Public health jobs aren’t always easy to find, especially if you’re interested in non-profit work. That doesn’t mean you should give up on finding your dream position. Once you know where to look, you’ll have more job leads than you’ll know what to do with. Here are five spots to start your job search.
Emory Job Boards
The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University is one of the best public health schools in the country. It also runs a job board open to the public. The board features entry-level and executive job postings from private and public employers. Atlanta-based organizations are frequent posters, but you can find a range of national and international public health jobs on the board. It’s updated every single day and includes a searchable database to let you find jobs in specific locations, with specific titles or posted by specific organizations.
Related resource: Top 10 Best Online Masters in Public Health Degree Programs
Your School’s Career Office
If you’ve earned a bachelor’s (BSPH) or master’s (MPH) degree in public health, you have an advantage in your job search. Your university should offer career services to help you find a position. Depending on the size of your school, this center could be an entire office or one person. Either way, you can get help writing your resume, practicing for interviews and finding jobs. Career services staff spend part of their day connecting with local employers and promoting your school’s graduates. That means the staff can connect you to companies looking to hire alumni like you.
Local Departments of Public Health
The biggest employers of public health graduates are state and county health departments. You’ll get great benefits like a generous retirement plan, ample vacation time and a consistent work schedule. Plus, these jobs cover a range of duties and titles. You could be your city’s maternal health coordinator, help run vaccination campaigns or track reportable diseases. Local government jobs tend to offer steady career advancement and prioritize local graduates. If you went to a state university or regionally recognized school, you should keep an eye on the job vacancies at nearby health departments. They offer an easy way to get crucial entry-level experience.
Federal Service
The United States federal government employs many public health workers. You could work for the Centers for Disease Control, the military or the Department of Health and Human Services. With a bachelor’s degree, you can look for entry-level training programs as a public health technician or field officer in training. If you’ve pursued a specialized master’s degree, you could work as a policy analyst for the DHHS or an epidemiologist with the military. The federal government makes it easy to view all open positions on their job posting website.
Public Health Organizations
Many public health students are passionate about a particular cause. Whether you care about access to fresh produce, reducing childhood obesity or working with refugees, you can find a non-profit that shares your devotion. To find a job that will make you happy, look for work at agencies that share your commitments. There’s no shame in frequently checking the website of your favorite non-profit and waiting for a job opening. In fact, that’s a great way to find a long-term public health career.
If you’ve made it through your public health degree, you already have the research and writing skills you need to land a job. Now that you know where to look for public health jobs, you’re ready to advance your career.
