Tag: career exploration

Meet Mai Hong, Senior Operations Program Manager at Teladoc Health

Here at the Health Care & Science Career Community, we want to introduce students to a wide range of careers in those industries. Students may be familiar with popular clinical roles (nurse, physician, veterinarian), but not with jobs like healthcare data analytics or administration, or biotech research.  

Livongo & Teladoc Health (a recently merged company) is “transforming the healthcare experience and empowering people everywhere to live healthier lives.”  Teladoc is a leader in telehealth, or virtual healthcare, providing virtual primary health care, mental health and chronic care management (including diabetes, high blood pressure and weight loss).    

Mai Hong is Senior Operations Program Manager at Teladoc, and recently offered her advice to current students interested in careers in healthcare startups, as well as health administration & management and health data, analytics and informatics (learn more about these industries here!)

Q: Can you explain what your job is? What do you do on a daily/weekly basis?
A: I’m a Senior Operations Program Manager. On a daily basis, I work with our eligibility department to make sure that we’re enrolling members. On a weekly basis, I work cross-functionally with other teams to set up clients and figure out how to scale operations as our company grows.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your job? 
A: We’re a young company so everything we do is figuring out: how are we as a company going to do this? It’s a lot of fun to create things from scratch. There are no playbooks so we can be really creative and innovative about how we approach things

Q: What do you find most challenging? 
A: We’re growing very quickly so the other part of my job is to build things out that are scalable. So what we build today that works when we have 100 members, will it work tomorrow when we have 1000 members?

Q: Looking back, what were your most meaningful experiences from undergrad/grad school? (Internships, jobs, classes, student organizations, etc) 
A: I participated in hackathons during grad school and it made me realize I love working in fast paced environments that come up with out-of-the-box solutions. It also helped me understand how to put together pitches that would appeal to stakeholders.

Q: What advice do you have for students looking to enter biotech/health tech/health startup worlds? 
A: Ask a lot of questions! Health startups move quickly so there’s a lot of value in people that can get up to speed quickly and ask critical questions. 

Interested in learning more? Check out careers at Teladoc and careers at Livongo.  Learn more about careers in health care and science here!

Industry Insights: Careers in Museums Recap

On Thursday, November 5, the Education, Nonprofit & Government Career Community at DePaul hosted a panel discussion with current professionals in the museum industry to speak about their roles and experiences working in museums. The panelists shared their journeys of how they ended up in this industry and provided some insights for students on how to break into the field. 

Panelists were asked questions around different themes, including overviews of their roles, recommended hard and soft skills to have for this industry, advice for students and alumni to break into the museum industry, and more. 

Our volunteer panelists included:

  • Madeline Shearer, Assistant Director of Institutional Relations at the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Lorien Yonker, Curatorial Associate for the Arts of Africa and Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium at the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Molly Butler, Marketing Coordinator at the Field Museum
  • Catherine Anchin, Acting Associate Director for Advancement and External Affairs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC

How One of the Panelists Started Her Museum Journey

“When I was a senior in undergrad, I started reaching out to museum professionals whether on LinkedIn or email and just saying, “Hi I’m a student and I’m really interested in your job, do you mind chatting with me for half an hour?” That way you start to really build a network, because museum jobs are few and far between, especially now. The more relationships you have and connections you build can really give you a leg up when those decisions open up.”

Interested in setting up an informational interview? Check out this resource in our career library!

Important Advice for Succeeding and Advancing in Museum Roles

“Be prepared to advocate for yourself. In my experience, our work is quite a bit more fast paced than people imagine and we’re on from one project to the next continually. So, if you do get your foot in the door and want to advance, you really have to get comfortable putting yourself out there and advocating for yourself. I know that doesn’t always come naturally to people, myself included, so it’s something I really had to work at and practice in other areas of my life. That really served me well in advancing to the kind of position I was hoping to get.”

Check out the full recording of the event below!

Health Care & Science: Top podcasts to learn more about the industry

Spending a lot more time at home? Need something to keep you busy on your outdoor walks? One great way to gain insider knowledge into Health Care & Science careers is by listening to podcasts! 

Podcasts are usually free, often created by fantastic experts, and can help you learn no matter where you are in your career journey. Listen through Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or any comparable app.  

  • The #HCBiz Show: #HCBiz describes itself as a “practical podcast on the business of healthcare.” Hosts Don Lee and Shahid Shah help break down challenges in healthcare, why they exist and how to work around them, plus they explore psychology, healthcare IT, policy and administration. A well-rounded listen for anyone interested in the intersections of healthcare and business or healthcare and IT!
  • Healthcare Rap: A unique combination, for sure! Podcast team “#digitalhealth influencer” and rapper Jared Johnson and health care industry veteran Peter Balistrieri discuss new ways to market health care. Join their posse for unique insights on health care presented in an approachable format! 
  • Science Vs: Join super enthusiastic host Wendy Zuckerman and her team of friendly fact checkers as they disprove “your firmly held opinions and replace them with science…wondering whether you should drink detox teas like an insta-celeb, or believe your drunk uncle’s rant about gun control?” Listen in and learn today!
  • Ologies with Alie Ward: Maybe you’re an aspiring biologist… but do you know about toxinology (the study of jellyfish venom) or gastroegyptology (the science of bread baking!) or plumology (the study of feathers)? Learn about “ologies” familiar and exotic in this unique science podcast!-Gastropod: Gastropod “looks at food through the lens of science and history.” Co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley cook up two new episodes a month, and their most recent delves into “the most dangerous fruit in America” (the watermelon, thanks to its intertwining history with racism).  Listen and learn (preferably on a full stomach!)

Key takeaways:

  • Podcasts are a fantastic way to learn about employers, industries and career paths
  • Use your extra time at home or when walking to learn through podcasts
  • Check out our recommended health care & science podcasts and ask your friends, professors and internship supervisors for recommendations too!

Meet Sadie Freedman, Product Manager at CancerIQ

The Health Care & Science (HCS) Career Community wants to introduce students to a wide range of careers. Students may be familiar with popular clinical roles (nurse, physician, veterinarian), but not with jobs like healthcare data analytics, health administration, or biotech research.  

CancerIQ is a digital health startup company that helps health care providers “use genetic information to predict, pre-empt, and prevent disease – starting with cancer.” In this interview, Debbie Kaltman (HCS Employer Engagement Specialist) met with Sadie Freedman, a Product Manager at CancerIQ, to discuss her education and career journey, current job responsibilities, future goals in the health technology field, and insights to students. 

Sadie’s background and passion for genetics and healthcare services allowed her to gain an internship with CancerIQ, which opened her to a world of new career opportunities in telehealth. In her full-time role as Project Manager, she works closely with CancerIQ’s sales, customer success, development, and marketing teams to oversee the products, take in and implement customer feedback, look into new product ideas, and improve current products. Inspired by CancerIQ’s software “pointing out patients that a provider never would have thought to do increased screenings on and catching cancers in earlier stages”, Sadie expressed that she has found a rewarding career that she plans to continue developing.

A valuable token of advice from Sadie for current students: “One thing I was missing as an undergraduate was awareness of potential career paths, so try to explore what is out there”.

Check out the full video below to learn more!

Don’t forget to visit CancerIQ’s Careers Page for their upcoming Summer Interships!

Explore Career Paths for College Students on Handshake

Guidance Provided By: The Handshake Team

How to learn about roles and find ones that are right for you.

You probably know Handshake as the place where DePaul students are hired for great jobs and internships. But Handshake also has resources to help you find your career path. 

Think back to when you were deciding on your major. You may have done research to learn about different areas of study and tried a few introductory classes to figure out what you do and don’t like. You can use that same practice to narrow down potential careers. Here are some tips for finding the roles you want to pursue on Handshake.

Role pages on Handshake

Handshake has collected useful data on dozens of the most popular career categories for college students—covering hundreds of job roles. (A role is a profession or job function that a company hires for—like a mechanical engineer, data analyst, or marketing manager.) Each category has a page where you can find this information organized for you.

These pages are designed to help you understand what roles are out there, and if a role may or may not be right for you. Depending on your interests and skills, there can be several different roles that may be a good fit. So, don’t worry if you’re not quite sure what you want to do. When you find roles that sound interesting, add them to your profile so you can view and apply for related jobs. 

Finding the right roles

If you’d like to browse roles, click Career paths on the top menu bar of your dashboard. That will take you to a landing page where you can scroll through the popular role groups. You can also search for a specific role by using the search bar at the top of the page. 

Career paths landing page

When you click on a role page, you’ll see:

  • A brief description 
  • Average salary for new graduates
  • Top cities for the role
  • Open jobs for students at your school
  • Similar roles to explore
  • Top majors interested in the role
  • People in this role: shows you other students who’ve worked in the role—so you can message them with your questions.

Adding roles to your profile

When you find roles that you like, be sure to add them to your profile. Adding roles to your profile is important because it:

  • Updates your job recommendations. Adding roles to your profile helps Handshake surface relevant jobs and internships, so you see the jobs you’ll want to apply for.
  • Helps recruiters find you. Recruiters are searching for students based on the information in their profile. Adding roles helps recruiters find you when they’re hiring for jobs in those roles.

To add a role to your profile, click the Interested button at the top of the role page. The role will be listed in the Your Interests section of your profile.

You can add as many roles as you like and change them at any time. 

Log into Handshake today to start learning about the roles you want to pursue and adding them to your profile.

If you don’t see a role that you’re interested in and think it should be added to the role pages, contact the Handshake help center.  

“What Are You Doing With Your Life?” 5 Ways to Answer When You’re Not Sure

Spring Break is right around the corner! If your plans include seeing your family, chances are they’ll ask what you plan to do after graduation. When you’re not quite sure or are still weighing options, this can be a stressful question to answer.

Taking time to explore is actually a really smart approach to planning your future! Consider the following strategies for helping family see the value of active career exploration:

1. Explain the value of self-assessment: Knowing your values, interests, and personality will help you evaluate your fit with potential career paths (as well as sell yourself to potential employers down the road). Share the results of your career assessments with your family. Haven’t taken one yet? You can access several assessments via FOCUS2 online to get you started!

2. Explore together: Log on to the ASK Network and browse the platform with your family. As you read the career profiles of our volunteer alumni mentors, discuss what seems interesting and not so interesting about the paths they’ve taken. Make a plan to follow up with the mentors that intrigue you the most.

3. Ask about their exploration: Have an impromptu informational interview by asking friends and family to share their own career path. How did they end up where they are and what other options did they consider or try along the way?

4. Shift the conversation to skills: Family may be surprised to learn that 9 of the top 10 attributes sought by employers are transferable skills like communication, problem solving, and the ability to work as part of a team. These are things that are woven throughout the undergraduate experience regardless of your major. By building these skills you’re preparing yourself for success across industries.

5. Let them see your progress: Sometimes your family just wants to know that you’re setting yourself up for success. By letting them know that you’re tapping into the resources here at DePaul, you’ll help them gain insight into your approach to exploration. Tell them about your recent appointment with an exploration advisor. If you haven’t done this yet, make an appointment with us today!

Happy Exploring!

Hilarie Longnecker & Ed Childs
Exploration Career Community Advisors