CEM Corner: Packaging Your Essay
By Daryl Lee Spiewak, CEM, TEM, CFM, CEM® Commissioner and ASPEP President Emergency Action Coordinator, Brazos River Authority, Waco, TX
The final step in completing your emergency management essay is to package it in a way that makes it easy for the CEM® Commissioners to read and evaluate. If we can't read your paper, locate your responses to the essay's requirements, or understand what you meant to say, then your paper will not receive a passing score and your certification will be delayed.
 Set your paper's margins at least one inch on all sides. You may choose to set the left margin at 1 1/2 inches if you are going to place the paper in a binder.
Paragraphing. Double space between lines. Indent five spaces at the beginning of each paragraph. You may choose to add extra lines between paragraphs but it is not necessary when you indent. We can tell you are beginning a new paragraph.
Most of us will write the essay on a computer rather than typing it out with a typewriter. We will want to use fancy fonts and document styles simply because we can. The computer makes this process so easy. My advice is to resist that urge with all your might. Simple is better. You want to make it easy for the commissioners to read your paper. Regardless of the font you normally use, stick to the basics. Select a fixed or mono-spaced font such as Courier and use a size of 12 points because it is easier to read. Mono-spaced means that every character takes up the same amount of space. You will also have fewer words per line, making it easier for the Commissioners to scan your paper looking for items they may have missed. Other fonts are okay, but why purposely make it difficult for the Commissioners to read your paper?
Select "left-justification" rather than "fully-justified." Do not use "center justification" or "right justification." A razor straight left edge and a ragged right edge makes the paper more visually appealing and easier to read.
Use headings to set off each section. The requirement states you should "format the response into six sections" and then goes on to list them. Make sure you do so on your paper. You don't have to label the introduction section, but it helps to label your conclusion in some manner to ensure you don't forget it. Make it easy for the Commissioners to verify you have adequately covered all six sections.
Using the format described above will allow you to type around 250 words on each page. So your essay of about 1,000 words should take about four or more pages.
At the end of your essay, be sure to type in the required verification statement and sign it. No matter how well written your essay is, it will fail if you do not include your signature with the statement.
When you print your essay, use white paper – preferably 16-20 pound bond paper. It is a standard color and weight, and it is readily available. Do not use colorful or fancy papers or real thin or heavy paper. Besides being expensive and unnecessary, it only makes your paper more difficult for us to read.
Make sure your ink cartridge is not empty and that the ink you are using is of good quality.
One last step in preparing your essay for submission is to read it one last time. Have you covered all the required areas? Do your thoughts and ideas flow in a logical progression? Did you sign the verification statement? Do you have all the pages? Are the pages clean, numbered, and in the proper order? Finally, are you satisfied with your paper? If you answered yes to all these questions, you are ready to submit it with your certification package. Good luck!
Following these guidelines will make your paper look professional. You will give the Commissioners the feeling that you know what you are doing and saying. And that is half the battle, since the essay grade is more subjective than objective. What we think about the words and concepts we read is another matter. Assuming you followed the tips from previous articles, the Commissioners will know that you are professional and have earned your certification.
Next month we will begin tips for documenting your professional contributions. Previous CEM® Corner articles can be found in the Certification section of the IAEM website at www.iaem.com
June 2001, IAEM Bulletin
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