March 27, 2008
By Head Jundi
Well, for my first “how to” story, I thought I would write a little something about security contractor forums and how to use them. Where do you go to learn about security contracting, and specifically, high threat security contracting in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? With these links and tips, I hope to show you how.
So let me start out by posting a few forums and web sites, that the reader can start out with. There are others, and please feel free to post in the comments section any of the ones I am missing. I will be constantly adding to my blogroll as well.
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www.tacticalforums.com
Go to the Executive Protection section. This forum discusses more domestic work as opposed to international. This is the first forum I found, when I first started researching this stuff, and the posts by Kensho, Kirian, and others are awesome.
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Go all the way to the bottom of the Forum Index page and you will find “International Jobs” and “Domestic Jobs”. Check out both.
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This site has all sorts of areas to check out, and it is all good. Check out the High Risk Operators section and the Executive Protection sections.
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www.getoffthex.com
This site is great as well. They have a High Risk Operators section and Executive Protection sections as well.
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www.lightfighter.net
Lightfighter is a great site to research about gear and guns for security contracting. They have a section in the forum called PMC Discussion.
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http://www.civiliancontractorjobs.com/
This is a great little site and forum dedicated to the industry.
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This site is free, and offers a great service for jobs.
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I highly recommend signing up with this group, if you are looking for security related jobs. Go to the job seeker link, and sign up with their Yahoo jobs group. It is that easy.
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I mention these forums, because they were instrumental on how I learned about the business and for getting info about the latest jobs available. My advice with these forums is to register(use a username that is respectful and will not label you as an idiot), introduce yourself(do not lie about what your background is or inflate it with bullshit- you will be flamed and possibly banned from these sites for this kind of stuff), and just read through the archives for a bit. Use the search function of these forums to find the information you want. When all your searches have been exhausted, and you just can’t find that answer, then post a question.
This is the tricky part. The best way to post questions on these forums is to first show total respect with your question and statements. Be specific with your question and make sure you tell the board that you did a search and could not find the answer to this question. Keep the question limited to a few questions per thread, and allow some time for the question to be fully answered by the board(this could take a few days, in some cases)
If it is a question that might violate OPSEC(operational security) or PERSEC(personal security), then just PM one of the various veterans or moderators on that board and ask them privately. You can always ask the moderators of these forums first if the question is appropriate, which is highly advised.
I emphasize “respectful” because you are dealing with individuals on those boards that do not put up with bullshit. If you want respect, and to get answers to your questions, then you have to give some respect. Just read these forums I have listed first, and get an idea on what is acceptable and what is not.
But when it comes to getting a job, “tact” is an important part of interacting on those forums and getting the info you need. This is the reality of the industry and that is how it goes. The cliched proverb that comes to mind is “you get more bees with honey than with vinegar” or something like that.
The other pearl of wisdom that I want to put out, and I can’t emphasize this enough. Hook a brother up!!!!
The best thing you can do for yourself in this industry, is help other guys and gals get a job. I will explain.
Every time you help someone get a job, by sending them information or giving them a contact, then that is one more guy or gal out there that owes you a favor. Kind of.(sometimes people hook you up in the future, and sometimes they don’t)
But one thing is for sure, you hook up enough “good” people with jobs, then eventually your odds of getting a job through all those hook ups increase in the future. I say “good”, because hooking up idiots in the industry with jobs, only hurts your reputation in the industry and could put teams through hell. Worse yet, if the guy you recommended, killed someone or hurt someone because they were absolute idiots, then that only makes you look like shit. Be careful, and take mental notes about those that you have worked with or heard about.
Although, you can hook up the readers with job info, not knowing who you are hooking up. I like to do this as a service to the industry and friends, and that only helps you out in the long run. If you hear about something, then put it out there and hook a brother up.
I also like to help anyone that asks, via private messages(PM) or emails. I don’t mind that kind of thing, because yet again, that guy or gal you gave information to, could turn around and hook you up with a job in the future. Just be careful who you are talking to, and always be wary of OPSEC and PERSEC issues surrounding your discussion. But most job stuff is all open source any ways. Just be careful.
Further more, it is so important to not be “that guy” out there. Work hard, be on time and ready to work, play well with others, contribute positively to the team and be a leader. Commonsense stuff really, but you would be amazed at the amount of idiots out there, that are operating in this industry and giving it a bad name. Don’t be like them.
Other than that, enjoy. Knowledge is power.