Security guard and Aspergers?

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So basically I am looking at becoming a security guard. Basically the type of security guard I want to be is a non armed security guard. I am wondering if anyone has done security guard work? Would it be a good fit for a person with Asperger's syndrome? The thing I'm worried about is having to deal with people. Where I live a lot of the security guard positions are where you're around customers a lot. Like at a mall or at a bar or for events like concerts and trade fairs. Is being able to read body language a big part of security?

There is also a lot of armed position but I really don't want the responsibility of having to carry a gun.

Thank you

I've learned that what makes a good job for someone with Asperger's varies a great deal--what might be perfect for you can be boring or overstimulating to someone else--even if it is the exact same job. Same thing with jobs--you might have the same job title as someone else, but if you can work in a nice quiet office with a door, it may be an entirely different experience than working in a noisy cubical with overly social co-workers.

In the UK we support police officers with Aspergers, and there are quite a few of them out there. Yes, you can have AS and be a security guard - once you get used to dealing with the public and find a style of communication that suits you and works, you'll be fine.

I tend to think you need social and communicative skills being a security guard and able to detect suspicious behaviour from others. That could be difficult for someone on the autism spectrum.

There are courses for being a security guard. I could follow such a course and pass the related exam and not be able to be a security guard.

But there might be various types of security guard. An online or computer security guard is actually a system manager and for that I could be suited.

I used to be a commercial driver and dealt with security people at guard shacks. They let drivers in and out or signed paperwork. Otherwise, they seemed to have lot's of downtime or they did rounds walking the property.

If you can find guard work like that it might be ideal for you. You might have to look for night work though.

I'd love to be a security guard. It's a simple job that doesn't require much effort.

I'd think you would need fewer social interaction skills doing the night shift.

I agree that working night shift as a security gaurd would be ideal for you.

During my undergraduate years, I worked as a security guard in a variety of contexts. It is usually a relatively-easy job to find, and it fit well around my schedules.

As has been pointed out, the options of working in different locations and different shifts will make it more likely you can find a good "match" for what you do well--but it might work out that this just isn't a job you want to do. Some positions require dealing well with the public in what are often stressful or upsetting times for them. Other positions may mean you work alone and seldom, if ever, encounter anyone other than the people on the shifts before and after yours.

You can kind of sort security jobs into two categories. In one category will be jobs where your ability to deal with the public is a major, if not prime, consideration. This category would include positions at businesses or offices when they are open for business, or at stadiums/concert venues, as well as jobs like "doorman" at a bar or nightclub. You interact with people much more in these jobs, and will often be answering questions or attempting to resolve problems. (I generally tried to avoid these positions, but have to admit that being a doorman/bouncer was one of the more entertaining jobs I've had over the years.)

In the other category, your ability to perform tasks according to a timetable and to make correct decisions in a timely fashion, will be much more important. Examples of these would include factory security (particularly during times when the factory is not working), access security (like at a guard shack as Videodrome described), and warehouse security (often nothing more than walking around and checking that doors are locked, no one has gained unauthorized access, and no fires have broken out).

Jobs like overnight security at museums or libraries often combine aspects of both: you may be alone much of the time, but have to deal with the public at the start or end of your shift.

Around here, most security positions are with contractors: companies who contract with businesses etc to provide security staff. Unless you are "in-house" security (i.e., your employer is the company or institution you are guarding), pay and benefits tend to be fairly low. This can make it easier to get an entry-level position, and gain experience to increase your chances of getting a job as in-house security.

Sometimes it can be very stressful, other times it can be mind-numbingly boring (sometimes in the same shift).

Jim

Some Aspies can handle the stress better than NTs--in some jobs all you need to is follow the rules exactly as laid out when the stressful situation arises--NTs get in trouble for "interpreting" the rules.

I currently work as a security guard 32 hours a week on second shift at a CAT facility. Very easy work, $12.50/hr. I see very few people after 5 pm. I think second or third shift security is a great choice for an ASD person. Companies like Securitas are always hiring. Very low pace and no stress most of the time.

Agree with the other people who suggested the night shift. My father in law was put on night security at a manufacturing plant before he retired some years back. I think he made in the neighborhood of what waynet7 said. Possibly a dollar or two more, but he had worked for that plant for literally 40 years.

He walked a circuit of the plant a few times a night. A circuit was about a mile. He was just supposed to make sure all the doors were shut and none of the boilers were about to blow. He'd bring his various hobby items in there to do between circuits, like woodworking and building musical instruments. He seemed to be having a fine ol' time. I don't think he had much interaction with other people because there was no third shift at that time.

I've been working the night shift for quite a long time.

It's actually a very good shift for people with autism. Much less sensory crap happens after 5 PM.

I have a very Aspie (albeit undiagnosed) friend who worked for several years as a security guard.

He disliked the work. Some of it was that he got bored sitting in a guard booth 40 hours a week ("Bring a book," we said). Some of it was purely attitudinal-- he'd been raised to look down on unskilled labor in general, and the job wasn't prestigious enough to suit him. "Lower your nose," we said.

It was an OK job for him. Other than his attitude, he had no problems performing what was asked of him and no job stress.

Rather than stressing about reading body language in the interest of prevention, memorize the rules. What behaviors are allowed, what behaviors are not allowed, and when to make an exception. For example, "No running in the mall" does not mean that you need to crack down on the parent struggling to rein in two active preschoolers, at least as long as s/he's trying. It does mean you need to crack down on the gang of teenagers sprinting between Spencer's and Hot Topic.

If you don't spazz about it, you will with time and observation get a feel for the difference between a shy person who's aggressively window shopping and someone furtively looking for the opportunity to jam merchandise into pocket.

Other than inventory control/theft prevention, your job is to respectfully enforce the rules and look out for public safety. You can do that, I have confidence.