Employability Skills and Entrepreneurship
This common vocational domain tests the skills that get and keep a job - communication, teamwork, resume and interview - and the basics of starting a small security agency after gaining experience.
Employability skills employers look for
Clear spoken and written communication, teamwork, problem solving, punctuality, honesty, willingness to learn, and basic digital literacy (email, WhatsApp reporting, attendance apps).
Resume and interview
A resume carries name and contact, education, vocational training certificates (security guard training, fire fighting, first aid), experience, and references. Never claim a certificate you do not hold - police verification and training records are checked. In an interview: research the agency, dress neatly, arrive early, answer with concrete examples ("I handled a fire drill for 40 staff"), and ask one sensible question about the post.
Becoming an entrepreneur
A security agency is a regulated business. Before taking a contract you need:
- a PSARA licence from the State Controlling Authority, valid five years;
- police verification and training for every guard employed;
- an office, registers, uniform supply and insurance;
- Udyam/MSME registration, GST and a written contract with the client.
Costing matters: wage + statutory contributions + uniform + training + relief staff + supervision + office overhead + margin. Quote below cost and the agency collapses in the first year.
Worked example
A head guard wants to supply 30 guards to a housing complex. He reasons: first obtain the PSARA licence, then work out the monthly cost per guard including wages, statutory dues, uniform, training and relief, add a modest margin, and only then quote. Hiring first and quoting later would leave him with unpaid staff if the price is rejected.
Traps that cost marks
- Starting an agency without a PSARA licence.
- Quoting a price with no costing behind it.
- False certificates or inflated experience in a resume.
- Ignoring statutory registers and wages.