Looking after members of the public is a huge responsibility, and it is one that can come with its own set of challenges and obstacles. Within the general field of public safety, there will never be two days the same, simply because no two members of the public are the same and no two concerns are the same. For example, if you are starting a career in public safety leadership, one day you could be dealing with a security threat within your place of work, and the next day you could be analyzing data and information with regards to a potential security breach on the other side of the country.
One thing that should be said though, is that a career in public safety, whether in a leadership role or in a more hands-on role, is an exciting opportunity, and it is an opportunity that has room for growth. So, now that you know briefly what you can expect from a role in public safety, it is time to think about the type of role you can see yourself in.
What Kind of Roles and Careers Are Available?
If you are looking for hands-on work where you can make a difference at grassroots level, then you may want to consider looking at becoming a firefighter, a nurse, or even a police officer. Having a hands-on role is ideal if you want tangible results. When you see the lives that you are keeping safe and looking after first-hand on a daily basis, you get a huge sense of satisfaction. Job satisfaction and even career satisfaction is high within public safety roles, simply because you know you are making a difference every day, and often you can see the effects and results quickly.
The type of career or the type of role you ultimately want to go for will depend hugely on your attitude to risk, and also your desire to protect those around you, in your local area and in your local community. For instance, if you want to secure the general public, you may want to become a security officer, perhaps even a correctional officer, or you might want to be involved with a local police department. When deciding which role or career to pursue, you need to think about what you want to give to the role and what you want to get out of it. For example, working in corrections would allow you to see that you are helping to keep members of the general public safe, but you are also impacting the life, growth, and development of the people you are supporting and watching over in a correctional institute.
Education and Enhanced Learning
Most roles and positions within public safety will require you to advance and enhance your learning. It is not important as to when advanced learning takes place, whether it is before you embark on a new position or role or it is carried out when you are in your new post, the main thing is that it is carried out. Within public safety, the more that you know, the easier it will be to keep the public and their best interests as safe and secure as possible. The type of learning and education you will want to follow will vary according to the role you want to pursue. For example, if you want to be involved in security and in protecting people’s safety, perhaps in homeland security, then you would need a gis diploma from a reputable university. An advanced security diploma would help you to weigh up and analyze security threats and security data, both at a local level and national level.
Learning and education should be seen in a positive light when you are working in public safety, and it should be seen as something that is conducted regularly, not just on an ad-hoc basis. The world and the type of threats displayed are advancing, and they are changing. To combat this and to match the increased levels of skill and knowledge from criminals, public safety officials and those within a position of change and influence should be prepared to commit to regular training and education.
Finding an Opportunity that is Right for You
You may not find the right opportunity or role for yourself straight away and it is important that you do not put too much pressure on yourself. Getting the right opportunity for you going forwards and for the future may take time, so try not to be too hard on yourself. To make the process of elimination a bit easier and to narrow down your search criteria and options, you may find it useful to create a list of your strengths and weaknesses.
Being aware of areas of strength and areas for improvement will allow you to find opportunities that play to your strengths while improving your areas of weakness. For instance, if you are good at communicating with people at all levels and you enjoy varied and diverse work, then looking at roles and positions within the police force may be your first port of call. Whereas if you enjoy analyzing data and information at all levels, you may wish to pursue a role within national security or homeland security. Pursuing a new role or new area of interest can be stressful, and it can be draining. However, the important thing to remember is that there is an ideal role out there for you and your skillset.
Conclusion - Gaining Valuable Experience
Improving your career and job prospects, and building your resume, is easier to do if you have a body of valuable experience to your name. Gaining experience can be done through voluntary work, through internships, or even through paid placements. Work experience can feel like a step backward but remember that sometimes you need that extra knowledge and extra boost to push yourself and to realize your full potential. Seeking experience will help you to build up your contacts, and it will help you to build up a network that you may then use further down the line within your new role or career.