looking to get certified and credentialed, anything to advance my career in Physical Security Industry.

So what are the most recognized certs or schools to go for?

I know about ASIS, one of their certs requires 9 years experience, other 5 years.

then there is IFPO, which also looks good. Please help me decide. Thanks.

Sumabeast,

You're off to a good start.... ASIS is geared towards senior level protection professionals, and their 3 different programs are both challenging and expensive if you're not in management, forget 'em for now.

IFPO is good "broad spectrum" security training geared towards the "line officers" and "front line supervisors" I've completed the CPO and CSS courses... Some more progressive companies, both contract and otherwise will teach some of these courses...

There is also the International Association of Healthcare Safety & Security [ IAHSS] their courses are from entry level to senior management with heavy focus on the healthcare settings (Hospitals, etc). I have completed their original 40hr Basic Officer course {way back when it was just IAHS and "safety" wasn't in the title}

I have also heard about an organization   Educational Institute of American Hotel & Lodging Associations: that offers almost 2 dozen various certification courses including Certified Lodging Security Officer (CLSO), Certified Lodging Security Supervisor (CLSS), and Certified Lodging Security Director (CLSD). Other than the existence of these Hotel based course, I know nothing about them, and don't know anyone offhand that has these certifications {FWIW}

You might also consider doing some of the free FEMA self-study courses.

Hope that helps.

There are alot of courses you can take to move up in the security field, Facility Safety course, Criminal Justice course, Emergency Medical courses, Basic Management course and Self-Defense just to name a few depending on the type of security field your working under.

mike1955,

I believe it all comes down to the decision of the individual in charge of hiring for each and every security organization out there.  As a

general rule of thumb, the more training and/or certifications that an applicant has on their resume, the more of a chance there is of

making a good impression on whoever is looking over the resume.  Is the United States Department of Energy's Protective Force

Training relevant to being an unarmed security officer at a hotel?  Probably not.  Will a 72-hour basic security academy by itself qualify an

officer to be a private military contractor overseas?  I don't believe so.  Is it all good training and certification to have on a resume geared

toward a career in security?  I'll say yes.  I think the same thing goes for your specific situation.  Will any security employer in the United

States have knowledge of the training and certification that you've gained in Germany?  I wouldn't count on it.  What your resume will show,

however, is that you've successfully worked in the security profession for over thirty years and you've had the ambition and

integrity to improve upon your career-related skill sets through training and certification.