Security guard resume: template and tips
What to put on a security guard resume (BSP licence, training, availability), a full template, a short cover letter and interview questions.
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A good security guard resume can be read in thirty seconds. An agency recruiter is looking for a few specific answers: do you have a valid licence, which training is up to date, when are you available and can you get to a remote site? Here is what to include, a complete template, a short cover letter and the most common interview questions.
What should you put on a security guard resume?
Put the information that decides the hiring at the very top, even before your experience.
The BSP licence
In Quebec, you cannot work as a security guard without an agent licence from the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Quebec's private security regulator, in security guarding in most cases. The licence is issued for 5 years. Write its number and its expiry date: the employer can check in real time in the BSP public register. If your application is being processed, say so clearly ("application filed in September 2026"). Everything about the process: getting and renewing your BSP licence.
Training, with dates
List each training course with the date you passed it. Several give the right to an hourly premium under the Decree respecting security guards, but only if they are still valid. A visible date shows the agency that you qualify for premiums from day one.
| Training | Length | Valid for the premium |
|---|---|---|
| Security guarding training (basic training required by the BSP) | At least 70 h, or 390 h for the AEP | Required for the licence |
| First aid, CPR and AED | 16 h | Less than 3 years |
| Crisis management (health and social services) | 16 h | Less than 2 years |
| Use of force (judicial setting) | 20 h | Less than 2 years |
| Customer service | 4 h | Less than 2 years |
The amount of each premium is detailed in our article on the Decree's premiums. To find out where to take these courses: security guard training.
Availability, transportation and languages
- Availability: day, evening, night, weekend, statutory holidays, replacements on short notice. Be honest: a schedule promised and then refused does more harm than limited availability stated up front.
- Transportation: driver's licence (Class 5) and car. Many industrial sites and construction sites are not served by public transit at night, and some patrol positions require driving.
- Languages: French, English, others. In a hospital, a shopping centre or an event, one more language is a real asset.
Concrete skills
Avoid "sense of responsibility" on its own. Name what you know how to do:
- security rounds (with or without an electronic checkpoint system)
- writing incident reports and keeping the logbook
- access control: cards, visitor log, deliveries
- fire and intrusion alarm panel, alarm response
- camera monitoring
- first aid and calling emergency services
- verbal de-escalation of an agitated person.
How do you write a security guard resume with no experience?
For a first job, rely on transferable experience. A cashier handles unhappy customers and money. A restaurant employee works evenings, under pressure, following procedures. A day camp counsellor looks after the safety of a group. A former member of the military, a cadet or an event volunteer is used to discipline and instructions. Describe these tasks with action verbs: "I handled", "I wrote", "I checked". The practicum hours of your training count too.
What does a security guard resume template look like?
Here is a fictional example to adapt. One page is enough.
| ALEX TREMBLAY — Security guard (security guarding) | |
|---|---|
| Contact information | Quebec City · phone · professional email address |
| BSP licence | Agent, security guarding · No. 000000 · expires March 15, 2030 |
| Availability | Day, evening, night and weekends · replacements on short notice |
| Transportation | Class 5 driver's licence · car |
| Languages | French (mother tongue) · English (functional) |
| Training | |
| 2026 | Private security guarding training (70 h) |
| May 2026 | First aid, CPR and AED (16 h) |
| June 2026 | Customer service (4 h) |
| Experience | |
| 2026 · Security guard, practicum | Night rounds in a warehouse. Incident reports. Alarm panel response |
| 2023-2026 · Convenience store clerk | Evening customer service. Closing and cash deposit. Calm handling of aggressive customers |
| 2022 · Volunteer, festival | Wristband checks at the entrance. Directing the public |
| Skills | |
| Access control · camera monitoring · report writing · first aid · verbal de-escalation | |
Fictional example: the name and the licence number are made up.
Which mistakes should you avoid on a security guard resume?
- Forgetting the licence or leaving out its expiry date.
- Listing training without dates: the agency cannot know whether it is still valid.
- Spelling mistakes: the job requires writing reports. A clean resume proves you can do it.
- An unprofessional email address or a full voicemail box.
- Too long: past one page, the recruiter loses interest.
- Exaggerating: references will be called and the licence will be checked.
What should you put in a security guard cover letter?
A security guard cover letter fits in a few lines: the position you want, your licence, one quality backed by a fact, and your availability. Example:
| Dear Sir or Madam, I am applying for the night security guard position posted on your website. I hold a BSP agent licence in security guarding valid until 2030, and my first aid training dates from May 2026. During three years of evening shifts in a convenience store, I learned to stay calm with difficult customers and to follow closing procedures to the letter. I am available nights and weekends, and I have a car. I would be pleased to meet with you. Alex Tremblay |
What are the common security guard interview questions?
Security guard interview questions mostly test your judgment. Answer with a real example: the situation, what you did, the result.
- "What do you do if a person refuses to leave the premises?" Show that you talk first, calmly, that you apply the client's instructions, that you call your supervisor or the police if needed, and that you write a report. Avoid bringing up physical intervention first.
- "Describe a conflict you defused." Take an example from your previous job, even outside security.
- "How do you write an incident report?" Facts, not opinions: who, what, where, when, what you did, with the exact times.
- "What do you do if the alarm goes off during your round?" Follow the site procedure, check the area without putting yourself in danger, call emergency services or the monitoring centre, record the event.
- "How do you stay alert at night?" Talk about your sleep habits, regular rounds and your experience with night schedules.
- "What is your availability?" A clear and honest answer is better than an "any time" you will not live up to.
Bring your licence: the BSP states that an agent must identify themselves on request by showing it. Bring your training certificates too.
Where should you send your resume?
Check security guard job postings, and the Government of Canada's Job Bank. You can also create your free guard profile on our site: agencies see your licence, your training and your availability, and you get a reminder before your training expires.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I apply before I have received my BSP licence?
Yes, but you will not be able to work as a guard before you hold the licence. State on the resume that the application has been filed and on what date.
Should you attach a photo to your resume?
No. In Quebec, a photo is not customary on a resume, and it gives the recruiter nothing.
Should I list expired training?
Yes, if it shows experience, but with its date. Better yet, renew it: the Decree's premium applies only to valid training.
How do you apply to become a security guard?
In Quebec, you apply to an agency with a one-page resume that puts the BSP licence number, the training with its dates and your availability at the top. The postings are in security guard job postings and on the Government of Canada's Job Bank. You can also create your free guard profile, which agencies consult.
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