Recession Proof Careers: Security Jobs

If you're about ready to go to college or thinking of changing careers, you may wonder if any job is safe, because more than eight million Americans lost their jobs during the current recession. There are "recession proof" jobs that are relatively safe to have--even during bad economic times, and this article will discuss one safe career field: security jobs.

No matter how bad the economy gets, can you imagine America not needing, police officers, sheriff's deputies, state highway patrol men and women, and other law enforcement officials? Crime doesn't take a vacation when times are bad. Can you imagine not needing firemen? Do you think we will ever not need night watchmen to guard businesses? There will never be a time when America will not need customs agents and other officials, even home security officials, to protect our borders, and the need is greater because of what happened on September 11, 2001. Some believe the need for security personnel in stores will be even greater in a bad economy. Security jobs may always be "recession proof."

In fact, during the 2000's there has often been a shortage of police officers and firemen in the United States, according to an article in usatoday.com. Jayne Campbell, the mayor of Houston when the 2004 article was printed, noted that police officers and firemen would be critical if America were again attacked by terrorists in a way as bad or worse as September 11, 2001.

The article pointed out, however, that some financially strapped cities cannot afford to hire as many law enforcement officials and firemen as they really need--even though other cities have vacancies they want to but cannot fill. At the same time, according to the article, the National Fire Protection Association said that 2/3 of the nation's fire departments are understaffed. The problem is worse in rural departments. Even some big cities, which would be more likely be the target of terrorist attacks, are not adequately staffed.

New York and Houston have had to closer firehouses. In other cities, the response times are slower because there are not enough firefighters.

Despite that problem, however, the website, www.lawprofessorstypepad.com, noted that 80% of the country's state and local law enforcement agencies have vacancies they cannot fill--vacancies that could be solved by paying for the education of law enforcement students, such as the Law Enforcement Education Program, which paid for 300,000 law enforcement students to attend college.

Do you want to be in law enforcement? The outlook is still bright in many areas--even though some areas can't afford to hire enough peace officers.

After September 11, 2001, can you imagine the need for employees for the Department of Homeland Security to ever decrease? The website, www.govcentral.monster.com reported employees are needed to protect America to work for the Department, other government agencies, and the military in such positions as: emergency medical positions (average salary $42,000, 42,000 people needed); security guards ($25,000, 387,000 people needed); detectives and criminal investigators ($43,000, 42,000 people needed); transportation inspectors ($43,000 13,000 people needed); and firefighters ($40,000, 152,000 needed).

The website also lists general education requirements and tells how to apply.

Another security job need that is increasing, not decreasing, in a bad economy is the need for computer forensic investigators. The FBI, large police units, and others hire just such people to use their knowledge of computers and forensics to catch online criminals.

If you're looking for a "recession proof" career, you might want to consider law enforcement.

Citations:

Recession Proof Industries, no author listed, Socyberty.com
Police, fire departments see shortages across USA, Mimi Hall, Usatoday.com

Solving Police Shortage: Fed Government Could Pay for Cops to go to College, no author listed, Lawprofessors.typepad.com

Growing Federal Jobs: Homeland Security, no author listed, Govcentral.monster.com

Law & Justice Career: Computer Forensic Investigator, no author listed, Squidoo.com