A presentation for the Jacksonville State University student chapter of the International Association of Emergency Managers.

1. You can get there from here!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ALL CAREER STAGES.
A PRESENTATION FOR THE IAEM STUDENT CHAPTER AT JSU.

2. About Me
 Sarah Miller, MPA, CEM
 First on-line graduate of JSU’s
graduate EM program (in 2002)
 Adjunct Instructor at JSU
 Vice-President of IAEM Region 10
 Vice-Chair of IAEM’s Emerging
Technology Caucus
 Adjunct Instructor for FEMA’s Basic
and Advanced Academies
Sarah and Dr. Meehan, 2002

3. This is an interactive presentation!
 Please feel free to speak up with questions or comments
at any time!

4. Pre-Career
 Do exceptional academic work
 Network!
 Join IAEM
 Join your state association
 Attend conferences
 Get a LinkedIn account
 Keep it current and professional
 Get experience
 Volunteer
 AmeriCorps
 Internships

5. Pre-Career
 Acquire a broad knowledge base
 Learn a little bit about a lot of things
 Have an idea of where you want your
career to go
 Be flexible though!
 Obtain specialized knowledge of
things you think are coming in the
future

6. Early Career (or career transition)
 Be willing and able to move to land a
job
 Look in non-traditional venues
 Indeed.com is an excellent place to
setup searches
 Apply quickly
 Find a mentor
 Get your resume reviewed
 Volunteer for state and national
committees and associations.

7. Early Career (or career transition)
 Attend FEMA’s Basic Emergency Management
Academy
 Network and learn practical foundational knowledge
 Work towards industry certifications
 IAEM – Certified Emergency Manager
 DRII – Certified Business Continuity Professional
 Also industry specific certifications
 ISO 22301 Certification – Offered through multiple
vendors
 Others

8. Mid-Career
 Decide what you really want from
your career
 Promotion, lateral move, keep doing
what you’re doing, something else
entirely
 Keep networking
 Go back to school
 Take advantage of tuition
reimbursement and get a certificate or
another degree

9. Mid-Career
 Attend FEMA’s Advanced EM
Academy
 Finish those certifications and keep
them up.
 Professional contributions are critical
to certification
 Present at conferences
 Write journal or magazine articles
 Become somebody’s mentor
 Stay informed about changes
 Laws, technology, etc.

10. Advanced Career
 Run for elected office in state or
national associations.
 Attend FEMA’s Executive Academy
 Be an active mentor

11. Summary
 A combination of all of these approaches works at all career stages.
 Pick the things that work for you and make the most of them!
 Network, network, network!
 Find a mentor and be a mentor.

12. Questions?

13. Contact Me
 Sarah K. Miller
E-mail: skmiller@jsu.edu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/skmiller
Twitter: @scba