A step up the ladder
Career development pathways in Public Health Part II
Last week, I kicked off a 3-part miniseries about career development in public health by describing some of the challenges that hinder the growth of public health professionals. This week, I continue to develop this train of thought and work towards suggestions for next steps.
Also, scroll down for an update on a new opportunity to connect with other readers of this newsletter to discuss the issues raised.
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Why do we need development paths? A confession
I confess that I’m sick of hearing the words “You have a great resume BUT….”
Not to boast or anything, but I’ve got a whole resume full of hard-earned qualifications, published papers, and lofty achievements. However, it's been astoundingly hard to draw a line from any single one of them to the next step. In fact, to the contrary, I have been advised multiple times to consider removing my PhD from my resume in order to avoid scaring off a potential employer who might find it threatening. (Not exaggerating: 🚩bear this in mind when considering PhDecisions.) Now I worry that my troubled feelings questioning my professional status spill over into affecting my personal worth too. Neither the ongoing underemployment nor repeatedly debasing myself by writing begging letters to apply for jobs is doing wonders for my self-esteem.
When I see an early career public health professional sharing news on LinkedIn of their recent graduation from a new qualification or their first published paper, I try very hard to hold back my cynicism and congratulate them wholeheartedly. When I see a contemporary sharing news of their latest and greatest achievements, l wonder how they have managed to make it ahead while I appear to have stumbled onto an off-ramp. When I hear senior professionals in our field blithely offering well-intentioned but utterly out-dated and misguided career guidance advice, … my thoughts get quite rude.
Thank you, next
I try to be really generous when it comes to rewarding people for doing their job well, like Teacher Appreciation Day at my kids’ schools or gratuities within the service industry. However, I am finally starting to wonder when what goes around will ever come around, and whether appreciative outreach efforts will ever reach the public health sector. So far as I can tell right now, my earnest commitment to public health and setting high quality standards for doing my job well has only led me directly to the current absence of a steady job.
When I was volunteering as an epidemiologist during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it never occurred to me to expect any more than a “Thank You” from any of the institutions at which I volunteered or the individuals whom I supported. Was there some request I should have made, to gain recognition or a pathway to new opportunities, before I went back to being unemployed again? During many years as an adjunct professor teaching public health to undergraduate and graduate students at highly regarded universities, nobody checked in on me to see how I was doing with the new software / syllabus / student drama / global pandemic or to offer me related opportunities for next steps along my professional path. (Heck, us adjuncts are barely informed about whether we will be teaching next semester.) Meanwhile, I’m once again receiving requests to volunteer my time and expertise to conduct peer reviews of scientific research articles from the very same academic publishers whose journals I cannot afford to read because I no longer have access sponsored by my employer or education. Can anyone else relate? Can you blame me for feeling used? Bitter, moi?
“36 And A Half Under 36 And A Half”
Even the scientific advisors to the President agree about the need for career development pathways in public health:
“A focused, inspiring recruitment effort that publicizes the importance of public health jobs, coupled with incentives such as clear career pathways and loan repayment and forgiveness options will elevate public health employment as desirable and help to fill available jobs.” President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Report to the President: Supporting the US Public Health Workforce, 2023 (emphasis added)
Meanwhile, you know what’s not a mechanism for career progression? Those age-related accolades, training schemes, and other opportunities whose entry criteria include strict upper age limits! Celebrating age-related achievements in a career that has ZERO mechanisms for advancement is rubbing ageist and sexist salt into an already very inflamed wound. Applying limits on age (and/or time since graduation) to awards, fellowships, and training programs cements inequities, disadvantage, and discrimination against vulnerable minorities and women, who are frequently required to progress along a different timeline. Family caregivers, who are predominantly women, need additional time allowances to account for responsibilities assigned by a patriarchal society that robs us of a safety net. Members of minority groups may have needed more time to overcome additional barriers to entry, such as establishing a new support network from within a community without a history of higher education.
Evidently, the clock is not ticking at the same speed for all. Some of us no longer have access to the privileges of enrolment at an educational institution, including access to library resources and career counselors, eligibility for student memberships to professional organizations and subscriptions to professional journals, conference registration rates for students and young professionals, recruitment opportunities that focus on students and young professionals. Our latest fixed-term contracts have inevitably expired, yet we remain under-employed and unable to access the benefits accorded to recent grads. Our sector must evolve to reflect the changing realities of the employment market.
I mean no offense to those who have received these fancy awards, but I ask you to use your Impressive Title to look out for others stuck in the doldrums and help to elevate them (us?). Instead of offering time-limited opportunities, I suggest that membership organizations and educational institutions extend their support to reflect what our field genuinely looks like today, by offering memberships, conference registration rates, and sponsorship opportunities to people who are unemployed or precariously running sole-operator businesses. I suggest that academic journals stop expecting underemployed public health professionals to volunteer our time and expertise when we cannot afford their subscription rates, and instead offer access to their resources as a meaningful incentive and a genuine way to support career development.
Next week, I’ll conclude this 3-part miniseries on career development in public health, by developing these assorted observations into more practical suggestions for actionable interventions to support the career growth of public health professionals. Make sure that you are subscribed to this feed so that you don’t miss a thing!
Join me to continue the conversation in Notes or Chat* or Comments or Threads.
Where have you found opportunities for growth and developing new skills for your public health career?
What kind of initiatives do you think would genuinely support and cherish public health professionals at every career stage?
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Katie, I feel like I could have almost written this myself (but I'm too busy writing cover letters and juggling caregiving activities). Thanks for sharing and helping your fellow mid-career, PhD-burdened job seekers feel less alone!