Do I need an SIA licence to work the door?

Yes. To work as a door supervisor at licensed venues in England, Wales and Scotland you need an SIA door supervisor licence, which you get after approved training and checks.

Can I apply before my SIA licence arrives?

You can, but be clear about where your application is up to. Employers usually cannot let you work the door until the licence has been issued.

How do I show I can handle trouble without sounding aggressive?

Describe how you talk people down, work with the team and report incidents afterwards. Calm, fair handling is what good venues look for.

Door supervisor CV example

A strong door supervisor CV puts your SIA licence up front and shows calm, fair handling of busy venues. It should give examples of checking ID, keeping numbers safe, dealing with difficult customers without making things worse and working with the venue team.

Liam Foster

Door supervisor

01 — Profile

Calm and fair door supervisor holding a valid SIA door supervisor licence and a current first aid certificate. Experienced in busy bars and music venues, checking ID, managing capacity and handling incidents without raising the temperature. Known for clear communication with customers, bar staff and the venue manager.

02 — Experience

Door Supervisor

a busy town-centre bar and music venue

Checked ID and age at the door, refusing entry politely to anyone underage or already very drunk

Counted customers in and out to keep the venue within its licensed capacity

Calmed disagreements early by talking to people, and called the manager or police only when needed

Wrote up every incident in the incident book on the same night, with times and details

Worked closely with bar staff and the venue manager on Friday and Saturday nights

Event Steward

a football club matchday team

Checked tickets and bags at the entry gates and directed supporters to their stands

Helped keep walkways and exits clear during busy periods

Reported concerns to the steward supervisor and followed the club's safety briefings

Completed refresher training at the start of each season

03 — Key skills

SIA door supervisor licenceConflict managementID and age checksCapacity countingIncident reportingFirst aid certificateSearching and bag checksWorking with venue staffCalm under pressureLate-night availability

Example · fictional candidate · Blueprint design · Use this design

Tips for a door supervisor CV

Put your SIA licence first: say it is a door supervisor licence and give the expiry date, because employers will check it
Mention first aid training, such as an emergency first aid at work certificate, if you have one
Describe how you calm situations down rather than how you would win a fight, since employers want cool heads
Include the kinds of venues you have worked in, such as bars, clubs, pubs or events, and roughly how busy they were
Say which nights and hours you can cover, including late finishes and weekends
Note that you have the right to work in the UK, as licensed venues will check this

Applying with a cover letter? See our door supervisor cover letter example.