Launching the successful professional careers of our graduates is a many-pronged effort. The Office of Career Services (OCS) serves both current students and alumni and offers coaching on career and self-exploration, resume and cover letter writing, interview skills, and job search strategy.
The office also connects students, alumni, and employers for numerous networking, recruiting, and educational events, and promotes the ever-growing range of opportunities open to them.
“In a year of uncertainty on many fronts, our students are engaged and seeking out career development. They’re excited to begin or further their careers in a field that’s very much in need of diverse and dedicated professionals,” says Student Career Program Manager Laura Maltz. “There is a greater societal awareness around what public health is that never existed before. It has drawn new people into this field and brought attention to the great work that has been underway, as well as spotlighted gaps where more efforts are needed.”
Career Coaching
The Office of Career Services (OCS) conducted a total of 349 One-on-One Career Coaching sessions this year. These personal coaching sessions can be a game-changer for students seeking new careers.
When Amanda Nace completed her PhD in Community Health and Health Policy in fall 2020, she decided to seek professional support in planning the next stage of her career.
“I hadn’t been on an interview in so many years!” says Nace. “I got in touch with Laura Maltz, and she was incredibly helpful. She went through my resume and gave me detailed in-line edits, conducted a mock interview with me, and helped me condense 15 years of work experience into a one-minute presentation. She also had so many ideas for places I could apply that I hadn’t considered before.”
Nace was preparing to apply for a position at a management consulting firm. The interview process was unique, requiring a series of case study interviews. Maltz was familiar with this practice, and referred her to websites, articles, and books to prep her for the process.
After navigating the interview process smoothly, Nace is now an associate consultant at ZS Associates, and she readily credits her success to the guidance she received from CUNY SPH Career Services. “The hands-on, comprehensive, well-informed support, tailored to my interests and specific challenges, made the difference for me.” In addition to on-on-one coaching, OCS hosted numerous career-focused events this year.
Career Development Events
A five-part virtual series called Job Search Bootcamp addressed resume writing, cover letters, interview skills, job search strategy and networking, and salary negotiations.
In a year of remote education, OCS looked for new ways to connect our student, alumni, and organization communities, launching a virtual Employer Discovery Series. Nine employer information sessions featured government agencies, foundations, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations. The series created a space for students to network with professionals and learn about job and internship opportunities. It also created a way for successful CUNY SPH alumni to give back to their school.
Sally Quinn, who graduated in 2020 with an MPH in Public Health Nutrition, has always been committed to expanding opportunities for both patients and prospective students. She is a manager of cultural competency and health literacy at SOMOS Community Care (a network of nearly 2,500 providers throughout New York City who have come together to ensure better health care for Medicaid members) where she manages community health programs, including nutrition education, chronic disease management programs and health literacy.
This year, Quinn delivered an Employer Discovery session introducing SOMOS to future graduates, interacting with students, and sharing job and internship opportunities.
“I like connecting people to make bigger impacts, and I’m so happy to support CUNY SPH,” says Quinn. “I had a wonderful experience here. My professors were always willing to go above and beyond to connect me with projects and opportunities. I still call them for advice—it’s a community!”
Resume Critique
The popular Resumepalooza event matched students and alumni with public health, healthcare, and related professionals for 30-minute one-on-one resume reviews via Zoom.
Here’s a brief sample of the anonymous feedback on Resumepalooza from students and alumni this year:
- “This resume evaluation session was very informative and useful. My coach was great. She was so encouraging, warm, and we are interested in similar things such as addressing social determinants that affect the population. She went through my resume and gave a lot of great recommendations.”
- “Anyone who is transitioning into public health from a different field should take the time to have their resumes reviewed and critiqued to provide insight on how to make theirs stand out. What works in one industry might not work in public health and the reviewers gave great feedback on how to differentiate yourself.”
- “Everyone should take advantage of a resume assessment. Regardless of your employment status, it is good to have an idea about your professional skills and their value.”
In a year where many organizations experienced budget cuts and hiring uncertainty, the number of employers participating in the CUNY SPH Career Fair held steady and in fact increased slightly from 23 to 26.
OCS has big plans for the future, including coordinating with the new Career Skills Academy and creating focused career resources for first generation college students, international students, the LGBTQ community, people of color, students with disabilities, and women.
