Great work if you like a stressful environment and low pay!
Pros
If you need work and your backgrounds clean and credits good then it may be for you or if you’re looking to get into other departments. Opportunity to move up, depends on your record or background. Secure job if you can tolerate it. All kinds of shifts. Meet a lot of people from around the world.
Cons
Be ready to divulge all your background info. If you make it pass the testing and checks and get sworn in, then hope you get a good shift because it's by seniority. You start part-time on probation for 2 yrs. If you don’t like the location you can relocate after a year if your records good. You get the standard benefits. No travel benefits or discounts, legal reasons. I worked at 3 major airports and all are basically the same. You may work at different parts of the airport or just checkpoint. You’ll have to be able to deal with some of the nut jobs flying and/or working with you! You also have to be comfortable working around a lot of machines, x-rays for example and a lot of people. You have to follow their operation bible which supersedes common sense. Most checkpoints aren't designed with your safety or well-being, focus is mainly on getting passengers and bags through as quickly as possible which serves the airline$ bottom line! And so after 9 yrs I finally resigned!
