Working in public health means using a range of skills — from data analysis to health education to disease surveillance — attracting nimble, creative employees who can solve the most challenging problems in their communities. It’s this combination of ingenuity and transferable skills that makes public health practitioners excel across sectors.
“I think we all as public health folks have a unique lens in which we look at the world, and that is what has helped me see myself in other sectors and in other positions,” said 40 Under 40 in Public Health honoree Kayla Tilton, MPH, a panelist in the latest job seekers webinar from the American Public Health Association (APHA) and de Beaumont.
With more public health workers being forced out of their jobs, it’s an apt moment to explore opportunities adjacent to their former positions or in totally different industries. The panelists — moderated by de Beaumont program officer Maddie Kapur, MPH, MSW — offered this advice for pursuing new career directions:
Clarify Your Goals
Job seekers need to be clear about what they want to yield the best outcomes, said Laura Labovich, CEO of The Career Strategy Group. She encouraged the audience to “build the bridge to the employer,” creating a narrative with your resume that explicitly outlines what you want to do and why, and what skills you bring to the table.
“Recruiters often have so many requisitions they’re dealing with. If you do not tell them what it is that you want, they are often going to default to the last job that you had,” she explained. So those exploring new career territory need to clarify their targets.
This involves identifying:
- The function/role you’re pursuing
- Your experience level (entry-, mid-, or senior-level)
- Your desired geographic location, industry, and company size
From there, you can develop a target list of companies to share among your friends and professional networks. Labovich advised against the “drop and run” approach of handing out your resume without communicating your needs. You’ll get better leads if you point colleagues to your target list of organizations and ask for help connecting to current employees.
Play Up Your Strengths
Transitioning to a new sector requires highlighting your transferable skills. Angela McGowan, JD, MPH, senior director of the Alliance for Disease Prevention and Response at APHA, noted that this can be tricky for professionals like federal public health employees with highly specialized roles.
The prestige of leading a disease prevention program, for example, may be well known in public health, but outsiders will need additional context to understand its importance. Meanwhile, skills like project management and partnership coordination are highly valuable in virtually any industry, if candidates can point to such experience.
Tilton recommends including an executive summary at the top of your resume to tell a story. “I want to tell [employers] how I’ve started with public health and how I’m carrying that through and what I want to do,” she said.
Cultivate Professional Relationships
Even if your professional networks don’t have an immediate job for you in mind, they can help you figure out where you might want to land.
With degrees in both public health and law, McGowan sought a career that would allow her to work at the intersection of research and policy. McGowan talked to professionals across these disciplines to learn where she could fit in and what functions she might want to serve. Connecting with a variety of professionals also helped her to explain her unique background.
Tilton has moved from one position to another due in part to the relationships she built over time. She applied the communications skills she developed working in government public health to an advertising agency. Then one of her longtime clients at the agency, the Clean Power Alliance, turned into her current employer.
“You never know who might be your future employer in a current position or from a previous one, so I highly encourage that you maintain those relationships and continue to cultivate them, because it very might well be your next position,” she said.
Staying in touch is key to sustaining professional relationships. Labovich shared her formula for keeping up with the people who have supported you in your job search:
- When first meeting with someone, pay attention to personal anecdotes, hobbies, and interests to refer to in future conversation.
- Follow up after meeting to thank them for their time and advice.
- The next time you reach out, share a tidbit that would be of interest to them, like an industry-related blog post or event.
- The third message is to let your contact know you’ve taken their advice to heart, with an update your job search. Thank them again for their help.
Remember, It’s a Leap of Faith
Shifting within or outside public health may be intimidating, but it can be well worth the effort. Tilton, who had no formal advertising or marketing experience before working at an agency, encouraged job seekers to be open to roles in less-familiar territory.
“There’s so much opportunity out there if you’re just willing to take a leap of faith and be willing to learn,” she said. “This is a great and fulfilling thing as well, getting to apply your public health experience to something that you never thought yourself being in.”
Watch the full recording of the webinar, “Your Public Health Job Search: Transitioning Across Sectors.” For more guidance in your public health job search, see Making the First Cut: Tips for the Public Health Job Search.
