What are the most effective ways to prepare for a promotion in Emergency Management?

One thing that I've found helpful when preparing for larger roles at an organization is to assess strengths and areas for improvement in relation to the critical functions and capabilities that define the position. For example, emergency managers working in disaster preparedness might list experiences and strengths for planning, training, exercises, after-action reports, program assessments, and risk assessment projects. Many people won't check the box on all of these areas, but it can help identify current strengths and areas to develop through future projects to become more well-rounded.

Subject: Overview of the Disaster Management Plan I would like to provide a brief overview of our comprehensive disaster management plan, which is essential for preparing, responding to, and recovering from potential emergencies. This plan encompasses several key components, including risk assessment, preparation strategies, response actions, recovery procedures, effective communication, and the assignment of roles and responsibilities. It is particularly crucial within the healthcare sector ensure to that medical facilities and professionals are well-equipped to manage emergencies while maintaining the highest standard of patient care.

Having a growth mindset is key for this and approaching professional development with a mindset of "I may not know what I want to do in X amount of years, but when the opportunity presents itself I want to have the prerequisite skills to be qualified". An easy way to do that is to always be looking at professionals across the field or job postings for senior level positions that you want to have one day. Take a look at what credentials or experience they have or are asking for and begin to roadmap how you can meet those qualifications and set yourself up for success.

Expanding your professional skill set is, in my opinion, the primary cause for advancement in this field. People want to network with you because they know you are taking your time to grow as an individual. Ofcourse, personality matters in many cases. Personality though, will not always help fill in the gaps in your experience or knowledge to apply said skills.

In my experience it can be difficult to receive a promotion within emergency management until someone within an organization is going to retire or move to another position. Unfortunate, yes but it doesn't have to be. Think about expanding your horizon outside of government or to another organization. Utilize your current position to gain knowledge and be sure to ask for feedback. Expand your responsibilities outside of your role to learn more and utilize that as an advantage to promote yourself elsewhere.

Emergency Mgt is an exciting field because it isn't enough to just "possess knowledge." It is what you do with that knowledge that sets you apart. Especially when seeking promotion, taking time after you finish a course or a book to think about how you will apply what you just learned can go a long way. Transitioning what you've learned into tools, templates, and a greater ability to support your community can showcase your ability. This practice will also help you stand out in job interviews. Demonstrating how time spent learning results in clear outcomes makes hiring decisions less risky for organizations. When a hiring team KNOWS you will put in the effort to grow into a larger role, it can knock down barriers to being selected.

One should embrace the Political and Administrative aspects of Emergency Management Funding and Support. To open the door to many discussions Credentials and Certifications trump competency and expertise. After you have made first contact and successfully navigated the gate keeper (s) to the decision maker one’s experience and expertise may play a role. Unfortunately, we have turned this field, among many others, into a Credentialing game.

To excel in Emergency Management and secure a promotion, prioritize relevant education and training. A solid academic foundation provides critical theoretical knowledge, while specialized courses hone practical skills. Continual learning ensures you stay abreast of evolving best practices, technologies, and policies. Practical experience is invaluable; actively engage in drills, exercises, and real-world scenarios.

To deliver effective emergency management training, utilize a combination of interactive workshops, online courses, simulations, and real-world exercises, tailored to the specific needs of the target audience, while incorporating technologies like virtual reality for immersive experiences.

Make sure your abilities are trackable. Invest in the education and training to enhance your Leadership. Turn your work experience into the reason you should be a leader, not just education.

The EM network is critical. We’re a small group and knowing people will help with finding opportunities, getting recommendations, work, and the like. Don’t short yourself on building your network.

Some of the best networking occurs at trainings especially within programs like the Master Exercise Practitioner Program or the National Emergency Management Academy. Attending these programs will help you understand some pain points that others from around the world are facing and to educate yourself on how some of these pain points can be solved allowing you to bring back lessons learned to your organization. As opportunities arise you will have the relationship with your peers to recommend you for promotions or career advancements.

When working to grow your network, remember that your reputation matters. Especially in EM, which is a relatively small profession and many jobs are limited to a small number of local candidates, it is important to not only grow the number of people you know, but also increase the number of people who know what you are capable of. When attending courses, volunteering, supporting EOCs during incidents, or participating in committees, don't just be "present" but put in the effort to establish your reputation. Spend time to understand the subject matter, be seen as a team player, and be someone who can get the job done. When a member of your network hears that you have been promoted, their response should be, "Of course they were."

Building relationships internally and externally. I can speak from personal experience, people who know and respect you will reach out for a connection, a piece of information, or an opinion on a particular subject that you have an expertise in. Networks are an invaluable asset that goes with you. It's YOUR brand.

Crosstrain, volunteer for every EOC activation, volunteer for overnights to be able to act as lead roles and be approachable and ask lots of questions!

In my experience, folks can focus too much on the title, influence, and pay increase associated with being promoted (especially in the public sector). Too little attention is paid to developing into a leader who you yourself would actually want to follow and support. It’s important to improve in ways that would make you an attractive candidate for the position as it is written in the job description, but you should also focus on a parallel track of self-improvement where you learn to perform the intangible functions that make a good leader. Think about how you will engage your team, handle difficult or sensitive situations, and try to predict how your relationships may change with those you previously worked alongside.

Leadership behaviours are paramount in emergency management. Strategic thinking, Communicating vision with strategic purpose, building high performing teams, delivering results, managerial courage and change & transformation are just some behaviours that I focus on and utilise.

The best leaders are the ones who have the overall goals of his/her team in mind. Having an outward mindset is a must as well: What can I as a leader do in order to help my team progress as individuals and as a team as a whole? These are the type of leaders that a team will follow to the ends of the Earth and back because they inspire, challenge others to do better in a meaningful manner, and always keep a pulse on the team in order to ensure that morale is high and positive.

My experience of working with the Government under the Department of Disaster Management for over four years exposed me to various situations, such as floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, which put my skills in disaster management to the test. One needs to empathize and communicate effectively to lead cross-functional teams successfully during a disaster. To do that, one must plan first. The second is to have a team that can provide continuous support and execute the plan on the ground along with you. Working on projects where the lives of real people are at stake and completing a project can lead to the confidence required to be effective at one's job and, eventually, at a promotion.

O maior desafio quanto aos líderes, tem sido a comunica??o com as pessoas, por vezes existem líderes de processos, enquanto as pessoas n?o est?o sendo vistas... Exemplo simples para uma boa condu??o de lideran?a é a simplicidade, engajamento e reconhecimento, com esses 3 pilares focados nas pessoas, é possível um grande avan?o e desenvolvimento de toda a equipe.

I have been part of many recruitment processes where I have been surprised about the lack of preparation amongst many applicants. Always make sure you understand the business of the company, company culture and how you can contribute to the company in the given role. Analyse and prepare for at least 3 unique selling points and rehearse how you get those across in the interview. It easily takes 20-30 hours of preparation for a role.

There are a lot of really strong EM resumes right now. It is common for resumes to highlight the COVID response alongside another incident, with time also spent developing plans, designing exercises, and developing AARs. As a result, interviews are the opportunity for candidates to distinguish themselves. In my experience, candidates who can demonstrate their knowledge of foundational elements of the field AND show how they can adapt those processes to meet the needs of a situation stand out. Can a candidate talk about CPG-101 and how they have applied it in practice? What about HSEEP and exercise design? When candidates can do both during an interview, it shows that they have not just experience but have also grown and learned from it.

Again, know your organization. Remain calm, answer questions with confidence. Keep the panel interested. I have been fortunate to sit on panels and the candidate that keeps you interested with their answers and remarks is easy to remember.

Negotiation in emergency management isn't common unless your hired into a new position. However, that said. You should always know your worth and be able to benchmark your experience, education, and expertise against other EM's and em positions for comparison. This way when your offered a salary you can realistically evaluate whether the offer is a good fit or its not compared to the local em job market and expectations. For example, your offered a EM Director position with the county but it pays comparable to an EM Coordinator position with the city. Is the title and position worth it? Do you make an ask and argument for more $? Or do you pass on the opportunity? You need to educate yourself on the em job market to make informed decisions.

The biggest advice for a promotion in emergency management is to focus on being yourself. No one wants to follow a leader who seems fake or is putting on an appearance. Emergency Managers need to walk the talk and be themselves. Do this in an interview and you will be hired.

Continuous growth - and having a growth mindset - can be difficult as you go along in your career, but it’s one of the most important responsibilities of any emergency management. The field is constantly changing with new technologies, frameworks, etc and the only way to succeed is to continue learning and adapting. Never rest on the “way it’s always been done”. I’ve found one of the best ways to grow and learn is developing relationships and becoming vulnerable to your peers/mentors so you have the opportunity to learn from them. There are also an increasing number of professional development courses out there, some are even free. Look into Naval Postgraduate School, FEMA EMI, and Harvard NPLI (to name a few).

Continuous growth is the mindset. As it is said, when you stop learning its time to retire because that is when you get arrogant and your probably going to get someone killed! There is always more to learn and many em positions to work towards. Upwards and onwards from the private sector, to city, county, state, and federal government. EM is different at each level in terms of operation, mission, scope, impact. The core of what an em does remains the same but the role changes in responsibility and based on the job. If you keep the mentality of continuous growth you never know where you'll end up on your em journey. Maybe its with FEMA, DHS, a State EM Office, or even the White House as an EM for the President or Congress.

The response after a promotional process whether in your favor or not is a huge! Be humble, be proud and continue to strive for the same goals whether with or without the rank!

Build on your strengths, and manage your weaknesses. Always have an open mindset, and always bend the ears of the veterans/front-liners who have been in there and done that. Learn from them, and then share that wisdom with others.

In any position, whether it be your current one, or after you get promoted, you should always have the mentality to keep learning and growing. There is always opportunity to learn within any position in emergency management, as emergency management itself keeps changing. I was personally involved with leading a critical service public health program during the COVID-19 pandemic. This involved allocating resources appropriately, being responsive to the public’s needs and well being, and finding efficiencies in service delivery to ensure the program was delivered as effectively as possible. Emergency management in itself is being able to manage operations as effectively and efficiently as possible in emergency situations.

Have a contagious Attitude of Gratitude and put emphasis on the Public in Public Service! EM is broad so the focus on people is paramount!

Be confident. Being in emergency management naturally puts you in a leadership role in many organizations. Your employer, supervisor, colleagues, and subordinates need to know that you feel you are up to the challenge. They will look to you for answers and motivation. You have to carry yourself as someone that can provide those when needed.

Everyday is a school day, and demonstrating your ability and willingness to develop your own and your team’s knowledge is paramount. Embrace existing and emerging technology and reiterate the needs for the implementation and development of professional pathways to your senior management team or future employer.

The saying "first impression is lasting impression" is especially meaningful to this position. The calm confidence of knowledge and wisdom is the tell, with no second chances from nerves to the unknown.

After many years in law enforcement I can tell you that the best way to prepare for any promotional test is to be an expert in your field and to accomplish this you need to further your education as it relates to your profession. You also need to talk to your current boss and ask him to mentor you and for any advice on what you need to work on to further your career