What training is need for Growth in the Retail Loss Prevention field?

Yesterday I talked about a couple ways to get started in the Loss Prevention field.  Completing the one line course at www.LPDetective.com puts the applicant ahead of others with no experience or training.

Now that the person is in the field, what training is recommended to move up in their career?  A well know recruiter in the Loss Prevention field once told me that 85% of the people in the Loss Prevention field have no 4 year degree or higher.  Interesting number to digest and understand.  Our conversation was few years ago so hopefully the industry has increased it's requirments for college degrees to get to certain levels in an organization. I recommend a degree in business since once the person achieves a certain level in their career they will need exposure to developing budgets, building ROI models, people development etc.

The industry has developed and recognized certain "certifications" as a substitute to a college degree and sometimes in addition to.  I'm not opposed to this training but, it is not a substitue to a good college degree. Many colleges like Phoenix and ITT offer on line training courses to assist the person who works full or part time in getting their degree.  On line training allows flexibility in completing the courses and is the new "blackboard" for training.  Respected certifications are the CPP and CFI which offer focused training and are well recognized.  The Loss Prevention Foundation has developed on line training programs that are offering courses for two levels of certification.

With a couple years experience in the field and a good 4 year degree, the last training is to identify a well respected mentor that can advise you as your career progressives.  This mentor will be invaluable as you navigate the corporate ladder upwards.

Enjoy your day...