Choosing a career path can be a difficult decision under any circumstances, but it can be even more challenging to decide whether a demanding career, such as a homeland security agent, is right for you. In general, there are a few key qualities you should have if you intend to pursue a career in homeland security and emergency management.
As an emergency manager, you will frequently work with law enforcement and sensitive data. Therefore, most positions in this field will require successful completion of a background screening. Having any criminal history on your record may disqualify you for a position in emergency management.
This is arguably one of most important qualities for emergency managers. Whether you are responding to a natural disaster, car wreck, human-made environmental disaster, pandemic or terrorist attack, you need to be able to control emotional stress and remain calm. Staying cool under pressure is important because it allows you to think on your feet and to develop appropriate response plans to each unique situation. Calmness in the midst of a disaster is also reassuring to your team and to the people you are trying to help.
Critical thinking skills and objective analysis go hand in hand with staying calm under pressure. Your emotions may be leading you toward one course of action, but you need to step back and analyze the situation objectively to figure out if it is truly the most appropriate path. For every possible response, you must consider the potential consequences, including the best-case and worst-case scenarios. This is a necessary quality when working in the homeland security and emergency management field.
Effective emergency management centers on great communication, both written and oral. You will need to be able to clearly present information to a variety of audiences, so you must be highly proficient in English. Having fluency in other languages is a bonus that will help you stay competitive in a public safety career.
Clear directives are essential in emergency management because they will help prevent confusion among the team, which can also prevent the situation from escalating further. Excellent communication skills include the ability to actively listen to others and consider feedback with an open mind. Effective leaders are receptive to new ideas, and they are quick to adapt to new strategies when needed.
Perhaps the most underrated quality of an effective emergency manager is the capacity to accept responsibility, take criticism and move forward. It is inevitable that you will make mistakes and, sometimes, those mistakes may be costly. Good leaders never pass the blame. They acknowledge their mistakes, analyze what went wrong and identify the correct solution to avoid making the same mistake in the future. They strive to become a better employee and leader.