Getting your foot in the door with global health, using the BestSelf Journal

Last week we posted about a new model we are trying out to set goals for 2018.

We are trying out the BestSelf Journal, which is based on a 13 week roadmap. The proven system optimizes your performance by aligning your day-to-day output with your big goals. Its core elements (daily gratitudes, targets, and time-blocked schedules) help to keep you focused.

This week, we use the BestSelf Journal model to show how to use it to set a specific public health career goal: to land an opportunity in global health (see picture below).

The idea is that once you set this specific goal (to land an opportunity in global health), you have daily check-ins (using the daily and weekly pages) to ensure that you are following through on the 13-week plan. You must commit yourself and follow the plan.

We have also included a much more detailed version below so that you can see the thought process (and read it without having to zoom that picture above). Read on!

RESULT GOAL:

Secure an opportunity within the global health field. This opportunity can be a full time job, part-time volunteer/internship, or a casual project; either locally or internationally. I need to achieve this by the end of the 13 weeks.

This end result goal is very important for me to achieve because:

I want the next phase of my public health career to be in global health and therefore need to get my foot in the door now with a related opportunity.

PROGRESS GOALS:

1. Prepare a global health focused resume and cover letter to use for my applications.
2. Network and build strong relationships with at least 3 individuals working in the global health field (this will mean that I will need to connect with many more people, in order to find 3 relevant individuals to strengthen my relationship with).
3. Find and apply to 60 opportunities.

ACTIONS + TASKS:

Based on Progress Goal #1:

I will complete this task in the first week as I will need it to complete parts of Progress Goal #2 and #3.

1. I will review my current resume and update my experiences and accomplishments.
2. I will develop a cover letter template related to global health to use for my applications.
3. I will have 2-3 friends edit my resume and cover letter template.

Based on Progress Goal #2:

1. I will update my LinkedIn profile: jobs/experiences, headshot, and connections – I will add my past and current colleagues from school and work, professors, friends, and people I have attended seminars, workshops, and conferences with.
2. I will look up and attend a minimum of 5 global health related events by the end of the 13 weeks. At these events, I will make an active effort to network and meet people in the global health space. I will look for these events on Eventbrite, university websites, facebook groups, and the PH SPOT newsletter.
3. I will meet up with at least 5 individuals for coffee to ask them about their career journey. I will do this by actively connecting with people within my network by: asking colleagues and friends if they know anyone in the field of global health; look within my own network of friends/past colleagues who have/are working in the field; and identify individuals on LinkedIn who are 2nd connections (and have my 1st connection introduce me to them).

Based on Progress Goal #3

I will start this progress goal once I complete progress goal #1. I will have 12 weeks to complete this.

1. I will spend 2-3 hours each weekend searching for and compiling jobs to apply to over the week (12 weekend sessions). I will find 5 jobs every weekend (a total of 60 jobs). I will use an excel sheet to record the position title, the URL, and due date. This will help me keep track of all of my applications.
2. Every day from Monday to Friday, I will spend 1-2 hours after work (around 8pm) to apply to one of the 5 jobs/opportunities. I will mark this time off in my calendar and make sure that I plan everything else around this time slot.
3. I will ask people I connect with and meet if they are aware of any opportunities to discover opportunities. I will also read more about what others have done in the field of global health and discover their paths through blogs.

Hopefully this detailed version helps you understand why we developed specific tasks and how we would go about achieving the goal. Comment below if you have any questions or don’t understand a certain part. And also let us know what career goal you are setting for 2018.

You can order copies of the journal using the links below:

• BestSelf Journal
  • If you are not ready to buy the journal, there is also a PDF version of the journal pages. Print it out and try out the system. Set a career goal for the net 13 weeks, and try it out. If you end up liking it, order yourself a copy!
• Or get the BestSelf Journal on Amazon if you prefer that.
• We also use The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte to understand what our main goals are (we talked about it more last week, check it out here). It is a holistic approach to life planning that uses your core desired feelings as the guidance system for your goal setting. The digital version is currently free for the new year – check it out!

Note: PH SPOT is an affiliate for these products. The links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, PH SPOT will earn a commission (yay!). Be assured that this commission comes at no additional cost to you. If you choose to purchase any of these items, we want to thank you in advance for your click through these links.