If you enjoy helping others in crisis and work well under pressure, you might be interested in federal jobs available with an emergency management degree. These jobs, much like the job of a super hero, involve fighting the disasters that threaten the lives and security of others. Federal emergency managers work in many ways to help people around the country recover from disaster or avoid threats from potential danger. These careers include jobs with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and homeland security.
Careers with FEMA
FEMA employs many recent graduates and also offers internship programs for students. The agency’s mission involves supporting citizens and first responders across the nation in an attempt to avoid disasters and alleviate suffering when disasters occur. Employment with FEMA can be either temporary or permanent and full-time.
Temporary and on-call positions with FEMA do not require degree completion. Students seeking experience in emergency management often join the FEMA Corps to serve for a 10-month period. Community members in locations effected by disaster can obtain temporary contracts to work for a period of 120 days. Reservists are on-call to assist FEMA with emergencies on an intermittent and temporary basis. This temporary, paraprofessional work work is a great way to obtain on-the-job experience that would be relevant to a more permanent position.
Permanent employment with FEMA is competitive and usually requires degree completion. These positions include jobs in emergency management direction. Workers can expect to work from a home office and also spend time in the field working with community leaders and first responders at disaster sites.
Careers in Homeland Security
Opportunities in homeland security have been growing rapidly in recent years. Emergency management workers in this sector focus on disaster prevention and preparedness. Homeland security officers handle projects such as:
- Securing national borders and other vulnerable locations within the country
- Identifying and neutralizing threats to national security
- Developing and implementing effective disaster response programs
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security hires individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds and training. Currently, DHS is actively recruiting in the following areas:
- Cybersecurity
- Acquisitions
- Legal
- Law enforcement
Other Jobs in Emergency Management
Although there are many employment opportunities in emergency management with the federal government, there are also many opportunities in state and local positions as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 54 percent of emergency management directors work in local government positions outside of schools or hospitals. Only three percent work in educational services, either public or private, and 12 percent of emergency management directors work in state government outside of schools and hospitals.
Related Resource: Management Jobs with TSA
Many opportunities are available in the field of emergency management. Federal, state and local government entities have need of first responders as well as those who help to train, organize and support them. If you’ve ever wanted to be a super hero, work in one of the federal jobs available with an emergency management degree might be the perfect career for you following degree completion.