Employers

Business continuity planners work for banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, health care groups, government agencies, and colleges and universities. Planners may also work full time or as consultants for corporations that need to develop and maintain business continuity strategies and procedures. The U.S. Department of Labor does not provide data on business continuity planners, but the jobs that share some of the duties of planners include emergency management directors and business operations specialists. According to the DOL, more than 1 million of these types of workers, combined, are employed in the United States.

Starting Out

Many business continuity planners get their start in the field through an internship or part-time job in companies that provide business continuity services. They find jobs through searching the career sections of companies' Web sites. They also find work through postings on employment sites such as Indeed.com and Monster.com, as well as through listings on LinkedIn.com.

Business continuity planners with several years of experience may advance to jobs with more responsibilities, such as supervisors or managers. They may handle more complex projects and manage larger numbers of staff. They may also advance by increasing the number of clients they provide continuity planning services for. Advancement also comes from certification, which shows prospective clients that planners are recognized for achieving a high level of knowledge and skills in their field. Business continuity planners who work full time for companies may leave the job to start their own consultancy, where they are responsible for all aspects of the business, from marketing and promotion, hiring and overseeing staff, handling business overhead and insurance, as well as the daily tasks involved in continuity planning.

Get an internship or part-time job with a company that offers business continuity planning services. Find job listings through professional associations or directly at companies' Web sites.

Learn about emergency preparedness practices, resources for businesses and individuals, and follow real-life disaster recovery efforts by visiting FEMA's Web site at https://www.fema.gov.

Follow business continuity news and issues by reading the Continuity & Resilience Magazine, published by the Business Continuity Institute, https://www.thebci.org/knowledge/continuity-resilience.html.

Attend events and conferences for business continuity professionals to network with others in the field. Events can be found through professional associations, for example, the Disaster Recovery Journal has a list of industry events at its Web site, https://www.drj.com/events.html.