her and Kevin, they have more time to digest and think about how to best approach a situation, and that this change in pace is the biggest change for her.
