Public health CV examples to help land the job

The public health sector is a large2, in-demand industry, holding many job opportunities and occupations. Some of these jobs are:

• Health visitors
• Public health nurses
• Public health consultants
• Environmental health professionals
• Academics
• Health specialists

If you are hoping to apply for any of the above roles, the public health CV example on this page will help you write yours. In this guide, we will take you through the writing tips and CV structure, you’ll need to create a professional CV.

There are certain elements that hiring managers are looking for when it comes to public health job applications. Technical hard skills and experience in healthcare will be valuable to mention and focus on in your CV, but you should also note the following:

• Professional affiliations in health education or health sciences
• Experience with data collection
• Knowledge of community health
• Experience facilitating in sharing health information with patients and public
• Interpersonal skills such as communication and teamwork 

Header

Any CV structure should start with a header section containing your contact information. Details to include in this section are:

• Phone number
• Full name
• Email address
• Location
• Professional social media links, like your LinkedIn profile

Personal statement or CV summary

Your personal statement should give the hiring manager insight into your work experience and most relevant achievements. Your summary should be a paragraph, 4-6 sentences, in length and highlight your best, most relevant qualifications. Here is an example:

Qualified public health professional with four years of experience in delivering high-quality public health services, such as facilitating the distribution of vaccinations, management of clinical data and professional registration with the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR).

To impress hiring managers in the public health sector, you will need to highlight relevant skills that make you a good fit for the job. Always focus on the job description of the specific position you are applying for so you can tailor your skills to match. Here are some examples of skills you could include in your CV:

• Soft skills, such as problem-solving and communication skills 
• Ability to identify public health issues and provide outreach services to patients and the public
• Program management
• Collaboration with health service providers 
• Specific subject knowledge, such as mental health or epidemiology
• Take the initiative with daily tasks
• Experience providing technical assistance 

Work experience

All recruiters will want to see your work history and how many years of public health experience you have. Focus on relevant experience to the role you are applying for, and don’t go into detail on job roles from years ago that aren’t related. 

 

Depending on which area of public health you want to pursue, experience may or may not be a deal-breaker. For example, some positions such as nurses require some experience in health settings.

 

Your education section is critical when applying to public health roles. Whether you attended an institution of public health, have a master’s degree in a relevant subject, or have any other health-based qualification, you should include this in your CV. 

 

This may not apply to everyone, but if you have received any relevant awards or achievements during your professional experience, you should include them in a separate section. 

 

Format your achievements section the same as your experience section by giving a very brief description of each award or achievement. 

When writing your CV, keep these tips in mind to guarantee you are on the right track:

 

1. Use action verbs, such as “achieved” or “devised,” when describing your work history. This will create an impact and help your CV stand out from other job seekers who use more passive language such as “responsible for”.

 

2. Follow a reverse-chronological order when listing your work experience, putting your most recent position first. This helps recruiters to pick out the information they need more easily.

 

3. Proofread your CV. It may sound obvious, but proofreading your CV will make a massive difference to the overall flow and accuracy of your CV. 

 

4. Keep your CV concise – two pages is sufficient. This will increase the chances of a busy hiring manager being able to read the entire CV, while also ensuring that you don’t include any irrelevant information.