In the in-between

I’ve really been enjoying the networking opportunities I have had since graduating with my MPH. I first started networking through contacts I made during my MPH Practicum at Seattle-based NPO One By One. When I reached out to those contacts, and invited them out to coffee, many of them were able to put me in contact with another professional, and so on. Networking really is vital to finding professional opportunities. I’m afraid that’s been quite a limiting factor for me.

(http://www.dc-associates.com/blog/the-importance-of-networking/)

Meeting professionals within your area of expertise for the first time can be overwhelming. Before each meeting, I make sure to do proper research about the organization they work for, their role within the organization, and I prepare a list of questions. 

Public Health is a very broad profession. With my degree, I could choose to focus on environmental health, policy, epidemiology, global health, geriatric health, maternal and child health, and so many others.  There are also many public health professionals that worked their way up to their positions through experience, not education. Many do not have degrees in public health, rather, they tend to wind through different paths before they settle where they are.  That is why it is so helpful for me to network. I am very interested in understanding how they arrived at their current role. Were they passionate about working for that specific organization? If so, how did they get in? Were they referred?

Attending events with staff from my practicum site, One By One, has been extremely helpful in my networking activities. www.fightfistula.org

Through out the process of seeking employment over the last few months, I’ve noticed a few things. One is that I seem to be caught in a weird middle ground of experience, education, and age. I look like I’m just over 20 years old (I’ll be 28 this Christmas).  I have a Master’s degree and over six years of professional experience (my background is in health and fitness, started as a personal trainer, then worked as a behavior health specialist, then helped to coordinate a youth advocacy program at my practicum-site), but many organizations might feel that because I am under the age of 35, I should focus specifically on entry-level positions. This can make sense- I think it can be really helpful professionally to start from the bottom of an organization and work up. This can help with one’s understanding of operations within the organization once higher up the chain of command. However, I also want to apply to management positions, where I can use my degree(s) and rise to the challenge, which will help me to grow professionally.

Another thing that I think makes a huge difference when seeking professional opportunities- is making sure my application stands out. First, I purchased a beautiful resume/cover letter template via Etsy. Second, I designed matching contact cards on Moo Print. Next, I put together a few relevant writing and presentation samples to submit with my application. I have received the most positive feedback from potential employers because of the writing samples I include. The samples I have chosen to include in most of my applications include a Social Media Strategy I developed for my internship site, an Issue Brief I synthesized in my Master's program, a 3-part poster presentation I created in my Master's program, and sometimes a copy of the final evaluation/report I created once I finished my internship/practicum.

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/225532523/3page-resume-free-business-cards-cover

http://www.moo.com/au/design-templates/business-cards/pack/face-time.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2012/08/29/6-secrets-to-writing-a-great-cover-letter/

The only other thing that I think makes all the difference is the cover letter. There has to be the perfect balance between providing detailed examples for your qualifications and communicating your passion for the role and for working for that particular organization. I have asked just about every person I have networked with to take a look at one of my cover letters for me (they obviously vary with each application) and to provide feedback. This has helped tremendously!

1) networking and referrals, 2) stand out, provide samples of your work, and 3) write a great cover letter.