How you start matters, the foundation and footing you start off on will make a difference straight out of the gate. Probably more than any other time in your career. So set yourself up for professional success by positioning yourself properly right from the start. Because in the security industry, who you associate yourself with matters. It matters to how you are perceived by employers and by other working operators. The networks you join and the company you keep will play into what kind of jobs you will have access to and the opportunities that come your way.  

We get it. It’s a tough, cut-throat industry. And sometimes the competition out there is brutal, especially when you’re first starting out. You don’t know who to trust or what source of career information or intelligence is reliable. That’s why we created the Association. It’s the place you turn to for reliable answers, real-world support, and in-network recommendations and referrals for all those nagging career questions. There is a reason it is to go-to resource “for operators by operators.” And it’s exactly what we wished we had when we first started out. It’s why people we’ve thousands of members like you come for the questions, but they stay for the support.

One thing is clear: where you come from doesn’t determine where you can go in life. We know after several successful decades in the industry that it isn’t military experience or police training that matters. What matters more than anything else is internal grit, drive, and determination, along with the right external support and network that makes all the difference on whether you “make it” in the industry. You bring the grit and drive. The Association will bring the network and safety net of support we wish we had when we started out. 

We get asked this a lot. And the answer we give is always the same: yes, 100%. You can absolutely you can make it in protection without a military or police background. We’ve been in the industry for a long time, and we’ve seen operators from all walks of life, including those with zero military or police training. 

The BBA is most definitely right for you. Probably more so for you than anyone else. Because you can take advantage of the collective knowledge of working operators out in the real world and save yourself the common headaches and pitfalls of getting licensed and starting out in the industry. Instead of making mistakes out in the wild on your own, you can lean into the network and learn from the lessons that other working operators have had to learn the hard way. “They’ve been there and done that” as they say and associating yourself with working operators will save you the time and hassle of figuring it all out on your own. 

We are the British Bodyguard Association because it is where we got our start. But we have grown to be a well-recognized and respected global professional association. Our members span the entire world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and bring with them a wealth of collective knowledge and experience. But no matter where in the world you operate, membership in the BBA means you stand for quality, integrity, professionalism.  

This is one of the biggest myths in the industry and we like to break it at every opportunity because quite frankly we are sick of it. So please take note. Not, all CPOs are not the James Bond types that we get stereotyped as. No, we are not a certain age, category or type. And most certainly, we are not a profession of made up of only males. Again, and again, its these false myths that give the profession its reputation. Our BBA membership ranges the entire span of age groups and includes all genders because the reality in the industry is that there are all sorts of jobs in security from door security, to dog handlers, from cybercrime protection to press protection, to butlers, nannies, and beyond. There is not one type of CPO profile because there is not just one type of role in security.  

That’s okay by us. We know the Association is NOT for everyone. There are some who might be happy coasting by in their jobs. And we acknowledge there’s nothing wrong with that. . . if that is what you’re after.

BBA members are not job-to-job operators. They are career CPOs who are dedicated to their craft. It is for those operators who are seriously committed and passionate about security as a profession. They give 110% to stay at the leading edge of their profession and attend conferences, events, and trainings. They network with other professionals and read up on the latest industry news and information because they know that in security, what you don’t know can hurt you.  

You tell us. How much do you want to commit to being recognized and respected as a professional, best-in-class CPO? It’s true that the reputation and standards that the BBA upholds speaks to a certain class of operator. And while we can tell you about all the great benefits of being a part of a recognized and respected body until we’re blue in the face, but ultimately the decision of whether you take yourself and your choice of career and profession as seriously as we do is completely yours.