Protective service jobs come in many forms, from providing high level private security for government officials to private security and bodyguard services for entertainers and families. Often, a company that is conducting business in a high-danger area of the world will fill protective service jobs in order to have someone to watch over their employees and property. Wealthy families will occasionally have individuals doing protective service jobs, such as driving children to school or accompanying the family on vacations or shopping trips. Many of those employed in this type of job have military and/or law enforcement experience, as well as advanced martial arts and firearm training.
Within the typical government administration, there are several types of protective service jobs used to oversee the protection and safety of elected and appointed officials, and sometimes their families, as well. Many workers in these types of protective service jobs go on to become privately hired employees of the official once the office has been resigned. The protective service personnel typically travel and often reside with their employer for years, often for the remainder of the employer's life. This is due to the almost dependent nature and feeling that develops between the protector and the protected.
In some areas, the people in protective service jobs who provide security for families and children act as a sort of parental figure for the children, as they are with the children more than the parents in many instances. The children begin to rely on the protection service for not only safety, but for advice and for companionship. This is also a common occurrence in private protective service jobs that involve singers and performers. Due to the intense interaction in some scenarios as well as the constant companionship, sometimes romances begin between the protector and the protected. Thorough screening and diligent background checks are required for most protective service employment positions.
The vast majority of protective service jobs are filled by former law enforcement and military personnel. The critical firearms and hand-to-hand combat and defense training is only a small part of the reason that this type of background fits so well within the business of protecting people and property as a bodyguard. These types of personnel are trained to observe anything out of the ordinary and properly react in an instant to any unnatural occurrence. This may lead to the occasional false alarm and an unneeded response, however, it is typically better to err on the side of caution whenever someone's safety may be in jeopardy.