Homeland Security Jobs
Homeland Security jobs are still quite plentiful. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a cabinet department of the federal government. It is the third largest cabinet department after the Dept of Defense and the Dept of Veterans Affairs. The DHS is responsible to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and to respond to natural disasters. The Department of Homeland Security was formed in November 2002. It’s headquarters are at the Nebraska Avenue Complex in Washington D.C. Today the DHS has 216,000 employees and a yearly budget of $52 billion.
The Department of Homeland Security is the parent agency to many other government agencies. To be exact there are 22 government agencies incorporated in the DHS such as the TSA, the US Coastguard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigrations and Customs and many others. Homeland Security Policy is coordinated at the White House by the Homeland Security Council.
Homeland Security Jobs
Now for the good news. The Department of Homeland Security is looking for people who want Homeland Security jobs. They hire students, recent graduates, retirees,veterans and just regular people who may be interested in Homeland security jobs. The DHS offers careers in law enforcement, immigration, disaster response, acquisitions and cyber security. Homeland Security jobs offer many benefits such as health insurance, a 401k plan, retirement plan, life insurance and long term care insurance, vacation days and sick days and paid national holidays.
If you are a student still in college Homeland security jobs offer flexible schedules, tuition reinbursement, and loan repayment. The DHS also has a great program which helps promote the mental health and well being of its employees and their families. This program is known as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
There seems to be one major drawback to working for the DHS. Employee morale was reported to be very low. According to Wikipedia, in July 2006, the Office of Personnel Management conducted a survey of federal employees in all 36 federal agencies in respect to job satisfaction and how well employees felt the organization was being lead. The Department of Homeland Security came in last or close to the bottom in every category.
Homeland Security Jobs – Careers Explained
Author: Erik Johnson
Homeland security has become much more of a priority in the United States and abroad due to the rise of terrorist attacks and other specialized domestic safety concerns in recent years. With the right degree and an ambition to protect our nation, you can have a very satisfying career with homeland security jobs. Most homeland security jobs require criminal justice degrees, although there are many different avenues you can take to get into the field and work your way up to the top. With approximately 180,000 officers working in the United States Department of Homeland Security and another 1.5 million employed by private agencies, it is definitely a booming field.
Once you finish school and begin working as a homeland security officer, your main duty will be to make sure that all U.S. borders, airports, seaports and other waterways are secure. This may sound like a job much like any another type of security guard, but that is far from the truth. The criminal justice role in homeland security involves analyzing, researching and developing innovative security technology to aid in disaster and attacks. Officers must also be able to examine intelligence reports and use the information to keep any threats from penetrating U.S. security systems.
The U.S. Capitol Police, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Protective Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration and Park Services all employ homeland security officers. Getting a degree in criminal justice may be the first step to getting a chance at homeland security jobs. There are even many schools offering programs that are specifically geared towards homeland security. You may be required to take courses that include introduction to homeland security, understanding terrorism, and introduction to emergency management.
While employed in one of the many homeland security jobs, you may have a career as a security police officer, FBI Agent, Secret Service Agent, state police officer, U.S. Marshal, special agent, customs investigator or diplomatic security agent. Keep in mind, most of these jobs require a fair amount of experience after completing school and they definitely take a certain type of personality.
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There are many critics of the DHS not just its employees. The DHS has been criticized for excessive bureaucracy, waste and ineffectiveness. As of September 2008 Congress estimates that the DHS wasted $15 billion in failed contracts. There has also been personal use of government credit cards by DHS workers. This alone has been reported to have caused $2 billion in waste and fraud by the DHS. It sounds like the Department of Homeland Security is not too secure. That does not make me feel too confident. Perhaps if more honest people apply for and get DHS jobs the organization can be straightened out.