Emergency Management Directors

While in school, participate in clubs, sports, and other activities that help you to develop your leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Read books and articles about emergency management to obtain a better understanding of the field. The industry association DRI International offers a useful glossary of terms at its Web site, https://drii.org/resources/viewglossary. Consider joining local police and fire and cadet programs to learn what it’s like to be a first responder. This experience will help you build your teamwork, interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills. Talk to emergency management directors about their careers. Ask your school counselor for help setting up an interview, or contact the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and other professional associations to see if they can help arrange an interview. The IAEM is a good source of general information about emergency management, and it offers scholarships and membership to college students.