Attending the APHA career sessions this year was honestly one of the most useful things I’ve done for my own job search. A lot of what I thought I knew about resumes, networking and applying for jobs changed after hearing from recruiters, career coaches and people who actually hire public health students. I wanted to share the key lessons here so other students in our department can benefit too.

Resume vs. CV: Know the Difference

One of the first things they clarified is something many of us mix up. A resume is what you use for almost every public health job: internships, government, community organizations, health systems and nonprofits. It should be no more than two pages. A CV is for academic paths like PhD programs, research fellowships or faculty roles and can be much longer, with publications and presentations. Knowing the difference saves time and keeps your application aligned with what the employer expects.

Show Your Soft Skills, They Matter More Than You Think

Something I really appreciated was hearing that every job counts, not just public-health-related ones. If you worked in a café, grocery store, call center or any service role, include it. They said jobs where you handle people, food or money show that you were trusted with real responsibilities. Those roles prove you can communicate, multitask, stay organized and work under pressure. These are skills employers value even more than technical ones sometimes, so make the connection clear on your resume.

Translate Skills Into Your Job Search

One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning to search for roles based on skills rather than titles. Job titles vary a lot across organizations, but skills stay the same. For example:

• data visualization and community health
• program evaluation and health equity
• behavioral science and policy
• grant writing and nonprofit work

This approach opens up opportunities you would not see if you only typed “Epidemiology Intern” or “Research Assistant.”

Doing a quick “skills audit” also helps. Look back at old job descriptions, syllabi or even TA work and notice what skills you’ve already been practicing. You probably have more than you think.

Do Not Wait for Openings to Appear

This was the lesson they repeated the most. The best opportunities rarely show up by accident online. Instead, pick a list of organizations you care about based on location, mission or specialization. Visit their “About” and “Careers” pages regularly. Reach out to a manager or team lead on LinkedIn or email them asking for a short conversation.

Use Job Platforms Wisely

They shared several top platforms to check regularly: LinkedIn, USAJobs, Indeed, PublicHealthJobs, APHA CareerMart, CSTE jobs, GoingGlobal and Handshake (especially for students). Using filters and saving searches saves a lot of time.

There are also AI-enhanced tools now that can match you with relevant roles, but you should always double-check everything before applying.

30-60-90 Day Job Search Plan

They encouraged students to think about what they can do today and what they want to accomplish in the next month or two. Update your resume and LinkedIn. Identify organizations you want to target. Make connections where you can. Apply biweekly, not daily. Even if you are not hearing back, keep going. And always follow up.

Sending emails to the organizations on your list every two weeks is much more effective and far less stressful than trying to apply to new jobs every single day.

Track Your Relationships

One thing I will actually start doing is keeping a simple spreadsheet for networking. APHA career coaches showed a template with columns for organization name, job titles, contact info, notes and follow-up dates. It helps you stay organized and makes sure you don’t lose track of the people you talk to.

Using AI in a Smart and Ethical Way

APHA had a full section on AI, and the message was clear: AI is an assistant, not a replacement. Start with your own writing, then use AI to polish it for clarity or grammar. AI can help compare your resume to a job description, brainstorm interview questions or tidy up your communication. But AI should not over-sell your skills or replace your thinking.

AI is helpful for exploring job markets, organizing your search, preparing for interviews and drafting emails. But at the end of the day, it’s you who shows up for the interview and does the job.

Talking About Salary

They strongly advised not to bring up salary until the employer brings it up first. Do your research beforehand, but wait until after you receive a formal offer to discuss numbers. This protects you from underselling yourself.

Final Thoughts

These APHA sessions really changed how I see the job search. It’s not about sending 100 applications. It’s about knowing your skills, being consistent, building relationships and following up. A lot of the process is proactive, not reactive.

Public health is a wide field with so many possible paths, and the APHA sessions reminded me that there is no single “right” way to build a career in it. What matters is staying open, staying prepared and taking steady steps toward opportunities that align with your strengths and values. It is a long journey, but one that becomes clearer the more intentional we are about how we approach it.