In a wild turn of events there is a part time, very part time, position in my town for a health officer. I have not seen the job description yet but have heard that is mostly consists of education and pandemic preparedness. I have been after the emergency manager to take me up on my volunteering to do a local plan as he doesn’t have the time or resources. I have made brochures and a PowerPoint. Also a list of planning assumptions.
I have followed this for about 2 years and am very knowledgeable although still a lay person.
I am not too much concerned about the interview but do not have a degree in anything. This job as far as I know does not require any degree. I would like to be able to present myself as very knowledgeable, which I am. I plan on presenting my :portfolio” which includes my phamplets, etc.
I am looking for suggestions as to how to blow them out of the water with the information I have regarding pandemic planning. I would appreciate your comments and suggestions.
Thanks everyone! You have all been so helpful to me.
Birdie Kate – at 08:51
Tell us your plan. What should be done, when and how? Describe in as much detail as possible options of plan A-B & C For your town, school, water company…how you will be able to get compliance…Have or could you talk with TPTB in your town now that are in charge of the schools…have their plans in front of you and say—make reccomendations, “this is a good start but if we did this, started this earlier…we could reduce cfr by %, I reached these numbers by comparing…”
If you go in with a plan, thats well thought out, which I’m sure it will be…you will rock their socks off.
Just my 2 cents
I agree with KimT. Also-I wouldn’t worry about the degree thing, I have a feeling that a lot more of these kind of pandemic posts will be opening up, and they will take knowledgeable people, whether they have a degree or not. Ex-Richmond Ky is already calling for volunteers to help with vaccines.
Good luck with the ‘view!
Show them that you are prepared to educate the comunity, but be careful not to go overboard and make them think your a nutcase. There is a fine line between showing them that you are truly educated about pandemic preparedness and making them think you should be locked in a litte white rubber room. Use the information you have gained here on the wiki and also the info from the other various goverment flu sites to back up your education. Most importantly…. if the position is going to involve educating the public you need to show them that you have the ability to comunicate (Be a People Person). Sometimes having a warm personality can go alot furthur than any number of degrees or official certificaions. Hope some of this helps Birdie Kate. Good Luck!
How long does it take to get a Masters?
How long have you been in “class” learning every aspect of H5N1 and the effect of a pandemic? How much do you know about 1918?
You know more than almost anyone on the planet. Go gett’em.. just talk. You’ll do fine.
I would have your plan thought out, but not necessarily expect to present the entire thing. You need to develop speaking points. Maybe top 3 priorities for raising community awareness and how you will achieve those. I would absolutely NOT mention the lack of degree. Instead, I would emphasize your knowledge-base and the fact that there will be no learning curve to get you up to speed. In other words, you can hit the ground running and help the town get ready.
I almost applied for a freelance gig coordinating our state’s 19-region pandemic planning effort, the job description of which my skillset would have matched well. Thought long and hard, too. But I decided not to do it, because I knew I’d want to fling myself off a bridge after a week of dealing with the bureaucracy. The proposal review process for contractors alone was slated to take 6–8 weeks. I bring this up because I think you need to be prepared for some politics. You will be a representative of the town, and you will need to use a lot of diplomacy to raise awareness. You’ll probably also meet with a fair degree of resistance. Make sure if you do this you wear your thick skin.
Do you mind if I give you some suggestions for your resume? And if this is totally out of line, I apologize in advance.
I’ve helped many of my students with their resumes, and they say it has been a help. What employers want to see in a resume is your work and community experience (and it sounds like you have quite a bit). Include your past jobs, your education, and your volunteerism. People are always leaving things off their resumes such as Girl Scout Leader for ten years or something, and those things show that you have leadership skills. What they don’t want to see is your own assessment of yourself (I’m a people person, I have great goals, etc.). Let them make their own assessment of you. Give dates and references for everything.
Good luck. I hope you get the job.