SEVEN REASONS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Today natural calamities and human-made disasters are a more frequent occurrence. For example, the recent wildfires in Australia's forests and the outbreak of COVID-19 has slowed down the world economy and forced people to rethink their priorities. Some people debate that the change in climate has caused bushfires in Australia others to say the Corona pandemic is because of people's lack of hygiene and ignorance. Hence these tough circumstances have reshaped human lives on a massive scale and changed the way people used to perceive the world. It is about time that we start educating ourselves about how to deal with the global adversities and minimize the harmful effects of it.

Therefore, to minimize the negative consequences of these disasters and to prepare beforehand, universities around the globe have introduced emergency management courses. These courses equip students with the knowledge of dealing with risks and prepares them to work through disasters and handle the after-effects if any calamity strikes. It is a diverse career field where two cases are never the same, and most of the cases have deadly effects.

An emergency manager is responsible for helping individuals or communities to prepare for the disasters, review emergency plans, and ensure that citizen's needs are taken care of in times of emergency. The course is intense, and the "preparedness cycle" is crucial to it. There are four stages of preparedness in emergency management, and the motive behind it is to reduce the adverse effects of an emergency.

Following are the four phases of emergency preparedness:

Mitigation: The first phase is mitigation, which comprises exercises to prevent the plausibility of disasters.

• Preparedness: The second phase is a vigorous process as it entails the identification of the workforce and equipment needed for possible calamities.
• Response: The third phase is the response. All the activities dealing with the aftermath of a crash, like mass feeding, shelter homes, medical care, come under this phase.
• Recovery: The last stage is recovery, and as the name implies, it is a comprehensive approach to restore the environment. As soon as the disaster occurs, emergency management employees wear their invisible superhero capes and initiate recovery activities to diminish the negative impact of it.

Emergency management is a challenging profession where employees get enriching experiences in the field. In the testing times of COVID-19 where countries have closed all the activities and are administering stay at home rule, online learning is a blessing for those seeking to continue their education. Now students interested in emergency management career have the opportunity to obtain an online masters in emergency management from anywhere in the world without physically attending the classes.

The following are some of the reasons that will convince you to pursue a career in emergency management:

1. Enhancing Human Wellbeing

If we look at the primary mission of this profession, it comes down to providing relief to people whose lives have been turned upside down because of a sudden crash. The course teaches you to get yourself adapted to unfavorable conditions and different environments. The degree helps you in dealing with people from all walks of life and help them in stressful situations.

2. Unique Career

Most of the careers have fixed duration and the same tasks, and after a while, people get bored of a monotonous routine. The scope of emergency management is vast. It prepares you for the phases of emergency management. It equips you with the ways of dealing with people suffering from psychological traumas, rehabilitation, restoration of the environment, and helping people come back to a healthy life. It is a one-of-a-kind career that allows a person in personal growth too.

3. Well Paying Field

The prospects of a job in the field of emergency management are excellent. Although emergency management is on the rise, there are still a few places in the world where the concept of disaster management is alien. Organizations are slowly recognizing the worth of it and are ready to pay a handsome amount to the skilled and degree holders of emergency management.

4. Make a Difference 

If you enquire about the reasons for working in emergency management, most probably the reply will be something like "wanted to make a difference." The career in emergency management has its unusual complications, and for people who are enthusiastic about giving back to the community, this field is an ideal choice.

5. Learning New Things Daily

Emergency management people get a fair chance to meet people from different backgrounds, and most of the time, they meet them in their vulnerable conditions. The nature of emergency management usually brings out sad stories from people. Some of the stories can be made into tragic movies and can make anyone sick to their stomach. Some are of exceptional strength, while some restore your faith in humanity. People in emergency management explore a different side of human nature every day, as this is an ongoing learning and teaching profession.

7. Diverse Career

Unlike other jobs, a degree in emergency management opens up a variety of career paths for you. Academia, business, government, and non-profit organizations are more than willing to hire a postgraduate in emergency management. An emergency management degree holder is always in demand in various departments like infectious disease management, risk analysis, emergency planning, and humanitarian management.

8. Global Opportunities

Emergency management is not bound to one country; instead, it is an International field. If you ever want to shift your base to some other place, a degree in emergency management will most likely open new doors of opportunities for you.

Conclusion

Emergency management is indeed a noble profession. Experience and education both are vital to establishing a career in this field. Employees learn to keep their nerves calm in tragic times and lend a shoulder to people in need. The truth is emergency management is not a natural field and requires you to stay on toes and be vigilant so that you can be of assistance in all four phases of preparedness. A degree in emergency management makes you understand the fragility of life and make you grateful and humble. It changes the way you perceive the world, and helping people in difficult times gives you a sense of satisfaction.