Tue, 14 Jan 2025

Do you want to work in the security world in Iraq?

Do you want to work in the security world in Iraq? We get many emails and messages on LinkedIn seeking employment.

It’s a tough market in the Security industry now, with many people applying for a single position, however there are some common mistake people keep making.

If you are looking for a job in Iraq, look at these points and tips, many are obvious, but given the amount of people we see making the same mistakes we thought we’d write this!

First Impressions

Your time to shine, you only get one chance at this, this may be a surprise to some, but we get many messages along the lines of “Hi Mate” or “Do you have jobs?”

This is not professional, we are looking for the best and brightest, someone able to converse correctly with clients, someone that is able to present themselves well, think about how to introduce yourself correctly, communication is one of the most vital protective security skills, get it right!

Don’t be boastful

Unbelievably, we receive messages along these lines “Look at my profile, I’m the best security consultant around”, “If you want the best, I’m it”, we genuinely receive messages like this.

We even get people sending us pictures of themselves posing with guns, on duty, with clients.

Who do you think we have managing the company? A 14-year-old boy? We are not impressed by your pictures of guns or your gym photos.

Resume

Your resume should be clear, highlight your skills and experiences and show us what you can bring to the table.

We don’t need to know your marital status, religion or the fact you enjoy hiking.

With regards to qualifications in the industry, stop with the low hanging fruit, John Wick weapons courses, super ninja knife fighter training, sure, it’s probably fun, but most in security are lacking in the areas of Risk Analysis, Security Risk management and even the ability to write a simple set of SOP’s or conduct an Security assessment. Work on these areas. The industry needs this.

Cover Letter

This is an opportunity to show your writing skills, to tell us what you know, as above, don’t be boastful, sell yourself, provide evidence of outcomes, something tangible that showcases your ability, if you don’t yet have this, at the beginning of your career then evidence your ability to learn, write something about the place you wish to work, send an example of how you write assessments or a summary of a global security event. Think outside the box!

Post Useful content

There are many on LinkedIn that post useful information based on life experience or current global events, this is a great way to be noticed, don’t be scared to do this, maybe you’ll write badly at first, just practice, keep going, everyone loves useful information.

Avoid falling into the trap of commenting on clickbait, being negative, calling people out on subjects you don’t really understand and posting blog posts and security reports from Chat GPT, it’s so obvious.

Be yourself and build your own brand.

Be Inquisitive

Sometimes we receive mails from people asking for advice, we will always try to help, most people will if you are courteous and kind, we all started at the beginning, there is no harm in asking questions and if you want to learn, the fastest way is to ask someone who knows.

Study your area of operations

So, you want to work in Iraq? What do you know about the place? Do you follow the politics, speak any Arabic, do you understand the history? Can you name key organisations, factions, members of the government?

These are all useful things to be able to do, and not just for Iraq, anywhere, devote 30 minutes a day to studying your preferred location as a starting point, this alone puts you ahead of the majority.

Treat rejection as learning

Try not to be disheartened or angry, as above, this is a competitive industry and there are people on the circuit that have been doing it a long time, learn from the experience, grow and don’t be afraid to try something new. While security in challenging environments is an interesting career, there are plenty of others!