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Career Services Office

Overview of Services

INTRODUCTION

The staff of the Career Services Office (CSO) provides a full range of services for students, post-docs and alumni/ae starting with their first day of classes and throughout their professional career.  It is our mission to see that students have the information necessary to make wise and realistic career decisions.  Furthermore, we provide students with the comprehensive resources needed to be well prepared, confident, and competitive during their job search.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AT A GLANCE

  • Advice from alumni Career Coaches
  • Calendars of CSO Events/Workshop
  • Career Counseling/Career Decision-making
  • Career Development Workshops
  • Career Panels: featuring alumni and other experts in the field
  • CSO Website: A comprehensive resource for the public health job search
  • Job Search strategies for International Students
  • Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a tool for self-understanding and self-marketing
  • On-campus interviews, career fairs, and networking opportunities
  • Online library of career resources  with links to hundreds of public health opportunities
  • Online Public Health Career Development Timeline with important deadlines
  • Practice Interviews
  • Resume/CV critique
  • Recommendations and strategies for conducting an international job search
  • ALUMNI CAREER COACHING PROGRAM 

The career coaches (10) are HSPH alumni from various disciplines and professional backgrounds who are available to meet with students on an hourly basis to provide advice and networking suggestions.  These appointments are usually scheduled for late afternoon, early evening, or in some cases on the weekend.  A complete list of the coaches with biographical information is available on the CSO portal. Students wishing to schedule an appointment with a career coach should contact the CSO at: 617-432-1034 or at: careers@hsph.harvard.edu. 

  • CALENDAR OF CSO EVENTS

CareerConnect lists all of the CSO events/workshops that are taking place by date, time and venue.  Once logged into CareerConnect choose the Calendar option at the top of the page.

  • CAREER COUNSELING

Individual career counseling sessions focus on career planning, job search skills, career resources, and networking information.

  •   CAREER DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE

There are so many career opportunities and deadlines that students must juggle along with their busy academic schedules.  To create greater efficiencies for our students, we have created an online Public Health Career Development Timeline with Deadlines.  Students can access the timeline through the CSO Portal, click on a month, and easily see opportunities they should not miss, or career preparation tasks that need attention. Best of all, one click on the fellowship or other opportunity and they are immediately linked directly to the organization's web site. 

  •     CAREER FAIRS

Every year in early March, the CSO organizes a 4 day Career Fair. A broad range of employers from various concentrations attend the program to recruit individuals to work in a wide variety of public health disciplines.  Last year approximately 75 organizations participated in the Career Fair.  A complete list of last year's attendees can be found on the CSO website. Other recruiting and networking events are currently in the planning stages and will be announced throughout the year. 

  •   CAREER GUIDE

This hard copy guide (also on the CSO website) provides a full range of professional development resources to assist students with planning and managing their public health career.  The Guide provides resources to facilitate the job search process and to help students find fulfilling employment. 

  • COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS

The CSO maintains frequent contact with students in the following manner: 

  •  CSO Update emails are sent weekly to all students making them aware of the various events/workshops that are taking place in the ensuing week such as: employer information sessions, on-campus interviews, alumni panels, career development workshops, etc.
  •   Opportunities emails are sent out to students by degree level announcing various internship and fellowship opportunities.  Also, announced are part time, short term positions that are offered by local researchers. During the busy fall season these email messages go out at least once a week.
  • CAREER GUIDE

This hard copy guide (also on the CSO website) provides a full range of professional development resources to assist students with planning and managing their public health career.  The Guide provides resources to facilitate the job search process and to help students find fulfilling employment. 

  • COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS

The CSO maintains frequent contact with students in the following manner: 

  •  CSO Update emails are sent weekly to all students making them aware of the various events/workshops that are taking place in the ensuing week such as: employer information sessions, on-campus interviews, alumni panels, career development workshops, etc.
  •  Opportunities emails are sent out to students by degree level announcing various internship and fellowship opportunities.  Also, announced are part time, short term positions that are offered by local researchers. During the busy fall season these email messages go out at least once a week.
  • CRIMSON COMPASS

A University-wide alumni career advisory network for all Harvard students and alumnae/i. The system enables students and alums to seek out advisors who are alumni from any of the Harvard schools, based on a wide range of shared interests.  Whether students are searching for graduates associated with a specific organization, or want to gain advice on balancing work and family, Crimson Compass is the perfect resource.  Crimson Compass can be accessed though the CSO website (www.hsph.harvard.edu/careers).

  • ELECTRONIC RESUME/CV BOOKS

Available on CareerConnect, student can place their resume/cv in one or more of the 18 books.  Employers are given access to view these books.  The system shows students which employers have looked at their resume/cv. 

  • EMPLOYER INFORMATION SESSIONS

Every year during the fall semester, the CSO invites organizations to campus to make a presentation about their organization, its hiring needs, and the application process. Last year, we hosted over 35 organizations from different public health areas such as: international organizations, non-profits, health care management, environmental, consulting, etc.  These sessions provide an excellent resource for students.   Whether they will be graduating within the year or in the near future, students will be able to network with professionals in the field while gaining insight into various public health opportunities.  

  • HSPH ON-LINE JOB POSTINGS - CareerConnect

ALL full-time, part-time jobs, internship and fellowship opportunities listed with the CSO are posted on CareerConnect.  All students have access to the system 

  • INTERNATIONAL STUDENT OFFICE (HIO)

A representative from the Harvard International Office is at HSPH every Thursday from 10am-4pm, in Kresge, G18, during the academic year, to meet with international students. She sees students on a first-come, first-served basis. At all other times students must meet with her in the HIO at the Holyoke Center in Cambridge. 

  • MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR (MBTI) AND STRONG SKILLS AND INTEREST INVENTORY (SSI)

The MBTI is an excellent tool to help an individual to better understand his or her personality and the work environment that best suits his or her needs.  Also helpful, is the insight that is gained on overcoming potential areas of weaknesses that might inhibit professional success.  Through the MBTI you will better to clearly articulate your strengths in the work environment to supervisors or during job interviews. The Strong Skills and Interest Inventory (SSII) provides an extensive report on your specific workplace interests and particular set of skills.  Visit the CSO in G18 for either the MBTI or SSII instrument and to schedule the required interpretation.

  • ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS

Employers often conduct interviews on campus, or at local hotels. Students will be notified via email of these opportunities and will be able to schedule an interview via CareerConnect.

  • ONLINE and IN-PRINT CAREER RESOURCE LIBRARY

To maximize student productivity when conducting job searches, the CSO has created an extensive online library of resources for the public health job search.  Easily accessed through the CSO web site students can conduct job searches, locate professional associations, find salary information, and more.  In addition, the CSO maintains a library of print materials.  Some of our newest acquisitions include: Finding Work in Global Health and A Practical Guide to Global Health Service.

  • POST-GRADUATION INFORMATION

Students who are interested in learning the positions recent graduates accepted, their job titles and salary ranges can find this information on the CSO website (www.hsph.harvard.edu/careers). More specific information by concentration/department can be found on the CSO Portal.  

  • SAMPLE JOB SEARCH MATERIALS

The CSO web site has sample resumes, CVs, and cover letters to provide ideas and direction for students writing job search correspondence and related materials.