Of the important decisions we have to make in life, career development calls for critical thinking. One thing that all fellowship applicants or job seekers must remember is that getting a job offer is one thing. Deciding if the job is right for you is another.
Choosing the wrong job or wrong company will certainly have adverse consequences and will affect every aspect of your health and your happiness, as well as your family, work, and social life.
GHC offers a great opportunity for the development of one’s career if you are a highly motivated individual who believes in health as a human right and are excited and energized about promoting social justice.
I would like to highlight some of the important landmarks to consider when applying for the fellowship.
1. THE PLACEMENT ORGANIZATION
Close attention has to be given when choosing which organization to apply to. A year is a long time to spend in an organization and the following are factors you can consider when choosing what organization may be the best fit.
- The culture of the organization – Every organization has its own culture and you need to do some background investigating before joining so that you have an idea of what to expect. For instance, you may be in the finance field and working in a bank where you are used to dressing up in a business suit almost every day, having to switch to an organization where jeans are the normal dress code may seem unprofessional to you.
- Size of the organization and management style – This matters in that sizes of an organization, either large or small, have their pros and cons. As a GHC fellow you will focus on being an agent of change; you may want to consider an organization whose size can enable you to get your voice and ideas heard. This is difficult in large organizations as little attention may be given to staff in lower level positions. Additionally, some managers are rigid; they are not open to new ideas and do not like change, despite the size of the organization.
- Success stories or milestones – Every organization has a mission and vision that can potentially be used to measure success. Working in an organization that has a good track record on milestones gives one confidence. On the other hand, an organization with less impact is less motivating.
- Products and services – Working in an organization which offers services or products you are most comfortable with helps one settle in well. If you are going to work in an organization, for example, dealing with women cancer services such as breast and cervical cancer, or male circumcision, you have to be comfortable talking about and selling these services. If you are not able to embrace the product or service that you are representing, it is likely that your work will not be as fulfilling and the end result will be less than expected.
2. THE POSITION
- Skills development – While being a GHC Fellow gives you professional development skills on a broad scale, it is important to ask yourself if the position you are applying for will help you develop relevant skills for your future career path. As fellows we are passionate about what we do, we want to change the world, and we want every person regardless of social status to have access to quality health care. As we do this, we need to think of how the skills we are acquiring in this experience will impact our next job search and performance.
- Professional development path – Further to acquiring right skills for the next job, one needs to know how others have moved through a similar professional development path.
- Passion– Being passionate about what one does is very critical. We spend 8 hours of the day at work. Imagine having a position you are not passionate about? You will be having the longest 8 hours of your life for that one year. Love what you do, put in your best effort and the outcome will motivate you to put in even more effort.
3. THE PLACEMENT COUNTRY
This applies directly to those who choose to work in the USA from other countries, and to the Americans considering a placement in Africa.
You probably have your own interests in which country you wish to be placed, and these interests could be motivated by some of the following factors.
- Experience Africa – The African ‘single story’ is littered with ideas of poverty, disease, AIDS, child soldiers, and much more. This ‘single story’ can only be eliminated if you actual live in Africa. Having a firsthand experience in this country will give you a personal perspective on all sorts of issues and leave you with many stories to tell your family, peers, and colleagues in the future.
- Adventure – All work and no play makes GHC Fellows dull. Africa has so much to see, many beautiful cultures to meet and learn from, national parks, waterfalls – just to mention a few! Adventure is at your fingertips when you live in Africa.
- State of the Health system – Certain countries in Africa are more developed than others. It is important to examine the state of the health system and weigh this against your desires and expectations with regard to working in global health. There may be more hurdles in a rural placement, but there may be more opportunities for exposure to international NGOs in an urban placement. It is a personal preference which health system you would like to work on and within.
No job, no organization and definitely no employee is perfect. However, analyzing some of the above factors can help one make an informed decision on the type of organization to work for and the job to accept. This advice goes beyond applying for a GHC fellowship position; remember that each job searcher can make use of an introspective analysis of their expectations for a position, skills they hope to attain, and goals for the future.