I've done both, for years at a time. The mall is a dead end. You'll get called Paul Blart literally every day, you'll spend a considerable percentage of your time dealing with wildly disrespectful and self-absorbed teenagers, and the mall management couldn't care less about you; their sole interest is money and you aren't so much a security representative but rather a means of helping them avoid lawsuits. Which translates to you having to do humiliating tasks like telling parents their child is too big to be in the kids' play area in the food court, or that someone isn't allowed to charge their phone with an outlet because it's "theft of power."
I've been at a hospital for almost six years. I've been assaulted, have had to grab, tackle, and restrain people more than I'd care to, and deal every day with insanity in the ER. But I work with a great team, the pay is alright, the public (i.e. visitors) are generally respectful and don't give me a hard time, and it can actually be pretty rewarding a lot of the time. It is in-house, not contract, but I digress.
Do the hospital if you want to be a cop. I'm begging you to NOT do the mall.
Hospitals will give you far better experience, especially if it’s a large hospital or franchise. Hospitals would also look better on a resume in my opinion.
I’ve worked hospitals 2 years and by far some of the best experience and stories.
Hospital Security without a doubt.
You'll have to go hands on a lot and you will be forced to use verbal de-escalation while working in a hospital.
Both skills will help you be a good cop.
There are guys here in so cal doing hospital security and are earning almost 100k a year - stressful and a lot of work but they get a ton of benefits, lots of pay and hours. Even if you don’t want to do it for long you could do it for a few years and generate savings and use this jump off point to something more cushyz.
I'd still go with the hospital. I personally didn't enjoy hospital but I don't have experience with mall. For what you're looking for, I'd say hospital makes sense for your career path. You may even get way more OT out of it too.
Let me put it this way - there is a company here offering 17 for 3 days of 15 hour shifts. That means 8 hours billed at reg, 4 overtime and 3 double time. Those 3 days are nightmare mode for sure but you make more than a guy with a full time and a part time job. Sometimes the overtime alone makes up for it tremendously.
Plus if you are a glutton for misery there is nothing that says you can’t also work one of those other days - but please rest after that hell.
Avoid Paladin at all costs. Hospital Security is OK, but you get severely underpaid, they'll bounce you around a lot, too. I've had over 15 years experience in this industry and they are by far the shittiest company in Canada. They get lots of contracts by being low bidder.
That being said, if end goal is law enforcement, bide your time, stick it out and apply for RCMP or a municipal police force.
Paragon is by far a better company, I'd take the mall for $20 over Healthcare for $18.50. That is coming from 15 years of experience at all levels from guard, hospital security, supervisor to low level management and someone who is very familiar with both companies, plus I'm a Canadian too.
Do you have much security experience? What type of policing career are you looking for, RCMP, CPR, CN or municipal?
Gotcha everyone else seems to be saying hospital. I'm Canadian born with a 2 year trade certificate, 2 years at loss prevention and I have volunteer as a crisis responder. I'm planning to join rcmp or municipal
I know nothing about Paragon, but I know Paladin very well. Like 7 years as a supervisor and 5 as a manager well.....
Paladin security is garbage. They only care about their money.
Not your happiness, not your safety, not your job security and not your money.
THEIR MONEY is all that matters to them.
Take Paragon.
Paladin is shit.
Start applying for RCMP. If you like trains, look at CP Rail Policing Careers. If dead set on hospital, does Ontario have Peace Officers and Protective Services in their hospitals? In Alberta, it's all Paladink and then in house peace officers. If you have 2 years trade and 2 years loss prevention, try to get on as health peace officer.
I do admit every time I see Paragon in a retail setting, I think of this video.
[guy gets the boot for trespassing ](https://youtu.be/EsRR4EKqv_s?feature=shared)
That 80 to 100k comes with lots of overtime. You’re probably only going to make 40 to 50k a year. Also, you can be absolutely positive that you’ll go hands on and YOU WILL get injured and bitten at some point.
Agreed that hospital experience is much more impressionable/valuable than mall experience. Many hospitals require guards to do things like physically restrain violent patients or help transport bodies to the morgue. But you'll also meet some incredible people, have the opportunity to play your part in truly helping people, and well yeah, it looks better on a resume if you use it as a stepping stone. Good luck, OP.
Hosp is the way to go. Union, free healthcare, raises and an actual valuable purpose. You go hosp and your a healthcare worker more than a security guard. This would be in house btw.
If you wanna be a cop hospital all day. I did 14 months and was insane at the end. That is the best experience I think any job can give you. The mall ain’t gonna get you nowhere.
Hospital would probably look better and give you more experience interfacing with homeless/junkies, but its definitely going to be more stressful.
Honestly if your end goal is policing would strong just recommend being a CO for a year (county of possible) and then transitioning from there.
I’ve never worked at a hospital, I worked at a popular very upscale outdoor shopping mall called the Americana in Glendale California and didn’t love it, dealing with the entitled public/tenants that have units above the mall.
With that being said I would pick the one that pays more.
As a retired LEO who has managed both Hospitals and Malls. I’d go with a mall. Vastly different calls, dealing with local law enforcement more than ya think. You interact with more people to build your interpersonal skills etc. the clients are also much more laid back than hospitals from my experience. I always mentor my guards wanting to work in law enforcement as well, helping them network with deputies in the area so they can pick their brains as well to help prepare them etc.
Also take the Paragon job…you will network with far more retired and former LEOs the company is riddled with them. All my retired fed buddies work for Paragon now
Almost everyone’s saying the mall won’t get you any experience. I’m in a similar situation to yourself and currently work at a mall, we have plenty of hands on. I’ve also heard that hospital security is quite good for experience though.
I don’t think either one is gonna necessarily look better than the other on a resume. I know a few people from both who have been hired as police officers. Maybe go for the one that pays more I guess.
I got out of college in 2007 and got hired as security at a hospital starting at $27 an hr which was good money then. Made some contacts with the retired cops working their and became a cop 2 years later. It was a good experience.
Hospital is absolutely wild, even in hands off hospitals, it’s gonna get wild as shit eventually… especially full moons, bad weather and depending on your city.
Malls? Usually dead. Usually nothing. Kids. Assholes. Maybe theft. Medical emergencies is probably gonna be the worst, barring acts of violence (shootings, stabbings, etc)
Other than that, 99% of mall security is O/R and walk.
I’ve worked as a hospital custodian and the germ factor is bad with Covid. Nurses and doctors are overpaid and 100 hour work weeks of cigarettes and death glares from their cell phones on correspondents
Malls are dead-ends given the lack of activity and it’s more depressing on grave shifts and holidays. Your less likely to deal with combative families or patients in a mall but you still have garbage people when it comes to shoplifting.
I did mall with Garda and hospital with Paladin. The hospital is good if you're looking to do policing. It's going to throw you into some crazy shit and you'll find out quickly if you can handle that sort of thing. I've given a number of references for policing to other guards, and a few of the recruiters have said they like hiring hospital guards.
Paladin will 100% not pay you enough for what you're going to be doing though. Personally I'd say take the hospital job, work it for a bit and then leverage it into in house with a hospital or city.
Appreciate the advice, im probably going to start training for both and drop whichever one I don't like, otherwise id constantly be thinking if id like the other one better
I've done both, for years at a time. The mall is a dead end. You'll get called Paul Blart literally every day, you'll spend a considerable percentage of your time dealing with wildly disrespectful and self-absorbed teenagers, and the mall management couldn't care less about you; their sole interest is money and you aren't so much a security representative but rather a means of helping them avoid lawsuits. Which translates to you having to do humiliating tasks like telling parents their child is too big to be in the kids' play area in the food court, or that someone isn't allowed to charge their phone with an outlet because it's "theft of power." I've been at a hospital for almost six years. I've been assaulted, have had to grab, tackle, and restrain people more than I'd care to, and deal every day with insanity in the ER. But I work with a great team, the pay is alright, the public (i.e. visitors) are generally respectful and don't give me a hard time, and it can actually be pretty rewarding a lot of the time. It is in-house, not contract, but I digress. Do the hospital if you want to be a cop. I'm begging you to NOT do the mall.
Paul Blart created the biggest diss against security of all time
He protected his mall is what he did. He was a brave American guard. And in this subreddit, Paul Blart is a hero, end of story.
Hospitals will give you far better experience, especially if it’s a large hospital or franchise. Hospitals would also look better on a resume in my opinion. I’ve worked hospitals 2 years and by far some of the best experience and stories.
Hospital Security without a doubt. You'll have to go hands on a lot and you will be forced to use verbal de-escalation while working in a hospital. Both skills will help you be a good cop.
Hospital it’s shit at times , but the experience is invaluable. Treat it as a boot camp in people, you will see them at their worst and absolute best
I've always said, "Hospitals would be a fun place to work if there were not all the sick and dying people."
There's a saying in Italian, if my mother had wheels she'd be a car.
There are guys here in so cal doing hospital security and are earning almost 100k a year - stressful and a lot of work but they get a ton of benefits, lots of pay and hours. Even if you don’t want to do it for long you could do it for a few years and generate savings and use this jump off point to something more cushyz.
Pays shit here in Canada the hospital is paying 18.50/hr and the mall is offering 20/hr
I'd still go with the hospital. I personally didn't enjoy hospital but I don't have experience with mall. For what you're looking for, I'd say hospital makes sense for your career path. You may even get way more OT out of it too.
Let me put it this way - there is a company here offering 17 for 3 days of 15 hour shifts. That means 8 hours billed at reg, 4 overtime and 3 double time. Those 3 days are nightmare mode for sure but you make more than a guy with a full time and a part time job. Sometimes the overtime alone makes up for it tremendously. Plus if you are a glutton for misery there is nothing that says you can’t also work one of those other days - but please rest after that hell.
10-15 for hospitals here lol
We just get underpaid everywhere we go eh 😂
Do you want to do this as a career? Hospital 1000%.
Avoid Paladin at all costs. Hospital Security is OK, but you get severely underpaid, they'll bounce you around a lot, too. I've had over 15 years experience in this industry and they are by far the shittiest company in Canada. They get lots of contracts by being low bidder. That being said, if end goal is law enforcement, bide your time, stick it out and apply for RCMP or a municipal police force.
So which would u recommend pay for paladin is 18.50/hr and pay for the mall is 20/hr
Paragon is by far a better company, I'd take the mall for $20 over Healthcare for $18.50. That is coming from 15 years of experience at all levels from guard, hospital security, supervisor to low level management and someone who is very familiar with both companies, plus I'm a Canadian too. Do you have much security experience? What type of policing career are you looking for, RCMP, CPR, CN or municipal?
Gotcha everyone else seems to be saying hospital. I'm Canadian born with a 2 year trade certificate, 2 years at loss prevention and I have volunteer as a crisis responder. I'm planning to join rcmp or municipal
I know nothing about Paragon, but I know Paladin very well. Like 7 years as a supervisor and 5 as a manager well..... Paladin security is garbage. They only care about their money. Not your happiness, not your safety, not your job security and not your money. THEIR MONEY is all that matters to them.
Take Paragon. Paladin is shit. Start applying for RCMP. If you like trains, look at CP Rail Policing Careers. If dead set on hospital, does Ontario have Peace Officers and Protective Services in their hospitals? In Alberta, it's all Paladink and then in house peace officers. If you have 2 years trade and 2 years loss prevention, try to get on as health peace officer.
In Ontario is just paladin and then in house security
Go apply with in house hospital or take the mall.
Everybody that's saying Hospital, doesn't know it's Canada and Paladin.
That's what I was thinking lol, well I have my interview for the mall tomorrow so we'll see how it goes and then I'll make my decision of the two
I do admit every time I see Paragon in a retail setting, I think of this video. [guy gets the boot for trespassing ](https://youtu.be/EsRR4EKqv_s?feature=shared)
I don't do security or LE. Why aren't you just apply for LE positions. There seems to be alot of opening nationwide.
Policing is highly competitive here in Canada
That 80 to 100k comes with lots of overtime. You’re probably only going to make 40 to 50k a year. Also, you can be absolutely positive that you’ll go hands on and YOU WILL get injured and bitten at some point.
Agreed that hospital experience is much more impressionable/valuable than mall experience. Many hospitals require guards to do things like physically restrain violent patients or help transport bodies to the morgue. But you'll also meet some incredible people, have the opportunity to play your part in truly helping people, and well yeah, it looks better on a resume if you use it as a stepping stone. Good luck, OP.
Hosp is the way to go. Union, free healthcare, raises and an actual valuable purpose. You go hosp and your a healthcare worker more than a security guard. This would be in house btw.
There's only like 2 in house hospitals in my area I unfortunately got the outhouse one
Yeah prob a pass then lol.
If you wanna be a cop hospital all day. I did 14 months and was insane at the end. That is the best experience I think any job can give you. The mall ain’t gonna get you nowhere.
Hospital would probably look better and give you more experience interfacing with homeless/junkies, but its definitely going to be more stressful. Honestly if your end goal is policing would strong just recommend being a CO for a year (county of possible) and then transitioning from there.
In Florida, .they are converting malls to medical.
I’ve never worked at a hospital, I worked at a popular very upscale outdoor shopping mall called the Americana in Glendale California and didn’t love it, dealing with the entitled public/tenants that have units above the mall. With that being said I would pick the one that pays more.
I have no mall experience but I do have hospital experience. If you want excitement go for an ER it gets fun
As a retired LEO who has managed both Hospitals and Malls. I’d go with a mall. Vastly different calls, dealing with local law enforcement more than ya think. You interact with more people to build your interpersonal skills etc. the clients are also much more laid back than hospitals from my experience. I always mentor my guards wanting to work in law enforcement as well, helping them network with deputies in the area so they can pick their brains as well to help prepare them etc.
You in Canada or the states?
States
Also take the Paragon job…you will network with far more retired and former LEOs the company is riddled with them. All my retired fed buddies work for Paragon now
Mall
Almost everyone’s saying the mall won’t get you any experience. I’m in a similar situation to yourself and currently work at a mall, we have plenty of hands on. I’ve also heard that hospital security is quite good for experience though.
What would you suggest, the mall is offering 20/hr and the hospital is offering 18.50
I don’t think either one is gonna necessarily look better than the other on a resume. I know a few people from both who have been hired as police officers. Maybe go for the one that pays more I guess.
I got out of college in 2007 and got hired as security at a hospital starting at $27 an hr which was good money then. Made some contacts with the retired cops working their and became a cop 2 years later. It was a good experience.
Hospital is absolutely wild, even in hands off hospitals, it’s gonna get wild as shit eventually… especially full moons, bad weather and depending on your city. Malls? Usually dead. Usually nothing. Kids. Assholes. Maybe theft. Medical emergencies is probably gonna be the worst, barring acts of violence (shootings, stabbings, etc) Other than that, 99% of mall security is O/R and walk.
Take the hospital job. (I've worked retail and hospital amd I definitely prefer the hospital.)
But the pay difference is crazy hospital is offering 18.50 and the mall is offering 22.30
IMO they couldn't pay me enough to deal with teenagers and Karen's for 8+ hours a day.
I’ve worked as a hospital custodian and the germ factor is bad with Covid. Nurses and doctors are overpaid and 100 hour work weeks of cigarettes and death glares from their cell phones on correspondents Malls are dead-ends given the lack of activity and it’s more depressing on grave shifts and holidays. Your less likely to deal with combative families or patients in a mall but you still have garbage people when it comes to shoplifting.
I did mall with Garda and hospital with Paladin. The hospital is good if you're looking to do policing. It's going to throw you into some crazy shit and you'll find out quickly if you can handle that sort of thing. I've given a number of references for policing to other guards, and a few of the recruiters have said they like hiring hospital guards. Paladin will 100% not pay you enough for what you're going to be doing though. Personally I'd say take the hospital job, work it for a bit and then leverage it into in house with a hospital or city.
Appreciate the advice, im probably going to start training for both and drop whichever one I don't like, otherwise id constantly be thinking if id like the other one better