The Importance of EP Pedigree When Applying for Jobs with Billionaires

​As a recruiter for billionaires, I'm often confronted with the unfortunate task of telling Executive Protection (EP) candidates they don't have the "provenance" necessary to be submitted through an agency. 
 
When our elite staffing firm posts a job for an assignment with an ultra-high-net-worth individual, we usually get between 500 and 1,000 resumes. With so much competition for jobs that pay in the $150K to $250K range, having the right "pedigree" is very important. 
 
To work for a billionaire, EP lineage is the marriage of four parts: documentation, training (hard skills), traits (soft skills), and personal branding. 

Documentation Matters

When high-profile executives come to our agency to hire staff, they pay top dollar for fully vetted candidates. Because our invoices to clients typically range in the $25K to $50K range, the discerning clients expect a lot, which is understandable. 
 
As established headhunters, we must deliver a complete "dossier" of each Executive Protection agent to the VIP, which means that candidates need to have a "paper trail," like an art dealer would need to establish provenance for a rare painting. 
 
The problem in the world of celebrities and billionaires is that verifying employment is often problematic for the following reasons:

• NDAs: Non-disclosure agreements
• Independent contractor status
• Candidates worked "off the books"
• No employment letters or contracts 
• Letters are outdated (stale) 

 
I advise Executive Protection agents to get documentation for their work assignments. Getting the experience and putting it on your resume is only one step because EP candidates must prove their experience to recruiters and their billionaire clients. 
 
Additionally, once you have obtained letters from the employer verifying your employment, stay in touch with your contacts and update the information as time passes. If the letter becomes stale because people have changed companies or have a different email address, it will mean little to a headhunter. 
 
Ultimately, it's the Executive Protection agent's responsibility to do all the legwork because recruiters don't have time to chase down leads and locate former employers to get verifications. 

Training & Professional Development

​Proper training is critical to reaching the top 1% of jobs in any field, and being an Executive Protection agent to a billionaire is no exception. 
 
While having a BA degree isn't necessarily mandatory, it is preferred by most UHNW employers. 
 
If an EP agent has prior military experience, they won't necessarily need a BA degree if they have the right background. Executive Protection agents who were former police officers or FBI agents should have a relevant BA degree: Criminal Justice, Public Security, Psychology, and Cybersecurity are highly desired fields of study. 
 
Beyond having a BA degree, EP agents should demonstrate commitment to their profession with ongoing certifications. As recruiters, we must be cautious about recommending candidates who have long periods between training or professional development initiatives. 
 
If, for example, an Executive Protection agent hasn't studied for three years since their last certification, it is concerning because EP specialists at the top of their field should regularly engage in training. 
 
Some popular areas of study include threat assessment, crowd control, and even emotional intelligence. Further, candidates should obtain certifications from respected institutions. 

Personality Traits are often a deal breaker

Soft skills aren't often discussed in the Executive Protection world, but personality traits are vital to a recruiter's hiring formula. 
 
Billionaires have different "ecosystems" in each estate, which means that the culture and mindset of the principal have a lot to do with who will be the right fit for an Executive Protection role. 
 
A "service heart" and "thick skin" are essential in the private service profession, so those traits aren't just reserved for butlers or personal assistants. 
 
Because ultra-high-net-worth individuals are whimsical or even eccentric, what makes sense to a trained EP agent doesn't necessarily mean it is logical for the VIP. 
 
Executive Protection specialists must be flexible and understand the mindset of the high-profile figure they work for. This often means the words they choose and the tone of their delivery are essential to being fit for a security detail. 
 
An EP agent needs to "read between the lines" of a job description and ask the right questions when being interviewed. Many aspects of a job aren't part of an official job description, so an Executive Protection specialist needs to understand their responsibilities. 
 
Each billionaire, for example, has their style and may travel in a large entourage, which can be problematic because it draws attention to the VIP. If that "style" rubs an EP agent the wrong way, that particular job may not fit. 

Personal Branding

Last but certainly not least, there are personal branding considerations for a candidate. Because celebrities and billionaires are so conscientious of their image, how Executive Protection agents portray themselves is very important. 
 
An EP candidate who wants to apply for a  job working for a high-profile individual needs to understand the importance of marketing when dealing with a recruiter.

Resumes

While it seems evident that a resume is a professional document and should be free of grammar errors and formatted correctly, you'd be surprised to learn that many people don't portray themselves correctly in this area. 
 
Additionally, a resume isn't a one-size-fits-all document. Candidates should customize a resume for each role that an Executive Protection agent submits themselves to. 
 
You may have heard the ugly statistic that a recruiter only looks at a resume for ten seconds before deciding whether to trash it. Unfortunately, that statistic is accurate. 
 
Headhunters don't want to read the entire resume to determine whether the EP agent has the experience needed for the job. So, having a Summary of Qualifications at the top of the resume is crucial. 
 
Candidates should study the job description to determine which qualifications they have match the client's need; then, the Executive Protection specialist must customize their resume to match the job description. If they don't, the software that sorts resumes could delete their submission, and human eyes will never even see it. 

Online Presence

Most companies are weary of hiring candidates who portray themselves poorly online, especially in the world of billionaires. 
 
Because high-net-worth individuals want to hire discreet people, Executive Protection agents who pay little attention to their online presence will be passed up for jobs. 
 
It's statistically proven that 93% of employers will check a candidate's online presence before hiring, so if an EP agent posts inappropriate things online, they are sure to be passed over for a good job. 

Interviewing

Supposing an Executive Protection agent has solid documentation, terrific training, an excellent online presence, and a fantastic resume, it won't matter much if they don't perform well in the job interview. 
 
EP agents need to be able to "sell themselves" in the interview and have their pitch down pat. Nowadays, candidates need to give compelling reasons why the interviewer should hire them, and not all qualified Executive Protection agents have that skill.