Disaster Recovery Journal Fall 2024

CAREER SPOTLIGHT

wave, challenge myself to learn of new threats and new ways to think about how we respond to and prepare for these. Business continuity, resiliency, or what ever we’re calling it these days is now a fast moving and exciting career to have. I’m glad I stuck it out. What types of formal training and certifications have you pursued, and what kinds of learning and networking opportunities are you seeking to continue your professional development? With this profession, everything is in scope. We are interacting with senior leaders and the C-suite some days, and others rolling up our sleeves to walk through a manufacturing site with the operational employees the next. Obviously, I’ll recommend the standard certifications from BCI and DRI, but I would also say, everyone in this field would benefit from developing their soft skills. Things like how to develop effective presentations, establishing and managing relationships throughout your company, effective ways to overcome objections, etc. Job specific skills are helpful, but much of what many of us have to do outside regulated industries is closer to sales and marketing, so

those are areas of development I recom mend folks focus on to be successful. Additionally, having those soft skills will lead to better networking and that is another huge key to success in this indus try in particular. What gets you excited about your career? BC touches everything and the options are endless. I made the decision to become a consultant because I have a passion for really getting into learning and understanding a company and build ing them a very specific and customized program to support … and then starting over and doing that again. Being a con sultant has allowed me to explore other industries I’ve not worked in, and this is incredible. I get to test and sharpen my BC industry knowledge, all while learn ing how different companies operate. There are pros and cons to working directly for a company versus being a consultant, and I do recommend that if given the opportunity in your career path to venture out of the comfort zone and try all options to see what’s the best fit. Consulting is fast paced and demanding, but the insights and experience you gain in a role like this are invaluable!

What advice would you give to those embarking on a career in this industry? Network. Network. Network. For one, this industry is incredibly small and niche. Knowing people is going to be the best key to help you find the best jobs. Additionally, we all do the same stuff and are impacted by the same crises, regulations, auditors, etc. If you’re going through something, someone else in the industry has already gone through it, and wouldn’t it be nice to have a “phone a friend” list you can refer to when you need some recommendations on where to start? Go to conferences. Walk the vendor booths. Sit at a table with people you don’t already know and exchange busi ness cards. Attend local user groups and do the same. Establish a network and get known in the industry – it pays off both personally and professionally. v

Melissa Muniz is a driven professional with a respected presence within the business continuity and disaster recovery field. She utilizes more than 15 years of experience to build, enhance, and align continuity pro

grams to meet the recoverability needs of the business. As a resilience consultant, Muniz uses her real-world experience to help clients solve problems related to recoverability, crisis management, incident response, and engagement throughout the various levels within a com pany’s organization.

www.drj.com/mentor-program

DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | FALL 2024 31