In this inaugural post, we’d like to highlight this great interview with Jamie Beadel, formally known as Jamie Greene by many of you. Learn some of her story and lessons learned below.
Jamie started as a Security Officer in 2007 with Securitas and worked her way up through the ranks with experience in payroll, human resources, management, and technical operations, all while juggling two pregnancies among other big personal life changes. Learn some of her story and lessons learned below.
How did you end up in the security industry?
I had family in security that recommended the field as soon as I turned 18 years old while I was still in school.
Was becoming a National Training Manager your goal? Not at all! I didn’t imagine any long-term career in security. My end goal was to become an EMT, but I changed course as I got exposed to different opportunities and I’m glad I did so.
What did you wish you knew before you started as a Healthcare Security Officer?
I wish I knew that “security” was more than the officer you see standing post. There are so many positions required to support that officer that I had no idea were available or even existed within our environment.
As I started to move up, I wish I knew that you did not have to be prior military or law enforcement to be able to perform certain positions. I also wish I knew this is a great environment for creativity.
How do you juggle the work-life balance?
Omg…I feel like I can write a book on this. But to keep it short: I truly love my job and enjoy doing the work, so I spend a lot of extra time working or researching ways to be better at my job. However, my brain requires “walk breaks” to keep me sane. 😊
What gets you through a hard day at work?
My team is amazing, my boss is super supportive, and will listen to me vent about anything. They really make it worth it during hard days. During some of my career transitions, I also found a lot of support within the WIHS network as well, as I navigated the new challenges that came with the new opportunities.
Can you tell us a bit about your career progression?
I worked as an officer in 2007 while finishing my Associate's Degree in General Studies with a Business and Technology emphasis and starting nursing school with two other jobs.
In 2011, I discovered I was pregnant with my awesome first daughter and decided that I needed a more stable work schedule. Therefore, I accepted an HR Specialist/Payroll position on the healthcare contract (KP). While working there, I gained experience with Security Invoice Reconciliation Tracking System (SIRTS), scheduling, and managing while learning the healthcare environment.
After two years, I accepted a new position as a Security Manager. Around two years after that, I decided I wanted to pursue one of my personal goals of attending school to become an EMT. To do so, I stepped into the Assistant Manager position of the command center and technical operations, where I learned the technical, equipment, and contract management side of the field. During this position, I would conduct various trainings and in doing that, I realized how much I enjoyed it.
My director at the time asked me to interview for the Training Manager position and I felt that I would never qualify for it but decided to try anyway. It was the most difficult interview of my life, but I got the position and became the Training & Compliance Manager for the Mid-Atlantic States market (MAS). There, I took a program that was less than 33% compliant to 99% compliance within four months. Within this role, I was able to create connections through other parts of the contract, including the Women in Healthcare Security Network when the concept was being developed.
In 2020, I was offered and accepted a position with the National Training & Compliance Team (now Learning & Development) where I get to use all the experience from my previous positions to create training materials to help the field be more confident in doing their work tasks, knowing there is more than just sitting post, and enable them to better enjoy their jobs.
What are some things you did that you believe helped you move up the ladder?
1) Attitude - I want to try every job and never feel like I am too good for anything.
2) Research - I have this need to feed my black hole of knowledge. Every conversation I hear or meeting I attend; I write a list of terms or things I didn’t know and research them. Just because I am not in formal school doesn’t mean I can stop learning and developing professionally.
3) Thinking out of the box- some of my “crazy” ideas turned into the best programs/items I have developed.
What is it like to be a woman in a managerial role in a male-dominant environment?
In previous environments (very early in my manager career), I felt my role was to “nod & smile” because my opinion was not respected, which was extremely draining and discouraging. As my career progressed, I realized I had to get rid of this stigma. I believed deep down somewhere that I didn’t belong here because I “wasn’t intimidating or masculine” and that thinking needed to end. Engaging with other women in similar situations really helped through that.
Currently, I am the only woman in a five-person team, and I know each of my male colleagues value my thoughts and have my back. They are allies and it makes all the difference in all of our work-lives’ quality.
What do you love the most about your job?
I love problem-solving (there are a lot of opportunities to do that here) and finding creative solutions, which my manager allows me and encourages me to do so. My favorite part is watching individuals become more empowered and confident in their job and finding job satisfaction, or even making a career here.
Why did you join WIHS?
I have met the most amazing women working here that have destroyed every stereotype of women in the workplace and specifically in the security industry. We are essential here and our brains are needed to help this environment thrive. Diversity is powerful and so are networks like this.
What is your advice for officers interested in developing their careers in security?
There is room for any type of career here. Take every chance to learn and try anything and every position you can. If you come across opportunities for mentorship or scholarship (like WIHS offers), try your best to find room in your mind and schedule for those, as they pay off in the long run.
There you have it! Do you have any other questions for Jamie? Send it to jamie.l.beadel@kp.org
Click the links to learn more about mentorship and scholarship opportunities within our network!
EOE/M/F/D/V/SO PPO-12867 CALBSIS License