What to write in a security job post to get real answers

A post that says "need security, send price" gets guesses. A professional cannot price what they cannot picture, so they either ignore the post or quote high to be safe. Six details fix that.

The six details a professional needs

1. What is being protected. A shop, a construction site, a house while you are away, a private event, a person. Say what it is and roughly how big: square meters, number of entrances, number of guests.
2. Where. The area or neighborhood is enough at this stage. The exact address can wait until you have chosen someone.
3. When. Dates, start and end times, and whether it is one occasion or a repeating need. Nights, weekends and holidays change the price, so say so up front.
4. What the guard should do. Stand at the entrance, patrol, check invitations, watch cameras, open and lock up, accompany someone. List the tasks in plain words.
5. What worries you. A break-in last month, materials going missing, uninvited guests, a dispute with a neighbor. The reason you are looking shapes the answer more than anything else.
6. Any requirements. Uniform or plain clothes, languages spoken, a vehicle, a guard who has done this kind of job before.

Keep the title general

On Security Solved the title of a job post is public: anyone can read it, signed in or not. The description is shown only to signed-in members. So write a title that says what kind of cover you need, and nothing that identifies you or the place.

• Good: "Night guard for a construction site, northern Athens, two weeks"
• Not good: a title with a street address, a company name or a person's name

The same goes for the description. Do not post alarm codes, the hours a property stands empty, or where valuables are kept. Share those with the one professional you choose, not with everyone who can read the post.

An example

Title: Guard for a clothing shop during the sales, central Athens

Description: Clothing shop of about 120 square meters with one entrance. We need one guard in uniform at the door for the two weeks of the winter sales, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 20:00. Tasks: presence at the entrance, watching for shoplifting, helping staff close up. We had three thefts in the last sales period. Please answer with your price for the full period, what it includes, and confirm that you can show a valid license.

After the answers arrive

Compare what each professional says they will do, not only the price. Then ask the ones you like the ten questions and check their license before you agree anything. Security Solved makes the introduction; the checking and the agreement are between the two of you.