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First-Generation Student Seeking Career Advice — How to Enter Job Market While in MPH Program?

Hi everyone,
I’m a first-generation college student and I don’t have much guidance navigating the job market. I completed my undergrad in Biology, and after graduating I realized there are few office jobs I could get with just that degree. Because I’m passionate about health and community impact, I decided to start an MPH program.

I’m now trying to understand how to enter the job market with my background and while I’m still in grad school. I’m wondering:

Are there types of jobs or roles that I could realistically start while completing my MPH?

For example, would a clerical position at a local health department or any government office be a good entry point?

Should I be focusing mainly on maintaining a top GPA, or should I be prioritizing gaining work experience even if it’s part-time or entry level?

In undergrad I had a strong GPA, but it didn’t seem to help me secure meaningful job opportunities. I’m feeling confused about the best strategy to build experience and launch a career in public health.

Any advice, suggestions on roles to target, networking tips, or pathways others have taken would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

biology government federal-government publichealth local-government firstgeneration publichealthmajor
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Vianne’s Answer

You're on a pretty normal path, especially as a first-generation student figuring things out without a guide. In public health, it's not just about having a good GPA. Employers want to see if you've been involved in programs and worked with communities or health systems. While working on your MPH, starting with entry-level or part-time jobs is perfectly fine and even expected. Jobs like clerical or administrative roles in health departments, nonprofits, hospital outreach offices, or government agencies are great because they show you how public health works behind the scenes.

If you have to choose between perfect grades and gaining experience, experience usually counts more as long as your GPA is decent. Try to get hands-on experience while studying, like being a research assistant, program assistant, doing community outreach, or working in data support. These roles teach you important skills like program coordination and working with real people, which employers value more than just good grades. Your biology degree already gives you an edge, and now you just need practical experience to go with it.

Networking is also really important in this field. Talk to your professors about projects, go to local public health events, and reach out to alumni or professionals for advice. Many public health jobs come from connections or being remembered as someone reliable during school. Think of your MPH as a chance to gather experiences, not just attend classes. If you graduate with both coursework and real-world experience, you'll be in a great position to get a job.
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Sean’s Answer

Hi Margie, congratulations on the hard work and proactive thinking and planning you've done so far, it will all serve you well as you move through your job search and career. Employment in the healthcare field has a very wide variety of options. A good starting point for you might be to look at the landscape of the types of jobs available. Some valuable industry information can be found on the US Department of Labor website: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/. Note that there are essentially two groups of employment you can look at, practitioners and technologists, and support services. If you want to go down the path of practitioner or technologist, have a look at the types of services and consider getting training and certifications in those areas. If you chose to be more of a generalist providing business or support services, your undergraduate degree and MPH credentials are preparing you well for that. Next, I'd suggest looking at the career sections of websites for major healthcare providers in your area. I believe in California some of these include Kaiser Permanente, CommonSpirit Health, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but there are likely many others. Take a look at their career pages and also look on sites like Indeed to get a sense of where there are jobs available. Read through the job descriptions to get a sense of what the employers are looking for and match your skill sets as best as possible. Also, consider looking for internships or even volunteer opportunities at medical or treatment providers to build some experience on your resume. Finally, remember that persistence and hard work pay off in the end. To get one job offer, you may need to go on 10 interviews, to get 1 interview you may need to send a hundred resumes. Don't get discouraged by that, it's part of the process. Wishing you the best of luck in your career.
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