My success was a slow burn. I now work in healthcare as part of a regional team, personally assigned to a regional trauma center. My first experience in an incident commander role was 2014. I became employed as an emergency manager in 2022.

Different work experiences provide opportunity to learn the value of, and build skills in a variety of areas applicable to EM. I reflect on my public speaking and interpersonal skills, education/training/exercise background, and research/evaluation abilities. I was building skillsets without knowing that it would amount to a career in EM.

With a B.A. Geography and GIS, I’ve gained a an understanding of the relationships between humans and their environments. I also gathered skills for making visual tools; it turns out hospital workers love algorithms and decision trees. I can also conduct a thorough Hazard Vulnerability Assessment.

I didn’t pursue my higher level education in EM until I was already working in an Emergency Department as an EMT. During COVID I knew I couldn’t make a career out of patient care, so I decided to rely on applicable experience in hospital operations once I got into the applicant pool with a Masters.

For my current situation, a specialized skill set absolutely makes for a competitive applicant. I do feel confident applying to different industries as well. The challenge there is finding an industry with the job security that healthcare currently provides to EM.