With almost two decades of experience in the security industry, Ms Kelley Teo is confident when advising clients of the security systems and workflows they can implement to protect their premises and assets.
But even with her experience and position as a senior facilities manager at a security company, the 41-year-old still gets asked about her credentials.
"I usually tell them that my credentials are in showing results," said Ms Teo.
Still, to equip herself with the relevant skills and proper accreditation, she decided to take up a specialist diploma in security consultancy, which accepted its first 40 students in April.
The course - offered by the Security Industry Institute at Temasek Polytechnic and the police's Centre for Protective Security - is the first certification of its kind for security consultants, whose role is to conduct security audits and assessments for facilities, and devise plans to manage the assessed risks.
Security consultancy is a new career path that was introduced as part of the Security Industry Transformation Map launched last year.
The Government has pledged to invest $10 million over the next three years to support technology and innovation in the industry, as well as improve skills and career progression.
The one-year diploma programme covers topics such as risk assessment, building security and security technologies. The aim is to train 250 consultants by 2021.
While aspects of her current job scope are already associated with security consultancy, Ms Teo is keen to get proper certification to improve her credibility.
"A lot of the skills that I have now were learnt on the job, but I think having this certification will give me an edge over others," she said.
For Mr Raymond Tan, 37, a data centre security manager, the course has given him a more in-depth understanding of security consulting.
Mr Tan, who joined the private security industry in 2011, has not had formal security-related training. Instead, he learnt the necessary skills from his colleagues.
"This course will allow service buyers to have a sense of confidence when they reach out to us for security advice, and having such credentials will put them at ease," he said.
