Professional Development The Certified Emergency Manager designation requires that a candidate have education not just in emergency management subjects but an equal amount in management training. This is also a requirement for recertification. There's a sound reason for this. Professional emergency managers are first and foremost program managers. Our true responsibility is the management of a program that lays the foundation for community resilience. To fulfill that responsibility requires that we have managerial skills equal to those of our peers in other disciplines. So what do I mean by management training and why is it useful. Management education covers a wide range of topics. Some are very specific, such as managerial accounting. Others are more theoretical such as leadership and group dynamics. It's really up to you what you choose to study. I would begin be looking at areas where you are having problems. Acquiring new skills is usually a good starting point. Many of us don't come into our jobs with the skills to manage a department budget, for example. After that, consider courses that expand your knowledge base, such as negotiation skills or human resource management. Technical skills are essential in any job. But they will not always grant you access to senior managers or allow to be perceived as a peer by other department heads. For that, you need managerial training. |