Career Advising & Resources.

BU Handshake is our online job board that enables local, national, and international employers to easily promote their career opportunities with us.

Focus areas include:

• Assessing your career interests
• Employers and market trends in your specific field of interest
• Creating a targeted career action plan
• Identifying student Practicum opportunities that will “fill gaps” and build resumes
• Marketing yourself (personal brand, elevator pitch, targeted resumes, CV’s,  cover letters, and more)
• Creating a LinkedIn profile and teaching you to leverage it to research and target employers and specific connections
• Practicing how to network and interview
• Evaluating career opportunities
• Negotiating student Practicum offers, job offers, or a promotion in your current organization
• Preparing for salary negotiations
• Dealing with difficult work situations

For Initial Appointments

Schedule an initial 30-minute appointment to determine the approach to career planning that’s best for you on Handshake using your Kerberos password. Click “Career Center” on the top right and select “Appointments”. Then follow the prompts to “SPH Career Advising” or “SPH Practicum Advising” and select a Career Advisor that suits your needs.

CPO Office Hours

We’re open 9am until 6pm on Monday – Thursday and until 5pm on Friday, but are happy to accommodate appointments off-hours. Please email sphcareeroffice@bu.edu to schedule. From Memorial Day through Labor Day and during Winter Intersession, we are open from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. We are available for meetings in-person, over the phone, or via Zoom.

Resume, Cover Letter & LinkedIN Profile Reviews

• Please email your full application in Word format (resume, cover letter, and the job description) to: sphcareeroffice@bu.edu.
• For LinkedIN profile reviews, please send your LinkedIN URL link in your email request to sphcareeroffice@bu.edu.

VMock – Online Resume Tool

• For 24/7 online resume reviews with real-time feedback, current BU students have access to VMock, an online tool that will let you upload your resume from wherever you are.  Your resume is benchmarked against your peers and evaluated with smart data analytics. Please visit www.vmock.com/bu and use your BU ID and log-in information.

Interview Strategies Guide

• Check out extensive tips for behavioral and case interviews in the attached guide.

Big Interview Online Tool

• For interview preparation, use Big Interview to learn and practice interview skills. Click on Register to create your free account.

The BUSPH Career & Practicum Office hosts 100+ employers (many of whom are alumni) on campus and virtually throughout the year in order to expose students to various career paths/opportunities and to enhance students’ networks.  Formats include:

• Annual BUSPH Career and Practicum Fairs
• On-campus Employer Recruiting & Interviews
• Annual Alumni Network Express (in partnership with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations) and other opportunities to network with alumni
• Employer Information Sessions
• Industry and Career Panels
• Virtual Alumni Networking Events (around the world)
• Classroom Speakers (in partnership with faculty)

Visit the Events section of BU Handshake to look at our calendar.

The Career P.R.E.P. Program, a hallmark of the Boston University MPH, positions students with the techniques and professional confidence to effectively market themselves during the job search process and throughout their public health career. This program is mandatory for MPH students and is taught by experienced career services professionals. It is delivered both in the classroom setting as well as in an online format to accommodate students with varying schedules.  There are a total of 6 modules which cover all aspects of the job search process including self-assessment, marketing yourself, building an online presence, networking, interviewing and salary negotiation.

Built by a Career Librarian, our online library has a wealth of information for students as they navigate career planning and job searches.  The Career Library is broken down into two sections.  The first section focuses on an array of general career resources such as tips for resumes, CV’s, cover letters, networking, informational interviews, behavioral and case-based interviews, salary negotiation, and more.  The second section has career and networking information for each specific certificate area. Visit the Career Library here.

Visit the Fellowship Section of our website for extensive information about diverse fellowship opportunities, application tips, and more.

Business cards can be ordered online through BU-preferred vendor, Artcraft. The turnaround time is generally 7-10 business days.

When creating your business card, keep the design simple. 10 point font or larger is usually ideal. Your contact information should match that which appears on your resume including your full name, your phone number and your email address. Include the school name and your degree (concentration or certificates are optional) and year of graduation with the term “Candidate” if you are a current student. For example, “MPH Candidate, May 2022″.