The short version. To become a bodyguard: (1) learn what the job really is; (2) take a reputable executive protection course, at least a week long, from a school you’ve vetted; (3) get licensed where you’ll work; (4) build experience in security roles that lead to protection work; (5) network and protect your reputation, because most details are filled by word of mouth. Expect it to take years, not weeks.
I’m Harlan “Hucky” Austin. I was recruited onto Prince’s protection detail at 21 and spent a 25-year career doing detail leader and advance work for celebrities and corporate executives. People have been asking me how to get into this business for as long as I’ve been in it. Years ago, a man recognized me downtown and asked how he could become a celebrity bodyguard. After I gave him the quick version, my friend asked why I was handing out that advice one person at a time instead of writing it down. That conversation is part of why this site exists. Here is the long version.
1. Understand what the job really is
Being a bodyguard is not standing next to a famous person looking tough. It’s planning routes, calling the hotel’s security director before you arrive, inspecting the suite, knowing the layout of every venue, and keeping your principal’s day running without becoming the center of attention. Much of it is mundane. Read what executive protection actually is and why the career might not suit you before you spend a dollar.
2. Get real training, from a school you’ve checked out
Formal training matters. Without it you will have a hard time getting hired by a team or as an individual. But training alone doesn’t make you a protector. What sets you apart is being able to apply what you learned on a real assignment, so look for programs with practical exercises: formations, motorcades, site advances.
Do your homework first. That is your first assignment in this career. The most basic course is at least a week of coursework, and no school can promise you a job when it ends. I wrote a full checklist on how to vet an executive protection school, and there’s more on what a good training course covers.
Training doesn’t stop after one course, either. There is licensing, new technology and new procedures to learn, and you never really stop sharpening your skills.
3. Get licensed where you plan to work
Security, private investigator and firearms licenses are set by each state and country, and the rules differ a lot. Before you pay for a course or accept an armed assignment, check the licensing board in the state where you’ll work.
4. Build experience that leads to protection work
The first question on any assignment call is your background. Law enforcement or military experience puts you ahead. If you don’t have it, you build it:
- Uniformed security. It’s an entry point into the private security industry and a place to prove you’re reliable.
- Loss prevention. Retail loss prevention teaches surveillance and the wider side of security.
- Executive assistant roles. If you want to join a corporate protection team and they tell you to come back with more experience, working close to executives shows you how they live and work.
Whatever the role, be an asset. Owners of protection companies have told me again and again that what counts is whether you can apply your skills in the real world.
5. Network, and guard your reputation
This industry is tightly knit. Many jobs are never posted; they come through people who have worked with you or heard about you. Go to conferences and seminars, join the forums, and make friends in training. When you apply, write a real cover letter for each person or firm. Anyone who has hired protectors for a few years recognizes a form letter immediately.
Your reputation is your most valuable asset. It can carry you forward or stop you cold.
What bodyguards earn
Starting pay is closer to security-guard pay than to the numbers in the movies, and it climbs with experience and reputation. See the sourced figures in bodyguard salary: how much do bodyguards make. And be patient. Expect to work for less at the beginning while you get real-world experience. You don’t start at the top.
Red flags on the way in
Never pay a placement fee to get a job, and never pay for your own background check. If the hiring company wants you, it handles the background check. Be wary of anyone offering $100,000 jobs to beginners, “training plus guaranteed placement” packages, and companies that do business from a Gmail or Yahoo address. The full list of red flags is here.
How I got in
I grew up in Minneapolis. My best friend was BrownMark, bass player for Prince & The Revolution, and I sat in on rehearsals in the early ’80s. That’s where I got to know Prince’s bodyguard, Big Chick. He became my mentor and recruited me, and at 21 I joined Prince’s entourage. My first assignment, in the summer of 1984, was taking Prince to Los Angeles, and I wasn’t ready for it. A veteran security driver named Murray Levy saved me from my own mistakes and taught me advance work on the fly. That story is here, and so is the one about Big Chick, the man who taught me the job.
The lesson I took from it, and from 25 years since: nobody walks into this work ready. You get ready by training, listening to people who’ve done it, and doing it.
Keep reading
- How to become a private bodyguard: an 11-point guide
- Getting started in executive protection (for people without a police or military background)
- 11 skills needed to become an executive protection agent
- The top 10 qualities of a good executive protection agent
- Executive protection training: the path to becoming a highly skilled protector
- 13 things needed to help you become a personal bodyguard
- How do I become a bodyguard? and How to become a bodyguard, both by Doc Rogers
- Must-have qualities for a bodyguard, by Doc Rogers
Frequently asked questions
Do you need military or police experience to become a bodyguard?
No, but it helps. Employers rate law enforcement and military backgrounds highly. Without them you build credibility another way: uniformed security, loss prevention or an executive assistant role near the people you want to protect, plus solid training and a clean reputation.
How long does it take to become a bodyguard?
Even the most basic executive protection course is at least a week of coursework, and that only scratches the surface. Expect a few years of real assignments before your reputation and résumé are strong enough for the high-paying details.
Can a school guarantee you a bodyguard job?
No. No program can promise you work when you finish the coursework. If a school or placement service guarantees a job, or asks you for a placement fee, walk away.
Do bodyguards need a license?
Often, yes. Security, private investigator and firearms licensing rules are set by each state and country, and they change. Check the licensing board where you plan to work before you pay for training or take an armed assignment.