Internships: Not just about fulfilling the APE requirement

The second semester is already off to a strong start – 2^nd year students are diligently working on their Thesis and Capstone projects (and maybe wrapping up those core course requirements!), and 1^st year students are immersed in causal inference, more advanced statistics, and designing & implementing epidemiologic studies. Now that we’ve finally settled into the routine of the new semester, we wanted to shed more light on one of the next milestones that our 1^st year students are approaching: identifying an Applied Practice Experience. To our seasoned 2^nd year students: we’d love to hear what you’d add to this conversation! Keep an eye out for this topic to surface on Twitter, and feel free to add the ways you made the most of your Applied Practice Experiences! 

There are so many things that I love about Rollins (please don’t make me pick!) – but one thing that nears the top of my list is our Applied Practice Experience (APE) and the vast network of organizations that welcome our students each year. You may have heard this from me before, but my motivation for pursuing a career in public health was driven by wanting to make a difference. The reason why I love the APE so much is that it affords our students the opportunity to make their mark on public health even before graduation.

While some 1^st year students are well on their way to identifying an APE, most are in the early phases of thinking about how their APE might take shape. As you begin researching opportunities, I urge you to think big so that you can use this opportunity as more than a way to proverbially “check the box” on this degree requirement.

Q: Did your personal statement outline your passion for studying inequities in birth outcomes, but now you can’t learn enough about the novel coronavirus?

First – you must know that this is very typical in the life of a Rollins student! One of my favorite moments from a recruitment event was hearing a GLEPI student say that his “research interests were aligned with whatever [he] learned about during the last seminar [he] attended.” There is so much great work happening in and around Rollins, and there is no shortage of important public health topics to tackle! Take advantage of your APE as a low-stakes way to test the waters in a new topic area.

Q: Did you come to Rollins because you wanted to soak in all that our neighbors at the CDC have to offer, with the hope of landing a job there after graduation?

Many students are drawn to the Rollins School of Public Health due to our proximity to the CDC, and lots of students complete their APE with a wide range of teams across the agency. The APE affords students an inside look at the work environment of their chosen organization. You might find out that your dream job really is at the CDC, or you might find that the work environment isn’t the fit that you thought it would be. Learning what doesn’t suit your strengths and interests can be just as informative as learning what does.   

Q: It’s all about the Epi, right?

Well, not quite! While you will hopefully get a chance to apply your classroom knowledge and skillset during this experience – don’t forget that your APE is also going to test your soft skills and ability to navigate new workplace politics and dynamics. Maybe this means you will have your first opportunity to ask your manager for feedback, test new time-management techniques, navigate generational differences in the workplace, or find ways to translate the stress into focus. These techniques are just as valuable to an early career epidemiologist as experience with methods and their practical application and I encourage you to keep these ideas close at hand during your APE. 

Q: Are you nervous about navigating the job market after graduation?

Thinking about next steps after graduate studies can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! You can use the entire Applied Practice Experience process – from start to finish – as a way to prepare for your next steps. The interview process will afford you greater confidence when you are ready to apply for fulltime positions after graduation [NOTE: you may wish to revisit Dr. Lash’s PROspective piece on making a good first impression]. Some students are able to continue working with their APE organization upon completion of the degree requirement, and are even hired full-time upon graduation. If you’d like to pivot to a different area (see above!), your APE supervisor may be willing to serve as a reference for you during your job search.

No matter what APE you choose, I urge you to seize every opportunity that you can to learn from these practicing public health professionals. Keep an eye out for ways in which you are gaining and applying those professional skills and foster good relationships with those you encounter along the way. This will set you apart in the applicant pool as you demonstrate that you have what it takes to be an influential public health professional. We cannot wait to hear how you choose to use the Applied Practice Experience to make your mark on public health!

Interested in more ways that the Applied Practice Experience can expand your horizons? Check out this short article for some additional thoughts!

The EPI-Curious Society

This PROspective is a love story about books, fascinating people and topics that matter.  Have you ever had the chance to share one of your favorite activities with some of your favorite people and then have really interesting conversations on topics you are passionate about while you are doing it?  For me, this beautiful spot where these collide has a new name – The EPI-Curious Society.

“I am always thrilled to find a great read and love to talk about what I have read, particularly when it moves me or changes the way I think.“

I love to read and have for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, my mom would tell me I had to go outside to play during the summer instead of sitting in my room reading. She was truly trying to limit my reading time!  So I packed my books and outside I went… to read. 

“There is no doubt that sharing books together and challenging the way we think has deepened my understanding of the stories of life.”

These days, I spend a lot of time reading papers but I still carve out time for books and have become quite enamored with audio books I can listen to in my car or while cooking. I am always thrilled to find a great read and love to talk about what I have read, particularly when it moves me or changes the way I think.  Some of my closest friends are my six book club buddies. We have been together reading, debating, traveling and supporting each other in life for 20 years. There is no doubt that sharing books together and challenging the way we think has deepened my understanding of the stories of life.

“Our students are passionate, good humans who are engaged and interested.”

Next we add in our Emory Epidemiology students. Wow. I really am inspired by them and the way they think, their experiences, and the questions they ask. Our students are passionate, good humans who are engaged and interested. It’s a gift to know them and I was truly getting a bit blue thinking of them moving on and out of EPI530. We had spent a semester talking about the vaping crisis or the latest NPR story all while learning and growing in knowledge about epidemiology and I was not ready to have our conversations end.

So here comes the leap. Would you be willing to give up your lunch time to join me to talk about books? The response was exciting and two wonderful student leaders came forward to help set this up. Being researchers, we quickly surveyed for interest, best day of the week, book suggestions, and a name for our new book club. With the blend of a couple name suggestions, The EPI-Curious Society was born, a book was picked, and the date was set for our first meeting. 

“Learning from our past and talking about our different perspectives is fundamental to doing good work.“

Our first book, ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot has led to a fascinating discussion about research ethics,racial inequities, the individual people affected by research, and the strides made for public health. Learning from our past and talking about our different perspectives is fundamental to doing good work.       

The EPI-Curious Society now gets top billing as one of my favorite things. 

What do you get when you spend lunch discussing the ethics of human subjects research, social inequities & medical advancements with a dedicated group of @EmoryEPI superstars? The #Epicurioussociety bookclub! What a treat to be reunited with these students. ?#readingforfun pic.twitter.com/cP4XofBAgr

— Jodie L. Guest (@Jlguest) January 22, 2020

If you are a current EPI student and would like to join the EPI-Curious Society, please email sarah [dot] johnson2 [at] emory [dot] edu to be added to our listserv for information about meetings and books.

To build your list of interesting books, several faculty in the Department of Epidemiology have also created a list of their top reads from the past year, which are presented below:

Educated, A memoir

The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

The Book of Why

The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others

Thinking Fast, and Slow

How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking

Just Mercy

The Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes’ Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines, and Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy

The Sun Does Shine

An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business

Dying of Whiteness

Even on your worst day, you can be a student’s best hope

What were your favorite books of 2019? Tell us in the comments below!

Didn’t see something here that caught your eye? Browse some of our favorite book lists from the last year:

• NYT 100 Notable books of 2019 
• NPR’s Book Concierge
• Bill Gates 2019 Book list

Keep Calm and …

The two most important things I learned as an undergraduate were: (a) I can do a lot in 24 hours, far more than I had realized and far more than many people ever realize, and (b) I can only do a lot in 24 hours if I keep calm while doing it. The ability to work well under pressure is critical to career success, and can be learned. Today’s PROspective article provides ten concrete suggestions for how to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure, which has a direct link to your wellbeing and to the quality of your performance.

There are a few aspects of this reading that resonate most strongly with me. First is the idea that some stress is normative. As the article states: “Our brains are wired such that it’s difficult to take action until we feel at least some level of this emotional state.” Accepting the feelings that come with intermittent moderate stress as motivational is a first step in turning it to your advantage.

Second, it is important to develop a reliable and healthy coping strategy that you can turn to when stress rises. Knowing that you have a solution provides relief from the aspects of stress that might prevent you from performing, and allows you to channel the stress towards achievement.

For me, the advice to disconnect rings true. I do not work well in the evening, so very seldom even try. I look forward to that time at home with my family, or to play guitar, or to read and watch TV (music documentaries are my latest guilty pleasure). I always have work I could be doing; not doing it reminds me that I am in control, and feeling in control is an important defense against stress.

Learning to use stress to your advantage is healthy and will give you a competitive edge. Like many career skills, it requires introspection and a commitment to being intentional about the goal. This week’s reading will give you some foundational knowledge as a place to start.

Year In Review

2019 was the inaugural year for PROspective – one that has been full of wisdom and insights from both faculty and alumni. This week we take a walk down memory lane to review our top 5 most-read articles from 2019 (in no particular order):

#EpiTwitter: Professional engagement in the 21st century

In our very first article (ever!), Dr. Cecile Janssens introduced us to #EpiTwitter and the wealth of value that comes from having access to an online community of students, teachers, and professionals at your fingertips. 

The quote:

“Over time, I connected with many people who have similar interests but who I would never have met in person because we attend different conferences. Physicians, statisticians, policy experts, patient advocates, and journalists. Slowly but steadily, I expanded my network across disciplines. Twitter is now my favorite ‘annual’ conference, every day.”  

Public Speaking

Science is hard for a lot of reasons, but at the top of that list is that science involves a lot of scrutiny – of data, of methods, and… of presentation. In one of our favorite articles of 2019, Dr. Jodie Guest told us about her experience grappling with the challenges of public speaking. 

The quote:

“”Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” The best speakers are really storytellers even if they are talking about science or a mathematical model.  This is what connects to people and will help them remember what you have presented.”

Get to ‘Yes’

In sports, it has been said (maybe a few too many times) that “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. In the professional world, things aren’t so different. In Get to ‘Yes’, Dr. Timothy Lash gave us a strategy for nailing that shot – making use of our innate human tendencies, like the desire for reciprocity.

The quote:

“Ask in person, and offer something in return. These two principles rest on fundamentals of human interactions. People are more likely to agree to help when asked in person, not by text, email, or telephone. In addition, offering something in return shows respect for the other person’s time and effort.”

Setbacks (not Failures)

Did I mention that science is hard? Let me reiterate: it’s hard – and that means that consistent success is never guaranteed. In Setbacks (not Failures), Dr. Lauren Christiansen-Lindquist helps us reframe the personal and professional challenges inherent in our work, taking a larger view of our journey as scientists. 

The quote:

“The word “failure” sounds so final and evokes imagery of a dead end, where there’s little hope to move forward. It helps me to think of these setbacks as speed bumps, rather than closed roads. Sure, they’ve slowed me down, but they have not, and will not, halt my progress.”

Professional Feedback

While the days of primary school report cards are long gone, evaluation and feedback are still a crucial part of our personal and professional development. Nowadays, that probably comes in the form of monthly check-ins or formal bi-annual reviews. Last, but certainly not least, we heard from Elizabeth Hannapel, MPH (Alum, 2012) about the value of professional feedback and how to incorporate both the good and the bad with tact and grace.

The quote:

“On-the-job training, and the corresponding evaluation processes, should reflect not only job-specific tasks but also the interpersonal skills that enable staff to navigate complex professional environments. “

From all of us at the Confounder – thanks for reading, and we hope to share a lot more insight and PROspective in the new year!

New Year’s Resolutions

A new decade. A new year. A new you. 

This year, countless people will set their resolutions for the year.^1,2 Motivated and fueled with the energy a new year brings, they will rely on their willpower and determination to actualize these goals. Yet, the majority of these best intentions will have flickered by February.³

So how can this year be different for you?

The refrain of countless self-help professionals has been that it takes “21 days to make a change.” By this, they mean that by following a given practice for 21 days, say to set the alarm every morning for a two-mile morning run, that by day 22 you will automatically wake up in the morning ready to run. This prescription for a new you, however, has been widely misinterpreted.⁴

In the 1950s, the surgeon Maxwell Maltz observed it would take a minimum of 21 days for his patients to mentally accept their new appendage, that is, to form and accept a new mental image of themselves. In his book, Psycho-Cybernetics, he delved deeper into his own period of adjustment to new behaviors and concluded that it took a minimum of 21 days before he would adapt to change. However, the “minimum” that Dr. Maltz recorded was lost as pundits hung on to the “21-day change” mantra. 

Now, just how long does it actually take for a new habit to form?

It turns out, it takes an average of 66 days⁵ for new habits to become automatic.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

– Will Durant

You are your habits. Habits are cognitive associations that are formed when we repeat an action in a given scenario and are then rewarded for having done so.⁶ According to researchers at Duke, habits account for about 40% of our behaviors on any given day.⁷

Knowing this, how do we make this year be the one that allows us to make habits not daily decisions?

1) See yourself the way you want to be:

Maltz also observed that change begins within. The most powerful tool you can employ is your own imagination. Picture yourself the way you want to be and change your mental picture. See yourself as the researcher, community activist, fitness buff, you aspire to be. The internal picture you carry of yourself is a powerful tool. Use it. Your current behavior is a reflection of your current identity. Change your identity and begin the change process in yourself.

2) Form Associations:

Add the new behavior to a habit you have already established. Brushing your teeth is a no brainer… so add 10 pushups, a 30 second plank, or drink a glass of water, each time you brush to create association, and link the behaviors. Determine a specific time and space for your desired behavior to live in your world.^8,9

3) Use Physics:

Reduce the amount of friction to achieve the habit and set yourself up for success. Make the action as effortless as possible – sleep in your running gear, or have it laid out by your bed, surround yourself with healthy foods, block out time to write every morning before the day gets away from you. Eliminate as much of the decision making as possible, to make the behavior automatic.

Add friction to dismantle the behavior. According to Wendy Wood, “if you add thought to the behavior, you make people attend to it, and more likely stop”. Place the bowl of fruit on your desk and put the bag of chips on the top shelf of the pantry. Find ways to add friction to the behaviors you no longer want to engage in.

4) Rebound:

You are going to miss a day, skip a run, not follow-through – the key here is to get back on track as quickly as possible. Do not fall for an all or nothing mindset. Put your scientific training to work and treat your “failures” as data points; opportunities to learn what works and how to change your course to achieve your goals.

5) Be patient:

Remember the tortoise and hare fable? This is a key step in the process. “Slow and steady wins the race.” Remain steadfast in your resolve and pacing. Change is difficult. Some behaviors will take longer than others to become habits, but if you are persistent (and are kind with yourself) – you can manifest your inner vision of yourself.¹⁰

So, set your intent. Decide on the person you want to be, and the characteristics you aspire to embody.

Happy New Year!

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899328988800166?via%3Dihub

2. https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/2015-12-29/why-80-percent-of-new-years-resolutions-fail

3. https://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-resolutions-courses-2016-12

4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/#e37c81ddebc4

5. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejsp.674

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26361052/

7.  Neal, T. D., Wood, W., Quinn M. J. (2006). Habits- A Repeat Performance. Association for Psychological Science, 15, 198-202

8. Milne, S., Orbell, S., Paschal Sheeran, P., (2002). Combining Motivational and Volitional Interventions to Promote Exercise Participation: Protection Motivation Theory and Implementation Intentions, British Journal of Health Psychology, 7 163–184.

9. Gollwitzer, P., Sheeran, P., (2006). Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta‐Analysis of Effects and Processes, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology ,38, 69–119

10. Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1087-1101.

“No, those are dermatologists…”

“We use math and critical thinking to figure out who gets sick and why”

“No matter what we study, there are always individuals who are sick, suffering, or dying – and we’re all trying to do our part to reduce the frequency of those negative outcomes”

“The work that we do can take its toll on us, and it’s important that we don’t forget to take care of ourselves when we’re off trying to save the world”

Compassion & Community

This week has been tough for the Department of Epidemiology. We are mourning the loss of a student and friend of ours. Some knew he was sick and some did not; all of us are shocked and saddened by his passing.

I have seen faculty, staff, and student colleagues struggling to understand, wondering how best to remember him. I have seen loss and sorrow and hurt. And I have also seen compassion and grace.

This week I have witnessed some beautiful moments in between tears and questions. I have listened to a faculty member care for a student who was particularly close with the one we lost. This conversation was filled with moments allowing for grief and offerings of comfort.

I have seen the leaders of our department quickly provide space and support for our students to process and grieve together. They have publicly shared their emotions allowing others to feel safe to share theirs. I watched our Dean hug a student overcome with emotion and was deeply touched when a former faculty advisor spoke of rereading a letter of recommendation written for the student we have lost.

The loss of a young and talented person is hard to process. And while there is nothing about this loss that feels right, these moments have been another reminder for me that I am surrounded by really good people. I believe people are drawn to public health because they are deeply compassionate and have a desire to make the lives and experiences of everyone better. We have bold visions of a world filled with justice, equality, and health. Ambition is a core value of our department—we are used to thinking big. This week, the Epidemiology Department has paused to remember and to band together while we take extra moments to care for our own.

Instead of offering my PROspective on some aspect of your future career, I offer a hope instead. I hope that in the places you will work, you will find this level of commitment to both the big challenges in our world and the connection to those who travel our days with us. It is a special combination indeed.

Professional Organizations

I have attended almost every annual meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) each June since 1998. The meeting begins with pre-conference workshops, and the agenda from there includes two and a half days of plenary sessions, symposia, and poster sessions.

In 1998, I hardly knew anyone and spent the meeting in awe of the speakers whose papers and textbooks I had been reading. I mostly sat alone, and did not have much to do outside of the scheduled meeting hours. By attending every year, and making an effort to participate, SER eventually became my professional home. Now when I attend, I return home happy and exhausted – seemingly every minute filled with meeting content, coffees, lunches, and late night drinks. I have worked at four academic institutions; SER has been one constant throughout. The meeting provides an opportunity to keep up on new methods and research findings, and to catch up with friends and colleagues, many of whom I would otherwise never see.

I have worked at four academic institutions; SER has been one constant throughout.

Joining a professional society offers opportunities for continuing education, networking, and professional development. There are many societies for epidemiologists to choose from. I always attend SER because I like the size and length of the meeting—about 1,200 attendees over only a few days. I also like the focus on just epidemiology, on methods, and on all epidemiologic topic areas. There are smaller generalist meetings—such as the meeting hosted by the American College of Epidemiology (ACE), larger meetings—such as the meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), and more applied meetings—such as the meeting of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).

I always attend SER because I like the size and length of the meeting—about 1,200 attendees over only a few days.

There are also meetings focused on topic areas: cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, environmental epidemiology, reproductive epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, and so on. Some are held at international destinations and others are always domestic. Most meetings are held at about the same calendar time each year, and have standard annual due dates for abstract submissions.

Membership in a society and participation in its annual meeting is an investment that pays long-term dividends. Like most investments, the returns are evident only over the long run and accrue only with regular contributions. An important consideration is what the society offers beyond its meeting: journal subscriptions or discounts on publication fees are typical, and many societies also offer access to professional and continuing education resources at their website.

Membership in a society and participation in its annual meeting is an investment that pays long-term dividends.

In today’s connected world, it is easy to undervalue the benefit of membership in a professional organization and attendance at its annual meeting. No social media interaction will ever match the exchange of smiles and handshakes between RSPH classmates who only see each other once a year. It’s worth it.

Digital Technology in Public Health

From Alexa Morse, MPH (alum, 2017): 

When you think of technology startups, public health probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, due to the need for innovation, digital technology has become a larger focus in the public health realm over the past couple years.

The intersection of public health and digital technology is one of the most exciting places to be right now. Technology enables public health programs to reach more consumers, therefore impact health outcomes on a broader scale, and with the rise of the digital age, programs such as these are able to meet patients where they are. 81% of Americans own a smartphone and are able to access information at their fingertips without having to leave the convenience of their own home. As healthcare spend in the US is rising (nearly $3.7B in 2018!), companies are trying to find creative ways to scale interventions, impact care, and improve health outcomes outside of the traditional healthcare office visit. 

Digital health, e-health and health IT (HIT), are some of the terms used to describe digital technology in the healthcare space. All relatively mean the same thing and their definitions are blending further together with the convergence of patient care and consumer wellness.

According to StartUp Health’s 2019 Q3 Report, $10.4 billion has been invested in digital health companies this year to date—with very important public health issues nearing the top of those investments. Public health startups include those focused on social determinants of health, access to care, cancer care, women’s health, and many other topics.

There are many examples of companies doing incredible things in public health, enabled by technology. Here are just a few:

Omada Health: Chronic disease therapeutics

Lyft: Transportation to doctor’s visits

Curatio Social Network for Health

Bodyport: Heart Disease prevention and management

HealthTap: Telemedicine

If you’re looking to start your own company in the public health space (or any space), I highly encourage you to focus on the following areas:

• Team: Make sure you have the right team working with you. Bring in experts that believe in your mission and have strengths that mitigate your weaknesses.
• Product: How is your product differentiated from existing products on the market? What makes it unique?
• Market: how big is the market? Is there a need for your product in the market?

If you have these three areas covered and are creating something you are passionate about, you will be on a good path forward.

Plugging into the ecosystem and understanding the available resources is also an important piece of building any company. These are good places to start getting connected:

• Global Center for Medical Innovation
• Atlanta Tech Village
• ATDC
• Innovate @ Emory
• Emory Innovation Hub

Alexa Morse is the Accelerator Portfolio Manager at the Global Center for Medical Innovation. She graduated from Rollins in 2017 with an MPH in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. During her time at Rollins, she focused on the scalability of health programs, in addition to the intersection of technology and public health.

Professional Feedback

From Elizabeth Hannapel, MPH (Alum, 2012): 

Workplace feedback looks, sounds, and feels different from school feedback. Classroom feedback tends to come by way of test scores, comments on papers, and final grades. These methods of feedback revolve almost entirely around the accuracy and content of your work product. Workplace feedback can (and should!) include the content and quality of your work products, as well as your attributes as an employee. The latter is something that many young professionals struggle with. It can be uncomfortable and is often only reluctantly engaged with by employees and employers.  Providing candid feedback on soft skills is difficult; employers may not feel confident in their own soft skills and it is a challenge to provide soft skill feedback that is actionable.

“It was impossible not to feel hurt (“Why don’t they like me?”) and defensive (“I’m getting my work done; if they don’t like it that’s their problem.”)”

I still remember the first time I received feedback about my approach to work. I was used to tackling my job duties and offering to help others. While that approach was beneficial for group projects in school, a colleague pointed out that it was creating friction with a group of colleagues with very different work styles. It was impossible not to feel hurt (“Why don’t they like me?”) and defensive (“I’m getting my work done; if they don’t like it that’s their problem.”) Neither of those helped me navigate my workplace or become a better team member.

“Only one of my ultimate objectives depended on the skills that were graded in school.”

What did help me was to step back and think about the feedback as an opportunity for improvement (rather than a critique of my identity.) I thought about my ultimate objectives: complete my job duties, foster collaboration, maintain open communication with colleagues, and have that communication be pleasant whenever possible. Notably, only one of those depended on the skills that were graded in school. I was able to realign my actions with those goals in mind, develop friendly workplace relationships, and was better able to recruit those same folks for support in other endeavors.

I graduated from Rollins with a MPH in Epidemiology in 2012. I now work for the Georgia Department of Public Health, and I interact with current Rollins students and recent alumni. Rollins students are well equipped for local and state public health job duties through their coursework. What Rollins students, and young professionals in general, could benefit from is openness to and active engagement with feedback.

“Often it is a gift we may not want, but a gift nonetheless.”

It is fundamentally harder to hear feedback on soft skills than on hard skills. It is particularly hard to remember that feedback is a gift.  Often it is a gift we may not want, but a gift nonetheless. Soft skills are often heavily weighted in decisions on advancement.  An employee may be technically brilliant, but without the soft skills to help drive the organization forward, their career goals may be stymied. Being open to improving both hard and soft skills helps to build a solid path for continued advancement.

As a potential employer, I can work to establish and improve mechanisms for feedback. Often in academic and government settings there isn’t much emphasis on feedback for soft skills.

“If you find yourself in a workplace without a formal feedback process, ask for one!”

This is a disservice to both the employee and the company. On-the-job training, and the corresponding evaluation processes, should reflect not only job-specific tasks but also the interpersonal skills that enable staff to navigate complex professional environments. Our team does not have a formal process for providing feedback to current students, and I’m working with others to establish one.

If you find yourself in a workplace without a formal feedback process, as either a student volunteer or a full-time-employee, ask for one! Reach out to your supervisor and establish regularly scheduled meetings where you can review not only your quantifiable job performance but also your soft skills. Your employer may have performance reviews, but they may not include feedback for professional skills.

“Request feedback and be open to it.”

Ask your supervisor “How do you think I’m performing with respect to interpersonal relationships and office dynamics? What can I do to improve my listening and communication skills? What areas should I further develop, and do you know of any resources or trainings that might be helpful?”

Request feedback and be open to it. Although difficult, this is a crucial component of continued development and a competitive advantage. Rollins offers many opportunities to prepare for public health work; Use this time to increase your technical knowledge AND your interpersonal skills that will help you succeed as a professional.

Additional Resources:

Ladders: How to Handle Negative Feedback Without Taking it Personally

Purdue CCO Blog: Receiving Feedback

MBO Partners: How to Identify and Improve Soft Skills

WikiJob UK: Soft Skills

Training Industry: Expert Perspectives on Soft Skills

Elizabeth Hannapel graduated from Rollins in 2012 with a MPH in Epidemiology. While at Rollins, her interests included Infectious Diseases and Public Health Emergency Preparedness. Now, Liz serves as the state coordinator for legionellosis and shigellosis, and leads infectious disease outbreak investigations for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Follow Liz on Twitter @LizBitler.