Tips for Job Seekers
Interested in a job in local public health? We are always looking for dedicated and passionate people to join our amazing community! Beginning your public health career may start with an informational interview with health department staff about the department’s open roles. Some local health departments host practicums or internships which provide hands-on, practical experience.
Whether early in your career or already working in public health and looking to advance, it’s important to know how to work with the cultural, racial, and linguistic diversity of our communities. Here are some strategies to build and highlight your skills and experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
- Learn more about the types of jobs in local, regional, and tribal public health.
- Learn more about training and licensure programs in Massachusetts related to local, regional, and tribal public health jobs.
- Boost your experience and expertise by developing your knowledge of CLAS Standards, national standards developed by the federal government to advance health equity.
- Intern and/or seek opportunities to work with culturally and linguistically diverse organizations to increase your CLAS experience.
- Highlight your CLAS Standards skills, experience, and training on your resume. Detail the culturally and linguistically diverse communities you have collaborated with and served and mention projects or policies you have created to advance equity in employment practices and community services.
Your Goal
When looking for a job, find out more about various local public health roles and positions. Then, start looking at job openings and highlight those that seem interesting and match your skills and experience.
What You Need
Make sure you understand what local public health is all about and how you may see yourself fitting in and starting a career. This may help to guide which jobs to look for and prioritize.
Action Steps
- Review About Local Public Health on this site.
- Take a look at roles in local public health and Career Paths on this site.
- Look at Job Openings on this site as well as other job boards.
Your Goal
Make sure that the materials you will be sending in response to an open position paint a thorough picture of you: your skills, your lived experience, and your interest in local public health. This is why writing your resume and cover letter are so important.
What You Need
You will need to write a resume for each job application. Some hiring managers may also ask for a cover letter. Use resources on this site on how to develop and resumes and cover letters, your career services office if you are a student, and trusted mentors or online resources.
Action Steps
- Write your cover letters and resumes and make sure they match the jobs you are interested in.
- Figure out who can be your references. These might include teachers/professors, former supervisors, or colleagues who know about your skills and experience.
- Contact your references to let them know about the position (send them the job posting) and why you are interested in the position (send them your cover letter and resume).
- Review Tips for Job Seekers to make sure you can highlight your interest and experience working with racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities.
Your Goal
Interviews are opportunities for a hiring manager to learn more about you and for you to learn more about the position. Your goal should be to prepare for common questions, know how you will talk about yourself and your qualifications, and learn much as you can about the position and agency.
What You Need
Research the role and the agency by looking at the agency's website. Prepare for common interview questions by using online resources. Treat your interview like a conversation -- it is a chance to develop a connection, market yourself, and learn more about the role!
Action Steps
- Familiarize yourself with the role and the agency.
- Prepare to discuss your experience, skills, and interests clearly.
- Review common interview questions.
- Prepare questions you want to ask during the interview.
Your Goal
If you have received a job offer, this means that you are a finalist for the position. Take your time to make a final decision: your goal should be to look at the position and make sure it matches your career goals and financial needs and that it feels like a role and agency that you will truly enjoy.
What You Need
Make sure you have all of the information you need to make a decision. You may also want to think about location and transportation. If possible, talk to people who work at the agency to learn about the workplace culture. Ask about the benefits such as healthcare and retirement savings.
Action Steps
- Check the position against your goals.
- Do not be afraid to ask the hiring manager additional questions.
- Don't be afraid to negotiate for a higher salary, better benefits, and other things that are important to you.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination in hiring and employment. The ADA limits the types of disability-related questions that an employer may ask an applicant prior to hiring, after a job offer has been made, or during employment. For example, during an interview, an employer may ask an applicant whether they are able to perform the essential functions of the job either with or without reasonable accommodations. An employer may not ask an applicant if they have a physical or mental impairment that would require accommodations or impact their ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Disclosing a disability is a voluntary choice. Employers are not required to provide disability accommodations without a formal request. Check the organization’s employee handbook, human resources, or diversity website to find the organization’s protocols for requesting reasonable accommodations. Job Accommodation Network offers information about your legal rights as a person with a disability, and offers helpful suggestions related to disclosing a disability and requesting reasonable accommodations.
For Interviewing
- If you require accessibility for a mobility impairment, inquire about the interview space, accessible parking spaces, and other accessibility needs ahead of time.
- If you use assistive technology, bring it with you to your interview so you can take notes as needed and demonstrate your ability to do your work using assistive technology.
While discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibited, an employer may rule out a candidate who they believe is not able to perform the job to the standards they are seeking. If you have a visible disability that might make an employer wonder whether you are able to perform the essential functions of the job, explain during the interview how you’ve performed the essential functions of similar jobs in the past. Focus on your abilities, your confidence, your successes, and your resourcefulness.
Local public health requires employees to serve community members with all abilities, so highlight any of your expertise and experience related to accessibility and serving disability communities.
The following organizations offer guidance to job seekers who are Deaf or disabled: