OCCUPATION: SECURITY GUARD

Name: Alec Watson Company: Burns International Security Services/Ricoh Electronics Thumbs up: “It keeps me out of trouble. I’m 74 now--it’s a badge of honor. But when I first retired, I was home and all my wife and I were doing was rearranging furniture. She got me a job. I’ve been a security guard for several years . . . about a year and a half at Ricoh. Ricoh is a very good, very diversified place to work. It’s busy and the people are nice. It’s all about being a deterrent. It also helps because I am on Social Security. The wee bit of extra money comes in handy.” Thumbs down: “Saddest part about the job is when people come looking for work, and I have to tell them there’s nothing.” Next step: “I’ll probably stay here like an old horse. It’s very pleasant work.” Advice: “No. 1, you must like people because you deal with people all day long, and you represent the company.” Salary range: In Orange County, security guards earn between $5 and $15 hourly. Fringe benefits: Most security guards receive paid vacation, medical and life insurance. Hours: Full-time, 40-hour workweek on all shifts, though part-time work is available. Educational and training requirements: Uniformed contract guards and armed in-house guards must be registered with the Department of Consumer Affairs. Uniformed guards who carry a firearm also need a firearms qualification card. To obtain this card, guards must be fully registered and pass a 14-hour firearms training course; guards who carry either batons or chemical agents, such as tear gas, must complete separate training courses for each of these weapons. Size of work force: Very large. In Orange County, between 7,700 and 9,300 people, or 0.7% of the labor force, work as security guards. Expected demand: Employers expect a faster-than-average growth rate. Employers report a shortage of employees for graveyard and swing shift. Job description: Security guards stand at entrance or exit gates, walk around premises of businesses, industries or private residences; they guard property against fire, theft, vandalism or illegal entry. Major employing industries: Professional security agencies, shopping facilities, apartments, local government, hospitals and the tourist industry. Advancement: Limited promotional opportunities exist. Guards with specialized experience or education may transfer to police jobs, administrative jobs, or open their own agencies. For more information: To find out about registration or the firearms qualifications card, call the Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Collection and Investigative Services’ 24-hour automated line at (213) 897-3815. For more information about the profession, call the American Federation of Guards, Local No. 1 at (213) 387-3127(. Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times