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SIA - Working with an agency

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2.4K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  mikep81  
#1 ·
Considering getting a job within the security industry, preferably with an agency as im under impression i have more flexibility with my hours and what not.

I've a few questoins though, as i'll be working with an agency does this mean i'm contract to x amount of hours (or is this dependant). Reason is, next year i wanna work abroad for 2-4 months and if its contracted it'll mean i'd have to quit.

Secondly, do you have to be 21 to work on the doors or is that dependant upon if its a 21+ bar?

Thirdly, planning getting training funded via Job seekers or income based support benefits, if this fails, how much does training usually cost.

I don't know a great deal about it too much, all my friends who are security guards became SIA via JSA and are thick as f00k and ridiculously unfit.

Thanks for advice :D
 
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#2 ·
To get a door badge you need to be 18. I was 18 when I started and was working 21+ bars, its at the manager of the venues discretion.

You will register not with an agency but a company and its usually on an adhoc basis until you get a regular spot. Then you go via your head doorman, if your off on holiday or want to leave, tell him and he will find someone else to fill your spot. Your not contracted to set months etc.

As far as pay goes, if cash in hand you need to arrange to pay your own tax and NI as self employed.

I run a company, before I take on anyone I get them to do 2 free nights for the experience and for me to suss them out. I had one guy take a slap and nearly **** himself once.

Ask your adviser at the jobcentre, they will arrange training and in majority of cases badge. If not, training is about 150 and badge near 300 odd iirc. I get loads coming to me from the jobcentre, 95% are jacket fillers that shouldnt even bother!
 
#3 ·
Waheed_Akhtar said:
To get a door badge you need to be 18. I was 18 when I started and was working 21+ bars, its at the manager of the venues discretion.

You will register not with an agency but a company and its usually on an adhoc basis until you get a regular spot. Then you go via your head doorman, if your off on holiday or want to leave, tell him and he will find someone else to fill your spot. Your not contracted to set months etc.

As far as pay goes, if cash in hand you need to arrange to pay your own tax and NI as self employed.

I run a company, before I take on anyone I get them to do 2 free nights for the experience and for me to suss them out. I had one guy take a slap and nearly **** himself once.

Ask your adviser at the jobcentre, they will arrange training and in majority of cases badge. If not, training is about 150 and badge near 300 odd iirc. I get loads coming to me from the jobcentre, 95% are jacket fillers that shouldnt even bother!
Tbh I've worked doors for like 2 years. And tbh I took a break from it for a few months atm due to health issues. But all these crappy companies are offering crap wages ÂŁ7-ÂŁ8. I'd never work for less then ÂŁ10 an hour. I was getting ÂŁ11 an hour for standing on door myself, piece of p1sh tbh... and easy going... I'd never work 2 free nights tho LOL. It's a sh1t job I'd rather have my weekends but did it because fkn struggled to get job and took what I could. Ya n job centre is the problem because theres so many people with sia badge, thats why they lower the wages now.

Tbh you say shirt fillers? A good 60% of doormen thru my way arent big at all, not saying they are not tough but just saying they take on anyone any size any age.
 
#4 ·
think you'll find most doormen work for a security company (agency) however you dont really get that much say in when your working. You cant just pick nights as and when it suits you as tbh there isnt that much work about. in the south its pretty much a given that youll be prepared to work friday and saturday nights. very rarely will you be contracted to a number of hours. i only know of one company in the south that give contracted hours and they are pretty muc in house anyway (a bloke owns several bars and has set up his own door company to work at his venues)
 
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#5 ·
By shirtfiller I dont mean it in the physical sense, more so alot of guys down here near me anyways, do it for the chicks, to walk around like they are the man, get all their mates que jump etc. Not many decent guys left nowadays. Size is irrelevant in this game - a good head, some heart and some sort of physical ability is what makes a good DS imo

ÂŁ7-8!! FCUK that! I pay ÂŁ10 minimum, ÂŁ11-12 more experienced guys and Head DS ÂŁ13. And a one man door - no way! I refuse to entertain them in any way - ive seen too much dodgey stuff happen on one man doors.

Agree, tis a sh*t job and one which I did for 7 years before I felt I was going loony. I now just get contracts and make visits to the guys, I love my weekends too much also lol.
 
#6 ·
Waheed_Akhtar said:
By shirtfiller I dont mean it in the physical sense, more so alot of guys down here near me anyways, do it for the chicks, to walk around like they are the man, get all their mates que jump etc. Not many decent guys left nowadays. Size is irrelevant in this game - a good head, some heart and some sort of physical ability is what makes a good DS imo

ÂŁ7-8!! FCUK that! I pay ÂŁ10 minimum, ÂŁ11-12 more experienced guys and Head DS ÂŁ13. And a one man door - no way! I refuse to entertain them in any way - ive seen too much dodgey stuff happen on one man doors.

Agree, tis a sh*t job and one which I did for 7 years before I felt I was going loony. I now just get contracts and make visits to the guys, I love my weekends too much also lol.
Lol well you've got a level head on you mate, up here its awful. SGL securi group in sure your aware of? pay as low as ÂŁ7 an hour. This is common... I wouldn't work for that I said to them no danger they said ok 9.50 but don't tell any of the other guys your on that....

One man door was ok basically I worked 7pm-1am on the front door of bar, then down stairs to the club after till 3am. Fri/sat, paid good cash end of the day and kept me going... Looking at job at strippers on front door atm, hopefully can get it. Not fked about doing it for the birds I've got a gf... But I totally see where you are coming from m8, I've got mates who are literally built like twig and no fighting techniques at all and getting their SIA.

I have a very level head about me, dissolving situations well, and get on fine with everyone that comes in the place, im mates with everyone at the end of the day, if you have a good attitude to people 9 times out of 10 they will have one back. Way I see it speak to people how you want to be spoken to... I can fight as I do a fair bit of boxing for my fitness but I choose not to 9/10! as situations can be dissolved with words imo on most occasions. But yah to many people think they are the hard man and want to act tough, your always gonna get that though!
 
#7 ·
most decent agencys will have you on a proper employment contract with holidays needing booked etc but reverse is youll be entitled to holiday pay etc

if you ring this no 01228544036 theyll be able to sort your training out.

the biggest firm in newcastle is phoenix run by stevie howe most firms will start you on lowish wages and your wages will go up with experience. Some of the smaller firms still pay cash and obviously with that your less tied if your any good you should have no problem getting back into work after your trip
 
#8 ·
and why do u think doormen are getting smaller and wages worse? because the middleman or company is taking it all. so if the middleman charges the pub 15 pound per hour per man and gives you 8 pound per hour. work it out and thats why proper old school bouncers wont work. i know bouncers that was on 12pound an hour 15 years ago and didnt have to pay for a badge.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the advice.

I'm not doing this as a career, hell no (no offense to anyone who is) but, I like to mentally stimulated quite often - so im leading a career into medicine etc. For me, ÂŁ7-8 is more than i get now, i average ÂŁ7 + commission.

I was hoping to start through an agency to build contacts up, particularlly around the bars etc so i could get a place and cut the middle man out (as mentioned by rocky), also it would be nice to find a permenant place at a store/centre and again, cutr the middle man out.

Time to the ring the JSA tomorrow and tell them ^^
 
#10 ·
due to the sh*tty crisis in construction, im in the process of getting my doors licence. just passed my exams, now saving for the licence.

i will say as others have said, most people are paying less wages, i've heard of 7 quid an hour too. i'd speak to people down your gym. usually there are one or two doormen down the gym who are always looking for people to work for them now and then. i was fortunate and have been offered straight out a 15 quid an hour job on the doors. bad thing is, the place is rough as f*ck.

im sure you'l find somewhere mate!
 
#11 ·
deeppurple said:
due to the sh*tty crisis in construction, im in the process of getting my doors licence. just passed my exams, now saving for the licence.

i will say as others have said, most people are paying less wages, i've heard of 7 quid an hour too. i'd speak to people down your gym. usually there are one or two doormen down the gym who are always looking for people to work for them now and then. i was fortunate and have been offered straight out a 15 quid an hour job on the doors. bad thing is, the place is rough as f*ck.

im sure you'l find somewhere mate!
Thats pretty good, ÂŁ15 p/h.

One of the bodybuilders is a doorman, whether or not he still is, got some fame recently since winning. Have t.o admit, not suprised since he came first in amature nabba
 
#13 ·
regards rates rocky thats not entirely true the leisure industry is squeezing door agencys to get them as cheap as possible, companys now have ni contributions to pay holiday pay to cover and more exspensive insurance plus the cost of being SIA approved which can easily be in the region of ÂŁ10,000 pa. years back when it was all cash the difference between the charge rate and the wages was all profit now there are alot more operating costs for agencys granted are there are companies out there that rip their staff off but here are alot of companies just trying to make a few quid and alot of old school lads left the industry because they couldnt get badges or they didnt want to pay tax not because of agencies ripping them off good doorman will always find good work
 
#14 ·
having good size on the doors is very helpfull smaller guys get picked on alot an get less work , truth is you work on a door you have a target on your back constantly so you better be prepared to get hurt its just part of job id recommend not working in your home town cos sometimes you have to get your hands dirty a hurt people, too many guys go on doors thinking they can talk down every situation it dosent work like this a ****ed up coke head would just laugh at you with this approach you need to be strong but fair an willing to physically remove this pr**k if neccesary, also be weary of the guys your working with cos they wont allways back you up but dont mind acting tough any other time ive worked doors 6 years myself an hate the job now cos of politics an all the bs, as far as wages an rates go tell the firms wot rate you want an the hours you need but phone arround other firms too also all security companys will rip you off one way or another so be carefull other than that good luck pal
 
#15 ·
I'm planning on gaining some size before I actually work on the doors, mainly for the "fear" factor and the fact i'll have more strength behind me. Eqaully, im wanting to get some more martial art training, which is benefitial.

I dont talk down to people though, never have but the down side is everyone in my area "plays" in all the areas near me...other wise i'd have to travel really far to get there :\.
 
#17 ·
Waheed_Akhtar said:
To get a door badge you need to be 18. I was 18 when I started and was working 21+ bars, its at the manager of the venues discretion.

You will register not with an agency but a company and its usually on an adhoc basis until you get a regular spot. Then you go via your head doorman, if your off on holiday or want to leave, tell him and he will find someone else to fill your spot. Your not contracted to set months etc.

As far as pay goes, if cash in hand you need to arrange to pay your own tax and NI as self employed.

I run a company, before I take on anyone I get them to do 2 free nights for the experience and for me to suss them out. I had one guy take a slap and nearly **** himself once.

Ask your adviser at the jobcentre, they will arrange training and in majority of cases badge. If not, training is about 150 and badge near 300 odd iirc. I get loads coming to me from the jobcentre, 95% are jacket fillers that shouldnt even bother!
are u looking for any door staff mate ? im waiting for my license coming back and i wana get out of this **** hole private message me mate
 
#18 ·
Zelobinksy, Martial Arts training isn't required to work the doors, just get some good training in Control and Restraint of some sort. As somone else has you need a level head, and confidence to do the job, most guys I know have no MA training at all.

Waheed_Akhtar, reference you getting guys to do free work, are they covered by insurances for this? Just asking out of curiosity really, personally I don't agree with companys making people work for free for "experience, and assesment", but each to their own, as they say.