Bodyguard is highly trained professionals who offer his clients protection from bodily injury, kidnapping, assassination, assault, harassment, stalking, or embarrassment. Their main clientele is celebrities, politicians, government big shots, and wealthy families - people that may be targets of violence or harassment.
Till the middle of the 20th Century, the services of the Body Guard were limited to the defence or paramilitary forces as personal of these services were involved in providing personal security to the state heads lime Prime Ministers and Presidents and few important Government and Defense personnel. But with rising political unrest, the increase of violence throughout the world, establishing of organized criminal and terrorist groups more people are taking on bodyguards to protect themselves and their families from being kidnapped and attacked. Thus the number of bodyguard jobs has increased with the need to increased security for all types of circumstances.
Professional bodyguards also known as close protection officers are apt in handling machine guns, perform evasive driving in armoured cars, or use martial arts skills to fend off four to six bad elements at a time. They are keen observers of security issues with their excellent hearing and vision. They are usually strong and physically fit. Bodyguards assess threats and deal with them as necessary.
A bodyguard's job title and responsibilities may change regularly. They may work as a personal assistant and driver. The job is to do what the client says, use confidentiality and discretion, and offer protection. To do their work effectively they take bodyguard training courses where they learn about close protection, anti-terrorism techniques, first aid, risk assessment, weapons disarming, unarmed combat, counter surveillance, dispute resolution, advanced driving techniques, and conflict avoidance. Some carry a weapon, while others are trained in martial arts. The more training and experience a bodyguard has the better he is in handling the tough situation. With the growing demand for bodyguards, there is a greater need for those who are well trained.
As the profession involves a risk to their own life they are respected highly in society for their work. To do the job in an effective manner they require proper training offered by various training institutes in India and Abroad.
Body Guard Eligibility
Age Limits
To become a Body Guard one must be at least of the age of 18 years.
Educational Qualification
The aspirant should be at least graduate. Good knowledge of local language and few national and International languages will be an added advantage.
Fitness Requirements
A bodyguard needs to be in good physical condition. You should be able to move quickly as well as run and stand for long periods of time. To maintain your fitness level, you should exercise regularly.
Training Requirements
Knowing how to defend yourself and your client is one of the most important skills a bodyguard can have. A bodyguard should be able to protect his or her client from three to four armed or unarmed assailants. For this, he must have the proper training of:
- Self-defence.
- Martial arts.
- Close combat.
- Advanced weapons disarming.
- Anti-ambush procedures.
- Anti-terrorism training.
- Threat assessment.
- Security procedures.
- Defensive driving techniques.
Desired Background Requirements
Although there are no concrete rules for certain specific background and experience you must have to become a bodyguard yet with the following background it becomes easy to get the job and acclimatize with its requirements of the services to be provided:
- Military intelligence.
- Law enforcement.
- Government security or government intelligence.
- Other high-level security positions.
How to become a Body Guard?
There are no specific courses or certification mandatory for taking the job of a Body Guard. If an aspiring candidate has any kind of security services background he can tie up with the agencies in the field providing this kind of jobs. In case one is not from security or defence services but otherwise meet the requirement as mentioned above then he can go for some basic training courses provided by some training centres throughout the world and can look of employment once armed with the necessary training and certification.
Body Guard Job Description
Work of a Body Guard primarily relates to safeguarding his client from any kind of bodily injury, kidnapping, assassination, assault, harassment, stalking, or embarrassment. For this may have to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They must be prepared to accommodate their client at all times. This includes travelling to all parts of the world in varying conditions. He faces exciting, dangerous and even life-threatening situations. To protect his client, the bodyguard must be willing to risk his or her own well-being at a moment's notice.
Body Guard Career Prospects
There are scores of benefits to becoming a bodyguard as one spending time with celebrities and VIPs, frequent change of location to keep work challenging, interesting besides good salaries.
Body Guard Salary
Salaries for bodyguard's job do vary as experienced bodyguards can earn around Rs.6,00,000 a year. Bodyguards, who work for VIPs or other people with high-security threats against them, can earn over Rs.10,00,000 a year. In fact the greater the threat to the person you are protecting, the more money you will earn by keeping them safe.
