Originally published on LinkedIn · late 2016.
Twenty-two-plus years in security and I realized I was not fully practicing the “convergence” I was advocating. A stranger’s question at a conference made that clear. So I did something about it.
The Experience
I volunteered as a security officer at a 4,000–5,000 person international event. As part of that work, I underwent full-hit OC (oleoresin capsicum) exposure training — 5% OC concentration, 2,500,000 Scoville Heat Units. Challenging. Valuable. Worth every second.
What does it teach you? It teaches you what it actually feels like to deploy a tool you may authorize or carry. It teaches you what the subject experiences. It changes how you think about use-of-force decisions, the training you require of your officers, and the policies you write around it. There is no classroom substitute for this.
The Real Point: Budget for It Yourself
The core message here is not about OC specifically. It is about this:
Add a line item to your personal budget for career development training in areas outside your comfort zone — regardless of whether your employer funds it. Do it annually. January budgeting season is the right time to plan it.
- Certifications maintain skills through mandatory continuing education. What about everything in between?
- If your employer will not fund it, that is their problem to own — but it is your career to develop. These are not the same thing.
- The question is not just ROI for employers. It is about who you are becoming as a security professional.
Add a line item. Get exposed — to new disciplines, new experiences, and new perspectives. That is how convergence actually works in practice.