Want to explore the different career paths in public health? Public health is a diverse field that offers an ever-increasing variety of challenging career opportunities. Medical experts agree that the coming decades will require major advances in health service delivery and disease prevention for populations around the world.
An increasing emphasis on environmental safety and treatment for the effects of toxic wastes and pollution will also create a demand for more public health professionals. Research that focuses on substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, women's health issues and disadvantaged populations is another aspect of public health that is becoming increasingly important.
In the aftermath of recent man-made and natural disasters, the federal government has prioritized public health preparedness and emergency response. Funding for government emergency response programs has increased in the past decade, along with funding for public health education in the form of scholarships and loan repayment programs.
5 Career Paths In Public Health
It's not hard to understand why the Association for Schools of Public Health says there has never been a more exciting time for careers in public health. Here are five examples of career paths in public health:
1. Epidemiologist
Professionals in the field of epidemiology investigate the causes of disease and formulate strategies to control its spread. Like detectives, they use fieldwork to determine the who, what, where, and why questions of disease and injury. They are often the first to discover new threats, such as avian flu or mad cow disease, and the first to determine how to contain these threats. Besides understanding the biological and chemical components of disease and injury, epidemiologists study genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors that pose threats to public health.
2. State Environmentalist
The role of an environmental health scientist is to identify environmental conditions that may have a negative impact on human health. Besides protecting the air and water supply, environmentalists are involved in issues related to urban development and land-use planning. This career path requires a strong science background, as well as a foundation in epidemiology and biostatistics.
There are several sub-specialties within the field of environmental health. One branch, toxicology, includes scientists who evaluate environmental data collected in the field. Another important branch is public policy, which includes opportunities to initiate and shape environmental legislation at the state level.
3. Public Health Planner
Public health programs are developed and carried out by public health planners. These professionals assess the health needs of specific communities or populations, conduct investigative studies, and propose solutions for heath care issues. They work closely with local, state and federal government agencies, and are often responsible for securing funding and resources. This may include writing grant proposals and managing grants. They also may work with legislative bodies to develop or advocate for public health policies.
4. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Local health departments need emergency preparedness coordinators to develop the capacity to respond to existing and emerging health threats, including bioterrorism. Responsibilities for this position include all aspects of prevention, preparation, response and recovery from community health emergencies. This includes creation of response plans and coordination with law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals, and emergency response agencies like the Red Cross. Emergency Preparedness Coordinators also educate the public about public health threats and carry out public information campaigns.
5. Public Health Communications Specialist
The goal of public health communication is to encourage people to adopt better health practices and improve their health. This often includes encouragement to change unhealthy attitudes and behaviors, and to make major lifestyle changes. In addition to creating effective health messages, public health communicators determine the most appropriate delivery system for different target populations.
In addition to using print and electronic publications, and mass media to spread their health messages, they address interpersonal communication by training counselors and health care providers. Public health communicators also use entertainment-education, referred to as "Enter-Educate," which employs entertainment media to inform audiences about health topics.
This article was written by Social Media Outreach Coordinator, Sarah Fudin on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2tor – an education-technology company that partners with institutions of higher education such as the George Washington University to deliver their Masters in Public Health degree online.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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