Harvard School of Public Health Career Guide

The Career Development Process

Career Related Books The Career Services Library (Kresge G-18) has many career related books, including classics such as: What Color is Your Parachute . Identifying Your Skills A job skill is your ability to do a work-related task extremely well. Recognizing the skills you can bring to an employer is important both in finding a position that is the right fit and in articulating your strengths during a job interview. The following should help you to understand and identify your skills: Job Specific/Work-Related Examples: • Profession-specific job skills such as: analysis, laboratory techniques, or technology. • Career-related knowledge such as: an understanding of issues related to a specific disease, understanding government regulations, or knowing research protocols. • Research and investigation skills. Self-Management/Adaptive Skills Examples: • Being a strong communicator means you can clearly describe in writing or when speaking complex concepts. • An ability to convince or motivate others. • Organizational, administrative, or supervisory skills. • Follow-through, persistence, or strategic thinking abilities. • Relationship-building skills, the

Before you undertake your public health job search or career change, we recommend that you engage in the in the following career development steps: STEP 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT Suggested Timeline: September-October (for students in a one-year program) and development process is identifying your skills, competencies, values, interests, and personality style to determine career paths and job opportunities that are realistic and that match your preferences. Career management workshops, individual career counseling sessions, and career assessment tools offered by the Career Services Office can help during the self-assessment stage. Begin by asking yourself the following key questions: • When working, what am I doing when I am the happiest? • How important to me is security, money, and/or prestige? • Is impacting social change, and/or working internationally important to me? • Do I prefer to work in a laboratory, with people, analyzing, solving organizational problems, or educating the public? • Do I want to improve individual health or have a broader impact? • How will my career needs balance with my personal life? • Do I want to impact policy, create healthcare systems, or regulate systems? • What are my long term professional goals? • What are my greatest professional strengths and what do I find most challenging? ongoing throughout your career. The starting point in the career

ability to bring together diverse groups of people to work for a common goal.

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