By: Lisa Emerson – 1st Year – Global Epidemiology
Financing graduate school can be a challenge and having a part-time job is often necessary to make your budget work. Luckily, Rollins offers many opportunities through jobs both within the REAL program and outside of it. REAL, Rollins Earn and Learn, is essentially a work-study program through the school that allows students to find public health part-time work experiences. Many students find their jobs, practicums, and even job opportunities after graduation through the program.
However, not everyone qualifies for REAL. If you’re like me, maybe you applied to school late and missed the deadlines, and now you’re concerned about your chances of finding a part-time position and don’t know where to start looking. The good news is you don’t have to worry. Rollins and the many other public health organizations in Atlanta offer countless opportunities to find a position even if you don’t have the REAL award.
Almost every single student Rollins student works a part-time position, and I personally haven’t heard of anyone looking for a position and not finding one within a month or two. We have lots of opportunities to start your search including networking with faculty, finding positions through the Fall Career Fair, Handshake, or other tools from Career Services.
Networking, as you likely know, is a great way to find a job. Students I know who have found a position this way asked professors to meet and inquired about any positions the professor might have. Even if that professor doesn’t have any student positions, they probably know someone who does so don’t be afraid to ask.
The Fall Career Fair, which is scheduled for September 14th in 2018, is another great place to find positions. You can ask the many organizations that attend how to apply for internships and student jobs, as well as make a great first impression on the organization.
My favorite tool for job searching is called Handshake, or the Rollins Opportunity Link. Many positions are posted on here and will state if they’re for REAL or Non-REAL students, which takes the guessing out of your search. Once you find a job you like you can apply directly on the website, or the posting may have directions on another way to apply. Be sure to follow directions on the website to set up your account.
Finally, I can’t say enough about how wonderful our Career Services office is. RSPH is the only school of public health in the U.S. that has its own in-house Career Services, so be sure to take advantage of all they have to offer. Specifically for you job search, be sure to check out the Job Search Tools and fix up your resume and cover letter. You can also check out the interview prep guide and practice your interviews through Interview Stream.
In short, there’s no need to worry if you don’t have a REAL award. You’ll find a job if you’re willing to look for one. Career Services is always ready to help and has several useful tools to start your job search and improve your cover letters and resumes. Check out Handshake for current postings, and come to the Career Fair in September to start networking with Atlanta’s many public health organizations.
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