A career in security: from guard to supervisor and beyond

A security career usually starts as a site guard and can move through mobile patrol, the control room, supervision and site or account management, or specialise in hotels, retail, events or close protection. Progress is built on a valid work licence, training and certification, reliability and clear reports. OVIT hires only through its Careers page.

Updated: 14 October 20264 min readSources: 3

What roles are there in a security company?

The core roles are site guard, mobile patrol, control room or operations operator, supervisor, and site or account manager. Alongside them sit specialisms by type of site.

Site guard: covers one site on a shift — access control, patrols, reports.
Mobile patrol: moves between several sites, runs checks and responds to incidents.
Control room or operations: monitors posts remotely, takes calls, coordinates escalation.
Supervisor: responsible for many posts; visits, checks, coaches — see from guard to supervisor.
Site or account manager: owns the client relationship and service quality across one or more sites.

Where does a career in security start?

With the security staff work licence, category A or B. Without it you can’t work in any security staff role.

Law 2518/1997 requires security staff to hold a category A or B work licence (article 3 §1). The licence is personal, valid for five years and renewable (article 3 §6) — it stays with you throughout your career, whoever your employer.

The requirements and steps are set out in how to become a security guard in Greece.

How do you progress from security guard to supervisor?

Through reliability, reports that need no correcting, knowledge of many sites and composure in incidents. These show in everyday work, not in one interview.

Reliability: on time, every time. You cover when needed.
Report quality: time, place, what you saw, what you did, whom you informed — no guesswork.
Site knowledge: the more types of site you have worked, the more useful you are in a role that oversees them.
Composure: in incidents you follow the post orders and escalate correctly.
Helping newcomers: whoever already shows new colleagues the post is already doing part of a supervisor’s job.

There is no single timeline; every company decides differently. Ask at interview how progression works there.

Which training and certification help a security career?

The foundation is the training title for the work licence — for category A, one route is ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification with ΚΕ.ΜΕ.Α. You build on it with experience and further training.

Joint Ministerial Decision 4892/1/76-γ/2010 accepts for a category A licence, among others, the certificate obtained through ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification with ΚΕ.ΜΕ.Α. The exams require a completed 105-hour training programme (ΕΟΠΠΕΠ announcement).

Licence renewal: keep your licence valid — it expires every five years.
Extra skills: first aid, fire safety, operating security systems, languages. This guide doesn’t present them as legal requirements, but they make a difference on demanding sites.
Learning on the job: every new site is a lesson; keep notes.

What can a security guard specialise in?

Hotels, retail, building sites, events and close protection (VIP), among others. Each calls for different skills.

Hotels: guest service, discretion, night shifts.
Retail: loss prevention and customer contact — see retail shoplifting and loss prevention.
Building sites: patrols in open areas, checks on vehicles and materials — see construction site theft prevention.
Events: crowd management, entrances, coordination with organisers.
Close protection (VIP): needs specific experience; check the requirements in the official source before you aim for it.

How does OVIT hire?

Only through the Careers page. Include your work licence and its category, your experience, your area and the role you want.

OVIT works with local teams. Patrols, incidents and reports are logged in the Guardly platform, which gives guards, supervisors, the operations team and the client one live picture — so good work is visible.

For pay and premiums, see security guard salary in Greece 2026; for the specifics of each role, ask at interview.

At a glance

Core roles: guard, mobile patrol, control room, supervisor, site or account manager, plus specialisms.
Everything starts with the personal category A or B work licence, valid for five years and renewable.
Progress is built on reliability, report quality, site knowledge and composure.
For category A, one route is ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification, after a 105-hour programme.
OVIT hires only through its Careers page.

Frequently asked questions

Can a security guard become a supervisor?

Yes — most supervisors start as guards. What counts is reliability, clear reports, knowledge of sites and composure in incidents.

Which certification do I need for a security career?

You need a training title for the work licence. For category A, one route is ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification with ΚΕ.ΜΕ.Α., after a 105-hour training programme.

How do I apply to OVIT?

Only through the Careers page. Include your work licence and its category, your experience, your area and the role you are interested in.

Sources

Every legal or pay point in this guide was checked against the official sources below.

Want to work in security?

See the open roles and how OVIT teams work.

See open roles