Close Protection Jobs, Mastering the Application Process

As a CV writer for the security industry since 2010, and owner of an operational security company, it is clear that those security operators who master the CV and application process can put themselves well ahead of their peers when it comes to finding close protection jobs. Even putting themselves ahead of operators with more experience than them, if those more experienced operators can’t translate their experience effectively onto a CV.

The 90% Rule

90% of CV’s are really poor and are not getting read in detail. Check out our CV hard truths here. The positive side of that, is that if you get your CV into the 10% that are of a decent standard, you can give yourself the best chance of getting the close protection jobs that you’re applying for, and it’s really not difficult.

For the roles that most close protection licensed operators are applying for, you can conservatively expect around 100+ application for each close protection or residential security operator role. So completion is fierce.

Try to understand the recruitment process

Try and put yourself in the position of the recruiter who is advertising close protection jobs, and understand what they are looking for. If you received 100+ CV’s in what is an already busy recruitment role, how would you manage this?

There’s no way that the recruiter can read all of the CV’s that they receive in detail. So what the recruiter has to do is get that huge pile of 100+ CV’s reduced into a more manageable pile of CV’s to be read in detail. So to start with, a recruiter will spend five to ten seconds maximum working out whether they want to read the CV in detail.

How does a recruiter reduce the pile of CV’s into a more manageable pile to read in detail?

Firstly the process is quite brutal.

If you open a CV, and it looks to hard to extract information from, then it is deleted straight away. The Information that you are looking to extract, is the information required in the job description. So for example:

CV Formatting

If the CV has got some crazy formatting that is all over the place, like lots of different boxes, fonts types and sizes, and colours which draw your attention all over and is distracting. Then you can assume it will be too hard to extract information from that CV and you delete it.

Large blocks of writing 

If the CV has got large blocks of writing that is not split up into bullet points, again you know it’s going to be hard to extract information from, so it can be deleted.

Over two pages in length

If the CV is over two pages in length, obviously the longer it is, the more time it will take to read, and your aim at this stage is to reduce the amount of CV’s that you have to read, so long CV’s obviously contradict that aim. 

Plus a long CV says something about the applicant’s ability to communicate effectively and concisely.

So if your CV is poorly formatted, has large blocks of writing, and is too long, it’s likely that your CV is getting deleted most of the time and is not being read in detail.

How do ensure your CV looks easy to extract information from?

It’s actually quite easy. Use a simple straight forward CV template. Use bullet points to split up large blocks of writing to make them easier to read. Then to reduce your CV to two pages, remove the information that adds the least value to the CV.

How do you improve the chance of your CV being read?

Conversely, the easiest way when applying for close protection jobs, to ensure that your CV is moved from that large pile of CV’s into the more manageable pile of CV’s to be read in detail, is to address the points we have just focussed on. But importantly, by having a well written profile. The CV profile is the section at the top of the CV, which summarises your whole CV. A well written profile can be enough to get your CV into the more manageable pile of CV’s to be read in detail, without the recruiter having to read any further past your profile section of the CV.

As the article highlighted earlier, the information that the recruiter is looking for, is the Information required in the job description.

So if the job description says you need to be CP operator, with FREC 3, two years experience in the industry, and an advanced driving qual. Then you need to ensure that this information is within your CV profile section right at the top of your CV, because that is what the recruiter is looking for. 

Ok so you’ve sorted your CV, what next?

So if you have the prerequisites that the recruiter is looking for as per the close protection jobs description. Your CV is formatted correctly, and you have a well written profile. That is what the recruiter is looking for, so you put yourself in a good position to have your CV moved from that large pile of CV’s, into the more manageable pile to be read in detail. 

Don’t send unnecessary attachments

What can also be off putting for a recruiter who is advertising close protection jobs, is when you receive a CV, but the person applying for the job sends in course certificates, a passport scan, references, and endless unnecessary attachments with their CV. Again, as a recruiter you haven’t got time to go wading through unnecessary random documents, just to find the CV. So the applicant might have a great CV, but you’ve just made it too difficult for the recruiter to find your CV amongst all of the other unnecessary attachments that you have sent in.

All this other information is only relevant to the person who will be offered the role, so it’s not something that you need to send in at the application stage.

If the job advert says send a CV, just send a CV. If the advert says send a CV and a head shot, just send a CV and a headshot.

How do you work out which jobs to apply for?

From an applications perspective, less is more. It’s about quality applications over quantity. Most people are sending out the same untailored CV over and over again and doing it badly. They have an approach that the more jobs that they apply for, the more likely they are to land one at some point. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Back to the 90% rule, most people are sending the same untailored CV out to any job they see, every single time. Which for the 10% that do put the effort in, it can be much more rewarding. If you can master this application process, you will be really successful in getting the jobs you want.

Be specific about the jobs you want

So rather than applying for every job you see, be more specific about the close protection jobs that you think you would be more likely to get. If you think about the 100+ people applying for each role, within that 100+ people, there will be operators that have all of the prerequisites required by the job description. So if you don’t have the prerequisites required, you don’t meet the recruitment criteria, just don’t apply as it’s not worth your time. This is what most people do, they don’t meet the criteria, but they apply anyway, by sending the same poor CV off time and time again.

So for example, If you’ve got an eight hour day to focus on getting a job. You are much better off applying for four jobs that you are the right fit for and taking two hours on each application, and using a quality application approach. Rather than sending a CV out to 20 potential jobs, but doing it badly.

Wait for the jobs that you are suited to

What you should do is wait for the job where you have all of the prerequisites required by the job description, or at least 90%. Then spend quality time on this application and ensure you tailor your CV to the job description. To do this, you highlight everything that is required in the job description and write that into your CV. Ensuring that the key requirements in the job description are written into your profile section at the top of your CV.

So what you will end up with is a master CV, then a folder of other CV’s that you have tailored to each job description. 

Cover emails 

Your cover email is in effect like your CV profile, but written in a slightly more formal manner. So your cover email gives a high level summary of you. But again, make sure that if the job description says they are looking for a CP operator, FREC 3, two years in the industry and an advanced driving qual, that this is very clear on your cover email.

Cover emails don’t have to be long, just a few short paragraphs to introduce yourself.

The 1% club

The number one way to get yourself employment, is to get out there and meet the people who have the potential to offer you close protection jobs. It’s so much easier as a recruiter to put someone on a job if you have met them before. Face to face is great, but actually a WhatsApp video call can be just as effective. Coming back to the percentages, very few operators do this, less than 1% of people. So if you want to stand out in a very crowded employment industry, this is the most effective way to do it.

Mastering the application process

To master the application process, do this!!

• Use a simple straight forward CV template
• Use bullet points rather than large blocks of writing on your CV
• Ensure that your CV is not over two pages in length 
• Only send what the recruiter has asked for, not loads of unnecessary attachments 
• Focus on quality applications, over quantity
• Tailor your CV to the job description every single time you apply for a job
• Use a short cover email
• Follow up your application with a phone call

For loads of free CV and employment advice, visit our Facebook page, The Security Advisor

Last reviewed: September 2026

About the author

Tom Richmond is a safety and security subject matter expert with sixteen years of international consultancy and management experience. He served for seven years as a commissioned Army Officer in the Royal Military Police.

His qualifications include the NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, a Level 7 Diploma in Security Management, and a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. He is also an IFSM Fire Safety Professional and an HSE trained Principal Designer.

Contact Security and Safety Solutions for a confidential consultation.