“Well firstly, don’t think you’ll just be doing security – there’s a lot more to it than that. People think security is just standing around watching CCTV, but it’s not really like that. Half the time, it’s more customer service than anything else, especially in the retail industry. 

I’ve been in the industry for 20 years now, 18 at this exact site. I did about 10 years in the reserves, so I had a bit of a security background, tried a few jobs coming out of that and then drifted into security from there. Quite a few security operatives will have a similar story. I’m only a few years off a long service award, I suppose. 

The other day, I was chasing somebody’s dog because it had run off after a bird. Another time, an elderly lady lost her car, so I spent ages taking her round the car park in a wheelchair until we found it. We got an older bloke’s bike back once too. Those are the bits you remember when you feel like you’ve actually helped someone. 

That’s probably what’s kept me in the job so long. 

No two days are the same here. It goes from chill to hectic in a matter of moments. One minute you’re doing routine patrols or paperwork, next minute you’re de-escalating an incident, moving plant pots, fixing doors or battling swarms of flying ants. We hosted the Coca-Cola truck a few years back, which attracted over 10,000 people. That took months of planning and some long days.  

Retail security isn’t the same as it might be in an office environment. There you get routine, learn faces, and know schedules. We’ve got thousands of people passing through here every week, as well as contractors and other visitors. Most of them you’ll never see again. 

You’ll learn to read people after a while. I can usually spot a shoplifter a mile away, but the key is staying calm. It’s probably the biggest skill you’ll get from this industry. Don’t react, don’t get emotional, don’t get dragged into arguments. You have to keep a level head to resolve situations. That’s something I think those outside the industry don’t get. They think security guards can just jump in and throw their weight around, but there are so many rules and regulations, and you’ll lose your license if you don’t do things properly. You’ve got to be a good team player as well. When you’re working with people like this, you spend a lot of time together, you rely on each other, and you’re putting your safety in their hands, so trust matters. 

But honestly, most of the job is just helping people have a good day. Keeping things safe so people can come here, enjoy themselves and go home happy. 

I’ve got some strange stories I could tell you. A man in a number 7 football shirt in a car park comes to mind… but that’s probably not one for here. 

Something more wholesome? There’s a mother duck that walks her ducklings through the centre every year. Everybody stops and watches. We actually escort them through safely.  We’ve had guards guide her all the way off site before, through the centre, past a petrol station, stopping traffic so they can cross the road, all the way back to the water. 

I think that kind of sums it up, really. You don’t know if you’re keeping people safe or escorting ducks. 

No two days are the same. That’s the bit I like.”