Employers

Biometric systems specialists are employed by law enforcement agencies, government agencies, colleges and universities, health care companies, and private companies that build biometric systems or that integrate biometric systems into their existing products. Some management consulting companies have biometrics practices. For example, Booz Allen Hamilton has biometrics professionals on staff and a dedicated biometrics laboratory to help its clients identify and address their biometric needs.  

Starting Out

Many college students obtain their first practical experience in the field by participating in an internship or co-operative program at a company that creates biometric systems. Your college’s career service office is a good source of information on these opportunities, along with career fairs, resume writing and interview prep workshops, and job openings. Applying directly for jobs at a company or government agency’s Web site is also an effective job-search strategy. 

A person with a background and interest in working in biometrics can work in a wide range of positions with a variety of job titles, including biometric systems specialist, biometric scientist, software engineer-biometrics, software technician-biometrics, biometric technician, biometric statistician, research scientist, and lead statistical programmer.

Some people enter the field as technicians. In this instance, a technician who obtains experience and pursues additional education can become an engineer or scientist. An additional step would be to the position of project manager. A highly skilled biometrics professional with an entrepreneurial mindset might start his or her own biometrics company. Some biometric systems specialists go into sales, while others become college professors.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• https://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs-biometrics
• https://www.indeed.com/q-Biometrics-jobs.html
• http://www.biometricsociety.org/about/career-center

Attend Connect:ID (https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/connect-id/index.stm), an international conference and exhibition that focuses on all aspects of identity technologies, including biometrics, to network and participate in continuing education opportunities.

Visit the International Biometrics + Identity Association’s Web site, https://www.ibia.org/who-we-are-ibia/our-members, for a list of its members. Use this list to identify potential employers.

Check out Biometrics (http://www.biometricsociety.org/about) and BiometricUpdate.com to learn more about the field.