r/publichealth • u/SadBreath PhD/MPH • Aug 28 '19

ADVICE School and Jobs Advice Megathread Part III

All job and school-related advice should be asked in here. Below is the r/publichealth MPH guide which may answer general questions.

See the below guides for more information:

  1. MPH Guide
  2. Job Guide
  3. Choosing a public health field
  4. Choosing a public health concentration
  5. Choosing a public health industry

Past Threads:

  1. Megathread Part I
  2. Megathread Part II
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u/Jadisfeigns Aug 28 '19

I have one semester left (currently in process) before I graduate with my MPH. Was anyone successful in finding a job prior to graduating? How did you convey this to jobs that you’re almost done? Thank you

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u/RagingClitGasm Epi MPH Aug 28 '19

I work for government, and the hiring process can take so long (often 3-6 months from job offer to start date) that we absolutely do interview candidates who are in their last semester for positions that require an MPH. It helps on our end with the concern that our new hire will get sick of waiting and go get a different job.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '19

Good to know— I would love to work for Los Angeles County DPH once I graduate in May, but I heard the hiring process can take months on end. If a qualified candidate were to graduate in May with their MPH and started applying in Jan/Feb, would you still consider them for an interview?

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u/RagingClitGasm Epi MPH Sep 01 '19

It depends on the team, of course, but I would definitely consider a candidate who’d be graduating in 2-3 months and was willing to start as soon as they graduate. Getting someone onboarded in less than that is pretty much a pipe dream anyway, so it wouldn’t be an issue that they’re unavailable for a few more months. I’d say applying in Feb-March is totally fine, and January’s probably fine as well since the interview process can also take some time.

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '19

That's really helpful, thank you!