Where the Jobs Are, How to Win Them
By Bob Jaffin
Homeland security as a discipline is still in its infancy. However, the field is having an enormous impact on our world, our economy — and the job market. What’s even more exciting is the convergence of traditional disciplines, such as security management, with homeland security.
What does this mean for you? Security management professionals and others have more career opportunities than ever before. Some positions are so new they don’t even have names or titles yet.
What homeland security encompasses
To begin a career in homeland security, it’s important to understand the basics of the field. In its simplest form, homeland security involves preventing acts of psychological or economic warfare — or to minimize the effects of such acts. The field is in constant flux, however, based on changing government directives, organizational growth, department realignments and more. There are several official resources, though, that can help you understand what homeland security really means:
National Response Plan (NRP)– The NRP incorporates best practices from a wide variety of incident management disciplines including fire, rescue, emergency management, law enforcement, public works, and emergency medical services. The NRP is built on the template of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees a broad range of agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration and Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service. The inclusion of FEMA means emergency and disaster management resides within DHS as well.
What’s more, two recent changes within DHS create even more career opportunities. Over the last 3 years or so, FEMA has begun to focus on all hazards instead of just natural disasters. This means it addresses all facets of the public’s health — mental as well as physical. It is now developing programs and policies for the private hospital sector as well as the more critical public health sector. Although emergency and disaster management have been absorbed into DHS, it will continue to survive as a separate and identifiable body of work and knowledge as well as a unique academic discipline.
The inclusion of the intelligence and information sharing roles within DHS helps distinguish it from traditional security management or emergency management. This broadens the department’s role and responsibilities — and creates additional professional and consulting opportunities.
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