OR use a tool like https://headlines.sharethrough.com/ to come up with a better title

“Start with a bold factual statement/short sentence or an impactful quote from a credible person who is knowledgeable about your topic.”

INTRODUCTION

Picture this, you’re sitting at your laptop day in and day out on LinkedIn, Indeed, and just about every other job board out there. You’re applying for seemingly hundreds of jobs, but, for some reason, you just can’t seem to get hired. Trust me, we’ve all been there. At this point you are probably frustrated and discouraged but you have to keep in mind that this is just the process. The good news is, you  can take control of it. In this blog post, you are going to learn how to do just that. We will be covering the PHI podcast episode “How To Get A Job Using The HIRED Method,” where Gordon, Leshawn, and Zoila Reyna (the CEO of Public Health Hired) break down each component of Zoila’s HIRED method. 

1. Honing
2. Intercepting
3. Reflecting
4. Embodying
5. Dollars 

Honing 

It can be easy to get discouraged when looking for jobs, especially as a new graduate.It feels like everyone wants someone with 10+ years of public health experience. This discouragement can make it tempting to apply to anything that seems like it’s remotely close to what you want to do. However, this is not the best strategy. Instead, you need to hone in on exactly the type of job you are looking for. The reality is that you will rarely see a job that wants just “public health” experience. Instead, they’re more likely to want someone with project management, evaluation, or data analysis experience all of which can fall under the public health umbrella. This is why you do not want to search “public health” when you are job searching. Instead, try to search for  key terms like “capacity building”, “implementation”, “community engagement”, and “strategic planning”. Zoila has a free resource detailing some key terms in public health and can help you use them on your resume and in your job search. 

Intercepting

The next step in this method is intercepting the person doing the hiring. You do this by having a strong resume. A strong resume begins with a strong summary of 8-10 statements outlining  how your skills and qualifications align with the responsibilities of the job. This makes it easy for the hiring manager to quickly see that you’re a good fit for the role. They’re looking at countless resumes, you want to make it as easy for them as possible. The next step of making a strong resume, particularly for new graduates and students, is focusing on your skills as a professional rather than your education. You don’t need to include all the courses you took and your GPA on your resume. Keep your education simple, you only need to include the school you went to and what your degree is in. Focus the rest of your resume on your skills and experiences, leading as a working professional rather than a student.

Reflecting

This step in the HIRED method focuses on your cover letter. A cover letter is your chance to have a conversation with the company and highlight why you’re the best fit for the role. You do not want to give up this opportunity by not submitting one or by submitting one that is not relevant to the job you’re applying for.

The first paragraph of your cover letter should be a direct call back to the summary you created for your resume. Rather than telling the hiring manager how excited you are about the position, you should just state which position you are applying to and your qualifications including your degree and the skills you brought forth in your summary. This will remind the hiring manager why you would be a good fit for the job.  

Moving on to later paragraphs, you should highlight exactly what you have done in the past and how it relates to the job you are applying to. For example, if you’re applying to a program director position, you should focus on how you have successfully implemented and evaluated programs in the past. You can also use this time to disclose any lived experiences you may have. Be careful you don’t just highlight achievements you’re proud of without relating them back to the job. 

Embodying

Now that you have crafted a strong resume and engaging cover letter, you’ve hopefully received some interview offers. The embodying step  in the HIRED method focuses on how to best prepare  for these interviews. One great way to do this is called the “total recall method.” You are going to sit down with the job description and study it thoroughly, using your experience to guide you. Physically write down either in a journal or on your computer how you have performed the job responsibilities in the past, keeping in mind those key terms mentioned before. This will help you become familiar with your strengths so you can highlight these in the interview. This also helps you identify your weaknesses  so you can prepare for what to say if they ask you about them. A good thing to keep in mind when interviewing is that interviews are less about you and more about the company and the job at hand. Although you are talking about yourself, you should always be doing so through the lens of the job. Even when it comes to the end of the interview and the interviewer inevitably asks you if you have any questions for them, you should remain focused on the job. Some examples of good questions to ask would be, “Can you tell me more about the partners and communities you work with?” or, “What do you enjoy about working at this company?”. This part of the interview is a great space for you to show your interest in the role and learn more about the culture of the company you’re interviewing with. 

Dollars

So now you’ve made it through an interview and received a job offer! The final step in this method is going to help you negotiate a good salary for your new job. This step ties directly back to the honing step. To avoid being disappointed with your salary, you want to weed out jobs that are not going to meet your salary expectations. This is done by first looking at what type of degree the job requires. Positions requiring only a Bachelor’s will likely pay less than jobs asking for a Master’s. Also, look at the type of jobs you’re applying for. Supervisory roles will typically pay more than, for example, a coordinator role. You can also look at the region where the company is as jobs in some regions will be paid more than those in others. Finally, look at the industry you’re applying to (government, non-profit, private, etc.) and understand the differences in pay between each. By considering all of those factors when you are in the honing stage you will avoid being surprised by a salary lower than you were expecting.

Once you have received a job offer complete with a salary how do you negotiate a higher salary? First things first,  always do this by email. Even if you received a job offer verbally, be sure to get a follow up in  writing. Your email should use the phrase “salary adjustment” rather than directly asking for more money. You also want to ask for a little bit above what you are hoping to make. Finally, you don’t want to ask for a nice round number, by asking for a slightly odd, specific adjustment you signal to the company that you’re serious about this and have put time and thought into the number. For example, if you receive a job offer for $75 000 and you would like to be making $80 000 you might say “Thank you for the offer, after reviewing it I would like to request a salary adjustment to $82 500.” The company may agree to the amount you requested, which is great, but more than likely they meet you somewhere in the middle which will be closer to your desired salary than the original offer. The negotiating process can be very intimidating, and you may run into companies or recruiters who try to scare  you from asking for more. Don’t be afraid you push for them to review your request and remember to not panic while they do this. It may take them a couple of days to get back to you but when they do it will likely be with a number closer to your desired salary. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, at this point, you have reviewed the skills and strategies you need to create a winning resume and cover letter, nail your job interview and negotiate the salary you want. Job hunting can be a stressful process rather than worry, take control of it, use these steps and you’ll be HIRED before you know it.

Written by: Maddie Burnett, BSc, MPH