Ep.5 From Policing to Head of Security Operations UK Parliament - Simon Hankins

During this episode, Simon Hankins talks about his Police career and how despite loving his role as Temporary Inspector in the Force Control Room, he got increasingly frustrated with the lack of resilience of other services and agencies and the lack of progression in terms of promotion. He talks about how this impacted him and his family and the catalyst for him and how suddenly being open to new roles and opportunities ensured he was in the right mindset when a new exciting role suddenly materialised. Simon also discusses the importance of investing in further/higher education, a quality and in-depth CV and coaching and interview preparation. He also talks about his application, the fears and concerns and those of his family on leaving the Police with 24 years service. He discusses the interview process, dealing with the shock of a successful interview and transition to his new role as Operations Manager for the Houses of Parliament. Simon talks about how competitive the market is and how to stand out from the crowd. He has continued to gain qualifications and new skills and within 18 months of landing his new role at the House of Commons, Simon has been promoted and is now the Head of Security Operations for the entire Parliamentary estate. He goes on to explain the challenges and expectations of working in the Private sector and the benefits and rewards but that you do have to earn it, sometimes with long hours and pressure, but at no time does he regret the decision. Simon was the on duty Operations Manager for the terrorist attack of March 2017 when PC Keith Palmer was brutally murdered and talks openly about where he was when he heard the call and the struggles of those on duty that day. This is such a great interview and one I know that many of you will relate to and get a lot of advice and guidance from and most importantly, the belief that if Simon can do it, you can too. If you like what you’ve heard, please subscribe, leave a review and share it widely! Don’t forget you can access our private facebook group via: www.facebook.com/groups/bluelightleavers You can also access the Free Emergency Service Professional's Guide to LinkedIn, how to get noticed by recruiters in 5 simple steps, via this link: https://www.bluelightleavers.com/pl/95723