School and Jobs Advice Megathread Part III

[u/SadBreath]

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

[u/Mudtail]

Hello all!

I’m in my first semester of my MPH, and I’m honestly terrified of job hunting after I graduate. My undergraduate degree is in biology, and my current concentration is epidemiology. I’m also working on completing a certificate program in genomics and bioinformatics, and am hoping to start on a research project before the end of the semester.

My question is, am I setting myself up for success in terms of finding a job? What types of options will I have besides the obvious?

Thank you in advance!

[u/bubblerboy18 → u/Mudtail]

Find a job before you graduate and try and do your internship with them. I’m graduating in December and I’ve been working with my employer for a year and I’m glad I don’t have to look for another job right now.

[u/tacoz4 → u/Mudtail]

I definitely feel your concerns. I just graduated in August and, thanks to other people telling me I’d struggle finding a job, I was terrified that I wouldn’t find a job. Most MPH programs require an internship—if yours does, take huge advantage of that and make as many connections as you can/network like hell to learn as much as you can about the institutions/orgs where you can seek employment; if it doesn’t, do one anyways. They are so valuable. I moved to an entirely new place and interned with the local health department and it provided me so much. They offered me a temporary job, and I had a full time, adult job within a month of graduation.

If you work hard, start looking at job openings/potential employers early, and have a good resume and interviewing skills, you’ll find something. I can’t speak to your last question of “what types” because that’s heavily dependent on your location and job climate. Apply to EVERYTHING, even if it doesn’t call for/require an MPH, even if you think you don’t have the skills/aren’t qualified. Apply anyways. The WORST that happens is they don’t call you, the best is that they do.

Don’t stress yet. Prepare and research jobs in your area/the area you want to live, and start building your resume. Do informational interviews with people/places you might be interested in working for or learning more about.