Everything you need to know about becoming a bodyguard

by Executive Protection Institute EPI was founded in 1978

Do you wish to get into executive protection services but don't know where to begin? What qualities would you need to become professional executive protection personnel? If you want to find answers to these questions, we suggest you keep reading.

What is an executive protection officer?

A professional executive protection officer is a trained bodyguard who protects high-profile individuals – such as corporate or business executives, royalty, and political officeholders. They often accompany administrative individuals, keep a sharp eye on them, and protect them from life-threatening situations. They will do all these things while maintaining a low profile. In this article, we will look at some of the most critical attributes that a professional executive protection professional must-have.

Attributes of an executive protection professional

Military experience and training

Since most people hire a professional bodyguard ideally for protection, your bodyguard must have some sort of police, military, or any other security guard-related experience. As long as an individual has personal security training under his belt, they can quickly adapt to working with you and perform all their duties, majorly 4 - observe, detect, deter, report.

Good communication skills

An executive protection professional should always have excellent communication skills – gestural, verbal, and otherwise. They must be able to communicate eloquently, confidently, effectively, and accurately. Besides being a great talker, professional bodyguards also need to be good listeners. Without these characteristics, the chances are that your professional may misconstrue assignments and end up committing blunders.

Judgment and decision-making skills

An ideal bodyguard must know how to deal with bad behavior, an attack against your assets or person, crisis, etc. To act quickly and handle such situations professionally, an executive protection officer must have a great sense of judgment. Hiring someone who has a weak sense of judgment can be dangerous since they may get confused or be too slow to act on your behalf during an emergency. If you need to learn any of these characteristics, you can choose to get your executive protection training online.

Driving skills

A professional executive protection officer must legally be authorized to drive vehicles. That is, they must hold a valid driver's license. Moreover, as a bodyguard, they must also know how to Drive defensive and offensive. In other words, they need to know how to drive professionally to save lives, money, time, and property during an emergency.

Fitness and sound health

Even though having an intimidating physique could intimidate people, it is not necessary. Professional executive protection officers should have proper health, meaning they do not have any severe health issues. Besides being healthy, your bodyguard must also be physically fit. Though they may not be highly muscular, they should never look sloppy and have a smart appearance.

Ability to handle firearms

There may be a few situations where a bodyguard may have to use firearms to protect your life. Ideally, professionals who have undergone military training tend to be great at handling guns and all other types of protective weapons.

As a final note, if you wish to become a bodyguard or are looking to hire a bodyguard with all these qualities, you are not making the wrong decision.