Global Health Jobs
Global Health Jobs - Grad School Vs. Work
Published August 12, 2009 @ 10:16AM PT
(Would they be better off in grad school? Photo credit: Cam Vilay)
Question:
I am graduating in May 2010, and I know I want to go to graduate school. Should I work for a couple of years first, or should I start applying to grad schools? It seems foolish to waste time on a boring job when I know I want another degree.
Answer:
Get a job. You know you want a graduate degree now, but you could change your mind about what degree you want. You could change your mind about even wanting a degree. Give yourself some time to make sure it's what you really want. You're going to spend a whole lot of money on that graduate degree. Waiting a year before you start spending just makes sense. You may discover you really like not being in school. You may realize you don't want an MPH, you want an MBA or an MSW or a degree in medical anthropology. (I, for example, realized I wanted an MPH and not a PhD in political science.)
Waiting will also improve your chances of being accepted to graduate school. Even if you can't find a job that relates to global health, simply having been out there in the world improves your odds of getting in. It shows maturity and a range of experiences - not just schooling - that graduate schools like to see.
And the reason that grad schools like to see it is because working for a while does actually help you mature. Getting up, doing your boring (or fabulous) job every day takes a level of consistency and discipline that school doesn't ask of you. Acquiring that discipline makes grad school easier to handle once you get there.
What Not to Blog
Published July 15, 2009 @ 08:52AM PT
As an undergraduate, blogging is difficult to get right. It seems easy: blogging and education go together naturally; you already spend your life reading, writing, and using the internet. Sharing what you learn comes naturally. And writing a blog can help you make a name for yourself, develop your ideas, and create a portfolio of writing samples.
Or it can torpedo your hopes for a global health career.
You have to assume that any blog you write under your own name will be seen by a potential employer. The trick is to write the right kind of blog. You want to showcase your skills, your commitment to global health, and your easygoing nature. You don't want to sound cranky, opinionated, or full of yourself. What not to write:
1) Don't post your papers. Nothing you write as an undergraduate is likely to be worth circulating that way. If you write something so amazing your professor wants you to look into getting it published, then you could post it. Otherwise, no.
2) Don't rant. You haven't earned it yet. I know that's a tough thing to say, but you need to work in global health for a while before you start to criticize. Otherwise, you look cocky. You'll scare off potential employers with your discontent.
3) Don't share your feelings. It will just make you look moody. If you want to talk about your emotions, get an anonymous livejournal. If you're writing under your own name, keep your feelings to yourself and talk about what you are learning.
Your Parents Can't Help
Published July 08, 2009 @ 03:24AM PT
(My parents love me like I am still 9. They can't offer career advice)
Disclaimer: If your mother and/or father is a global health practitioner or academic, the first paragraph doesn't apply.
Global health isn't a new field, but it's unique. A global health career doesn't look like other careers. I once had a professional resume editor look at my CV, and she didn't even know where to start. Several Wednesday ago, I told you that no one will ever understand your job if you work in global health. This, unfortunately, includes your parents. Your parents love you, want your happiness, and have only your best interests at heart. They still can't help you.
You need a network. If you need career advice, and sooner or later we all do - you need to talk to people who work in global health or related fields. They are by far the best source of insight.
How do you get a network?
- School. If you're currently getting a degree, this is by far the easiest way to develop a network. Most professors are happy to talk to engages, informed students, even if they are not in their class. Identify which professors are involved in what interests you, and go see them. Ask for their advice on classes to take or internships to pursue. The worst that can happen is they are not helpful. (I have had not-useful meetings with professors. Many. Life goes on.)
- Work. I have mentioned this in a million other posts, but get a job that relates to global health as fast as you can. Be good at it. Get to know your colleagues. When you leave, keep in touch. Stop by the old office occasionally, meet up for lunch or coffee. If you're too shy for that, then connect on facebook or linked in and send the occasional email.
- Internet. Read blogs on global health, and leave comments. Comments are how the author gets to know you. Join twitter and follow global health people there. Put yourself out there as someone with a passion for global health.
How do you use your network?
Just ask. People like being asked for help and advice. It makes them feel knowledgeable. Don't mass email everyone who might be able to help you. Instead, sort through your contacts and chose a few who seem especially relevant. Email each one with your question. See what they say. That is all there is to it.
A few caveats. Don't bug people with tons of questions - once a month should be the most often you contact someone who is not a friend. Don't ask questions if you could google the answer instead. And always follow up - let them know if you took their advice, and how it all turned out.
Being Productive
Published July 01, 2009 @ 11:01AM PT
(photo credit: AYUM i Love Live Laugh)
Megan215 on Twitter asked me to write about productivity. I'm no expert, but I have figured out three tricks. Two big ones, and a little one - but the little one might be the most useful.
1. Love what you do. When you love your work, you think about it all the time. You're planning, processing, figuring things out in the back of your head, no matter what else you are doing. Sometimes I sit down to write global health blog posts, and I realize I have the entire text mapped out already, written unconsciously as I went through my day. A few years ago, I woke up one morning with the text and layout of a success story fully drafted in my head. (Yes, that link is to the actual story.)
2. Know your strengths and weaknesses. I am not a morning person, so I schedule easier stuff for mornings - meetings with people I like, short email responses, and catching up on news and information. I hit my stride in the afternoon, so that's when I do the challenging stuff. I don't really like Wednesdays, and I love writing career posts, so that's why you get careers on Wednesday here.
3. Turn off your email indicator. This is the little one. You know that tiny envelope that Outlook shows in the corner of your screen when you've got new mail? Turn it off. Email is more exciting than anything else you do, because you never know what amazing or fascinating message you'll get. Checking your email when you know something is there is irresistible. If you turn off the indicator, you are free to check your email when you need a break from your current task, or according to a specific schedule.
When Not to Go to Grad School
Published July 01, 2009 @ 10:39AM PT
1. When you don't know what to do next and you think grad school will help you figure it out. It will help, but you might spend two years and $60,000 to figure out that you just got the wrong degree and what you really want is medical school or an MBA. (I actually did my MPH because I didn't know what to do next, and it worked for me, but I am an anomaly)
2. When you're fresh out of college. You don't know what you want yet. Really. I promise. You might get it right, but the odds are not in your favor. Take a couple years and work. It will give you some time to figure out what you need from grad school, or if you need grad school at all.
3. When you just finished Peace Corps. You are already used to being poor, and you've got better language skills than you'll ever have again. Get an in-country internship and start building connections and relevant experience. Then use that to go to a top flight grad school and a jump-start on your post-grad school career.
4. When you're pregnant (or your partner is). Graduate school seems like it will be a flexible time to have a baby and/or a toddler. It's not. Your professors will notice when you miss class, and the constant feeling that you have work you ought to be doing is not especially compatible with parenthood.
5. January. Even if your school lets you start in spring semester, the majority are not set up for students to begin that way. Most of the classes offered will require prerequisites offered in the fall. And the other students will all know each other already; you'll miss the September friend-making rush.
How to Stay Employed in Global Health
Published June 24, 2009 @ 04:47PM PT
(photo credit: Jason Gulledge)
1. Be Easy. Global health is a small world. There are a limited number of employers, and everyone changes jobs all the time. Once you reach a certain level of seniority, people will notice you exist and you'll get a reputation. The reputation you want is for being competent, hard-working, and easy to work with. Easy matters more than anything else. Health work is important, and often high-pressure. That makes lots of people turn into divas. No one wants to work with them, no matter how good they are.
Personalities matter, a lot. When I was in Turkmenistan, we let a woman named Regina share our office space. Somehow, her mere presence made the office happier and calmer. She wasn't even working with us; she just had a knack for making things go smoothly around here. She's been my role model ever since, and I'd hire her for just about any job she applied for.
2. Be self-aware. Know what kind of work you like. Are you a field person or a headquarters person? Do you like work travel or do you dread it? Do you enjoy management, or would you rather be researching? Does you technical area matter to you - would you be happy with any job related to, say, reproductive health, or is it the responsibilities that matter - you are only happy when doing monitoring and evaluation?
3. Be flexible. Sticking rigidly to one kind of work or one technical topic is a recipe for unemployment. Knowing what makes you happy in your work gives you a lot more jobs to look for. If behavior change communication is your passion, then you could probably do good work on HIV, Tuberculosis, or a hundred other topics. If you love writing, you could be working on reporting, technical materials, or even a global health blog.
Interview with a Global Health Professional: Country Director
Published June 17, 2009 @ 02:01PM PT
1. What do you do?
- Good question. My son constantly asks me this too. I am a project manager. I make things happen. Not that I personally make things happen, I am far too lazy to be running around doing things. But I really like delegating, so I find really really good people who know how to achieve a particular objective and I make sure that they have all the resources that they need to get the job done. I also do other things like manage budgets, talk to project partners - and occasionally give speeches and cut ribbons.
2. Where do you work? Is it a company, an NGO, part of a government, or something wlse?
- I work for a company who is implementing a USAid project in Tajikistan.
3. How did you end up working in global health? Was it always what you wanted to do?
- It was an absolute fluke. After I left school I entered the civil service as an accountant and worked behind a desk in the aviation sector for over 20 years. I took a redundancy package in the early 90s and then traveled for a couple of years. When I got back I decided that I wanted to work for myself and got a few small consultancies working with community groups. I helped set up an aboriginal benevolent foundation, a women's trust, a network of women's legal centres and then with a couple of friends set up a cross cultural communications company. The company did well, but the friendship didn't, so after 5 years we sold the business and went our separate ways. A little while later I found myself working for a project management company desk managing some social sector projects. One day I was working behind a desk back, next I was flying out on what should have been a five day site visit to Central Asia - I have been here ever since managing are range of health projects with ADB, World Bank and now USAID.
4. What is your favorite thing about working in global health?
- Right now, I have the best job in the world. I work with some fantastic people and I get a huge amount of satisfaction watching a simple idea turn into something that really works and helps people lead healthier lives. When all is said and done, I guess I get a buzz out of knowing that I am helping to make a difference.
5. What is your least favorite part?
- Apart from writing report, next least favorite is standing by and watching other Donors' funds being wasted on programs that are poorly implemented or haven't got a hope of being sustainable. And , of course, there is always the issue of "leakage" and corruption. It makes me angry to see it.
