Environmental Health Career Insight by LJMUCareers

Environmental Health CAREER INSIGHT

LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

Introduction The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) accredited course at LJMU is the first stepping stone on the path to becoming an Environmental Health Practitioner. The majority of graduates go on to gain registration in this field but the course provides the skills and knowledge to pursue careers in other health-related professions such as roles within health promotion and health policy. Planning for your career and gaining experience throughout your course will benefit you when you graduate. Take advantage of work experience opportunities and attend careers talks at LJMU and networking events to develop your skills and help you decide what area you want to move into. Try and make links with people through your course and get the most out of field trips to make contacts and gain an insight into different organisations and working in environmental health. You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn profile and follow relevant organisations through Twitter to keep up to date with opportunities and developments in the environmental health industry. Many employers use social media to post work experience opportunities so take advantage of using the sites to help you make links and find out more about what opportunities are out there.

Typical job options Many of you may already be working in environmental health but for those of you who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it is important to understand what opportunities are available to you once you graduate and how you go on to pursue those opportunities.

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) Environmental Health Practitioners work across society to help maintain the health and wellbeing of the public. Their work can cover a number of different specialisms, including food safety and standards; waste management; housing; and public health. To become an Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP), you need to obtain a degree accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). The course at LJMU is accredited which means that successful graduates have this recognition. In addition students will also complete their food practical examination and integrated Professional Assessment, which are also required elements for registration. After your degree you will then need to pass both the Portfolio of Professional Practice (PPP) and a professional interview.

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

The following skills are required: 

Excellent written and oral communication skills

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Good teamwork skills and the ability to work independently

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Assertiveness, persuasiveness and diplomacy skills, being sensitive to other people's views

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Good decision-making skills

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Scientific and technical skills

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A methodical approach and the ability to carefully y gather facts and assess evidence

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Time management and organisational skills, as well as the ability to manage your own workload and work under pressure

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IT skills

For more detailed information about the role of the EHP visit the EHP job profile on the prospects website: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/environmental_health_practitioner_job_description.htm For an overview of work activities in the different specialist roles, see the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Main Employers Many environmental health practitioners (EHPs) are employed by local authorities and are responsible for protecting public health, housing conditions, food safety, environmental protection and health and safety at work. Local authority environmental health departments tend to contain both chartered practitioners and a range of technical officers who have competencies in one or more of the specialised areas. EHPs are also employed by the NHS and the armed forces as well as central government and its agencies, such as the: 

Environment Agency (EA)

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Food Standards Agency

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Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

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Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

There are also opportunities with companies in the private sector, including: 

large retailers, especially food suppliers (monitoring quality assurance);

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holiday companies (checking the standards of foreign hotels and resorts);

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airlines/shipping companies (ensuring health and safety requirements are being met);

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public and private organisations employing occupational health specialists.

Opportunities also exist for experienced EHPs to work for private consultancies in specialist roles, for example advising businesses of their legal duties and helping them maintain good

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

environmental standards. International opportunities may also be available with overseas charities or organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). All occupational profiles listed on http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm include a section on typical employers and vacancy sources, so use these as a starting point to research potential employers within the career areas that interest you.

Other Career Options Other roles that may be of interest to you include health policy officer; public health officer; health and safety adviser, community development worker; youth worker; NHS management trainee; housing officer; research (i.e. in higher education, within the NHS). A good place to start exploring your options is the Prospects website which has an excellent overview of specific job options related your degree. Start exploring via the links below. An example ‘Health Promotion Specialist’ is given as another job option you could consider below. Health Promotion Specialist Working in a range of settings, including hospitals, schools and prisons, health promotion specialists devise and implement policies and activities to help improve people’s health and wellbeing. They can work with a range of different issues, such as drug and alcohol misuse; healthy eating; and sexual health, so gaining work experience dealing with these issues will be valuable when it comes to applying for roles after graduation. Although entry with any degree is possible, a health-related degree is preferred. You could also consider completing a postgraduate qualification or specialist short courses in areas such as stopping smoking. Applicants need to demonstrate an interest in health promotion and working with the public, as well as the following: 

Excellent oral and written communication skills

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Research skills

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Mature, confident and caring manner and empathy

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The ability to interact well with people from a wide range of backgrounds

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the ability to network and build and maintain relationships with people from different organisations

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Good problem solving skills

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Project/time management skills

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An understanding of health improvement and health issues

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The ability to motivate others

For more detailed information about the role of the Health Promotion Specialist visit the job profile on the prospects website and the NHS Careers website:

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Career Insight: Environmental Health



http://www.prospects.ac.uk/health_promotion_specialist_job_description.htm

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http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/wider-healthcare-team/careers-inthe-wider-healthcare-team/corporate-services/health-promotion-specialist/

If you are considering moving away from the health sector you could consider roles in different areas where a specific degree programme may not be required. Your options within the business and management sector include: 

Roles in marketing and PR: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs_advertising_marketing_pr.htm http://www.getin2marketing.com/ http://www.cipr.co.uk/

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Roles in human resources management: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs_human_resources.htm http://www.cipd.co.uk/

The suggestions listed here are by no means exhaustive so we would encourage you to consider other relevant options, e.g. based on previous work or voluntary experience, skills and interests. To explore job options by sector, check http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm. You can also use career planning tools like http://www.prospects.ac.uk/myprospects_planner_login.htm and http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report to generate initial career ideas. Ensure you check entry requirements for each area, e.g. will you need a degree in a specific subject? Is a 2:1 degree classification essential? Will you need to complete a postgraduate degree? Is any specific work experience required? We also recommend that you download a copy of our “Planning your Career” guide from the Careers website at https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm This includes a list of useful questions to help you explore your career options and introduces you to the DOTS model to help you with your career planning.

Case Studies Caspar Thomas, graduated in 2012 from LJMU with a BSc in Environmental Health. He currently works for Praxis42, a private sector consultancy in London. What does your job involve? My job involves quite a lot, but briefly I enable customers to meet their corporate responsibility obligations in Health, Safety and the Environment. This is achieved by undertaking fire risk assessments, producing health and safety policies, undertaking health and safety assessments, asbestos surveys, environmental audits, food safety inspections and disability compliance.

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

Three things that I like about my Job: 1. No two days are the same because I attend a different site each day. 2. I have the freedom to manage my own time and work at my own pace. It gives me a degree of autonomy which I find attractive. 3. I appreciate positive feedback from clients and experience a sense of achievement when advising various organisations. Key points in your career development to date: A key point in my career development so far was in realising that I was attracted to a consultancy and advisory role rather than one of enforcement. Another important realisation is that I find working alone rather than in an office an attractive proposition and suits my working style. I also find working in a relatively small organisation very rewarding. What relevant work experience / volunteering did you refer to during the selection process? Whilst at LJMU I was fortunate enough to be given a placement at Sefton Council. This proved to be very useful when being interviewed for my first job as I had relevant and useful experience to refer to with plenty of examples! Managing my workload as part of my degree was also a good example of how I might prioritise my future roles. Did the Careers Team help you in any way? The Careers Team were a great help in teaching me how to construct a good CV, considering interviewing technique and the requirements of the potential employer. This all lead to giving me greater confidence when applying for jobs. What advice would you give to other Environmental Health students studying at LJMU to improve their employability? In order to improve employability, I would advise students to work diligently for the whole of the 3 years in order to obtain the best degree possible. It is also important to forge a good relationship with lecturers and to ask their assistance whenever necessary. Work experience and relevant when possible is really important. Asking the opinion of experienced people in the field is incredibly useful. Also when you are starting to apply for jobs, do not apply for a job which you do not want or in an organisation which you do not care for. Do not apply for a job where you do not want to live. It is better to wait for a job that suits you better.

Anneli Billingham, graduated in 2011 from LJMU with a BSc in Environmental Health. She currently works at Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council as an Environmental Health Officer.

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

What does your job involve? Brieflyâ&#x20AC;Ś.carrying out routine inspections/audits of food business, sampling, investigating reported infectious diseases, responding to service requests for both food safety and pollution (noise, light, air etc). Three things that I like about my Job: 1. Every day is different. 2. I am not stuck in an office every day; I get to be out and about meeting lots of people. 3. Working with a Food Business Operator to turn particularly bad premises into a good one. Key points in my career development to date: As a newly qualified EHO, I am very fortunate to be working in a number of areas within environmental health - food safety, health and safety and pollution. This means that my continuous professional development covers all these areas, i.e. I am sent out on lots of different training courses and kept up to date on all the latest guidance and legislation. This experience will help me as I progress in my chosen career. For your first graduate job, can you briefly outline what the selection process involved and how you prepared for each stage? After I graduated, in order to progress to becoming an Environmental Health Officer I had to complete the Portfolio of Professional Practice (PPP). This involved a 12 month placement with a Local Authority gaining experience in all areas of Environmental Health. In order to provide evidence of competence I had to produce a number of reports covering all the key areas. I also had to pass exams and a professional interview. Only once I had passed all of the above was I able to apply for a job as a qualified EHO. My job at Sefton Council was the first job that I applied for. The process was to submit an application form, have an interview and complete a test. Completing the application form was intense (I had seven drafts!) as I knew it had to be right otherwise I would be going no further. I focused on the essential criteria making sure that I had given good examples of what was required, once I was happy with it I then had it proof read to make sure that it had no spelling or grammatical errors. My preparation for the interview involved reading through my application form as the information I included would be discussed in the interview. I also prepared some other examples in order to prove my skills, knowledge and experience. Finally, I researched the key issues of Environmental Health within Sefton to show that I had knowledge of the Borough and the environmental health issues that as an EHO I would be dealing with.

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

What relevant work experience / skills / volunteering did you refer to during the selection process? I referred to my previous employment experiences, my twelve month placement and also my time at university, giving examples of how I utilised my skills whilst showing that they are transferrable, as well as referring to past situations where I was able to highlight my experience and competence. Did the Careers Team help you in any way? Being a mature student and having worked both in the hospitality and finance sectors, I had experience of completing job application forms and interviews. However, completing the World of Work Bronze award and receiving a copy of the career planning guide definitely helped with the job hunting process. For example, I only ever knew of one way to write a CV but I discovered there are other formats! I had never thought of using a skills based CV but it worked better for me, as it enabled me to highlight my strengths and skills. Also, I learnt the importance of how to complete the application form, ensuring that you give good examples of experiences and skills for every essential criterion. I feel this all helped me to secure the first job I applied for after I had graduated. What advice would you give to other students studying at LJMU to improve their employability? Attend the classes, courses and workshops available, even if you are a mature student and think you already know what to do (as I did), as you will always learn something you didn’t know and it may help you get that much sought after job. Tips or advice for those looking for jobs: Try to get involved with one or more Local Authority to do your PPP. You need people to know who you are! If you are lucky enough to get a placement, treat it like it is your job, turn up every day, be professional and be willing to learn, especially if it is an unpaid placement. They will be continuously assessing you on whether you would competent and fit in with the team, should a job arise. Keep an eye on industry specific journals and websites. Finally the thought of going back into education after sixteen years terrified me but how glad I am that I did it. I enjoyed the degree course very much and it made me want to go on further and become fully qualified. The process is intense but achievable and worth it and the skills I obtained whilst at university enabled me to secure the first job I applied for after graduation. You can’t ask for more than that!

Useful links and websites

LJMU Vacancy website

http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/

Prospects (careers info and graduate jobs)

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/

TargetJobs (careers info and graduate jobs)

http://targetjobs.co.uk/

Milkround (grad jobs, placements & internships)

http://www.milkround.com/

Jobs in the public sector

http://www.lgjobs.com/

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

Vacancies in higher education and research

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/

Graduate Talent Pool (grad internship opportunities) http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk/ Information about postgraduate study:

http://www.postgrad.com/ https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduatestudy

Volunteering websites:

http://www.do-it.org.uk/ https://www.liverpoolguild.org/mainmenu/volunteer

Environmental Health Useful links and websites Environmental Health News Jobs

www.ehn-jobs.com

Environmental Health News

www.ehn-online.com

NHS Jobs

www.jobs.nhs.uk

Environnent Agency

www.environmentagency.gov.uk/jobs/

Food Standards Agency

www.food.gov.uk

Scottish Environment Protection agency

www.sepa.org.uk

Local Government Jobs

www.lgjobs.com

Opportunities: The Public Sector Media

http://opportunities.co.uk

Jobs Go Public

www.jobsgopublic.com

National press, e.g. Guardian Jobs

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

http://www.cieh.org

Environmental Health Careers

www.ehcareers.org

Public Health Job Vacancy / Careers Websites

Public Health England

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/publichealth-england

Faculty of Public Health Association of Public Health Observatories National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NHS Jobs Health Jobs UK

www.fph.org.uk/public_health_careers www.apho.org.uk www.nice.org.uk

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

Health Service Journal Public Health Jobs Worldwide World Health Organisation

http://www.hsj.co.uk http://www.jobspublichealth.com http://www.who.int/employment/en/

Local Government Jobs

www.lgjobs.com

United Kingdom Public Health Association UK Public Health Register

www.ukpha.org.uk www.publichealthregister.org.uk

Social Media: Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter: @Prospects @targetjobsUK @LJMUCareers

@The_CIEH @FoodCareers @EHN_Online

@JigsawPSPH @CIHhousing @EnvAgency

Work Experience Environmental Health employers are keen to recruit applicants with some experience and knowledge of the sector so work experience, either paid or voluntary is useful. During your second year you will have the opportunity to complete a project within the environmental health sector, either in a local authority or within a private or voluntary organisation which will be very useful. In addition however, we would recommend that you gain further experience working within an environmental or other relevant health setting to continue building up your skills and experiences. Local authorities may offer short periods of work experience and it may also be possible to work shadow an experienced practitioner. Utilise any contacts you make through the course or through your project or other contacts you may have within the industry to try to set this up. This kind of work experience does require you to be proactive and will involve making speculative applications and networking. If you need help with this approach you should use our mini guides on producing effective CVs and covering letters and also our workshop around using LinkedIn effectively. For contact details of organisations and local authorities to whom you could speculatively apply use the useful links and websites section below. You could also use connections you may make during your studies and from employer events that are organised at the university. There may also be some useful work experience opportunities listed on our vacancy website: http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/. LJMU has been managing a summer internship programme for Level 5 students in recent years, so keep an eye on your LJMU inbox for details of any opportunities. If you are interested in working in health promotion or another similar health role, voluntary work in a local hospital could be a good way to gain some useful experience. Bear in mind that the application process for voluntary work in hospitals can take several months, and some hospitals

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

even operate waiting lists for volunteers, so ensure that you apply well in advance and also consider other types of voluntary work, e.g. in a care home, a hospice or a mental health charity. Contacting relevant organisations directly via email or through LinkedIn or speaking with people at networking events may lead to work experience. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in this industry, show the employer what you have to offer. Briefly outline the relevancy of your course. Look at the skills outlined above and try to discuss these in your CV, drawing on examples from your course and other work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate these skills. Make sure you research the organisation beforehand and find out the best person to get in touch with. It is important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the organisation and have spent some time finding out what they do. For more information download our mini-guide on “Making yourself employable whilst at University” from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm for an overview of the different types of work experience available and some general suggestions about finding work experience opportunities. Useful websites to research a range of voluntary opportunities include http://www.do-it.org.uk/ and http://www.liverpoolguild.org/volunteering. You could also contact LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356 or c.j.prescott@ljmu.ac.uk to enquire about current opportunities. It is also worth researching relevant organisations/charities and contacting them directly to find out about voluntary roles on offer.

Recruitment schedule Recruitment cycles and deadlines will vary depending on the type of work you are applying for. Research is crucial to ensure that you do not miss relevant opportunities. If completing a placement with an organisation you would like to work for after graduation, ask your employers if they are aware of any opportunities coming up and when these are likely to be advertised. Most work in this area is in public sector organisations such as the local authorities. These roles are advertised on the websites listed above. Applications usually consist of submitting an application form, which contains personal details, education, and work experience and also your personal statement, where you address the skills and attributes outlined in the person specification. This part of the application is really important and you need to ensure that all essential and preferably desirable criteria are included using examples to back up your discussion. You may also find work through small and medium-sized enterprises/businesses (SMEs). These types of companies don’t usually have structured training schemes but will recruit ‘as required’. They may use their own application form but most applications will be by CV and covering letter. These positions will be advertised on company websites, relevant recruitment websites and national and local newspapers. The ‘creative’ or ‘speculative’ approach to job hunting, outlined above, is also important when looking for graduate roles. Making contacts and approaching organisations speculatively to look for work is a common route into employment. For more

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

information about the speculative approach to job hunting, download a copy of our guide to ‘The Hidden Jobs Market’ from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm You may be interested in working for a large food company. These organisations may have graduate training schemes you can apply for. Many graduate training schemes with large companies have opportunities available in different business areas as well, such as HR and finance. Organisations often accept applications from students of any degree background for these positions. Many recruiters begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for final-year students. Most closing dates are in November and December, but some are earlier and some are later so it is important to start researching companies that you want to apply to early on. The process usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. This may be followed by psychometric tests, a telephone interview and an assessment centre. You may also need to submit your CV. Most of the large recruiters have a section on the student/graduate pages of their website that outlines the different steps of their selection process, so check these to find out what is required. For more information about graduate schemes, download the ‘Graduate Schemes’ guide from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm

You can get advice about the recruitment process by booking a one-to-one appointment with a careers or employability adviser or you can attend relevant workshops organised by the Careers Team – https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events.

Key events and networking 

Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website http://www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events

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Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/events/ for details

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Careers and Employability events at LJMU Keep an eye on our events pages at https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/ for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks.

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LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: https://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups?parent_link=clubssocieties-menu-wrapper

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LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (http://www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry. LinkedIn have produced 6 video guides aimed at students and graduates to help get you started: http://students.linkedin.com/uk

Other information Centre for Entrepreneurship

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

The Centre for Entrepreneurship supports students and graduates who want to set up their own businesses. Whether you want to develop a new business idea, work as a freelancer or launch a product or service, the Centre for Entrepreneurship can help. To book a place at one of their free workshops or a confidential business advice session with one of their business advisers, call 0151 231 3300 or visit their website https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup

Careers Zones Campus-based Careers Zones provide easy access to careers support in convenient locations at Byrom Street, Aldham Robarts Library and at IM Marsh, staffed by the Careers Team. Support available includes CV and application form reviews, Careers Adviser appointments, drop-in quick queries, practice interviews and access to careers resources and information. The Zones also host regular employer visits during term time where you can meet and network with employers and discuss job and placement opportunities. For the latest updates and details of locations and opening times, try our Twitter and Facebook pages or call 0151 231 2048/3719.

Employer Top Tips: A conversation with an Environmental Health Practitioner……..Janette Pierce My working day as a: Senior Environmental Health Officer at St Helens Council What does your job involve? No two days are the same. We have food inspections from everything from a corner shop to a challenging take away, accident investigations, complaints about food poisoning, confirmed or otherwise, re-writing byelaws, dealing with bed bugs and anything else the public think should be dealt with under the heading ‘Environmental Health’! Three things I like about my job: No two days are the same You meet a lot of interesting people You use a lot of skills to communicate with these interesting people! Three things I’m not so keen on: Telling someone you are unable to help them Having to speak ‘pigeon English’ as I don’t have a working knowledge of any other languages Office politics Key points in my career development to date: 

Completing my PPP, the gateway to everything I have done so far

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Grabbing every opportunity available to have new experiences and personal development

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Being an active member of the CIEH, not for career progression but to see the big picture of Environmental Health

What I wish I’d know when I was a student:

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Career Insight: Environmental Health



 

As a mature student I knew all I was letting myself in for. However, for some students who have not had experience in the environmental health world before it’s important to know that the degree is just one of the stepping stones that has to be crossed before you can get full registration. All experience is good experience using past work/living experience helps to mould a better EHP and quiet a lot can be used for your PPP. Volunteer for everything, well almost everything, no everything, the opportunity to have one day’s work experience could be the door to a lifelong career, you never know!

What do you think would make an EHP stand out at an interview?

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Knowing what you have done so far, including your transferable skills from other work experiences, so you can bring it into the interview when asked to give examples.

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Knowing what you want to do in the future and what experiences you want to gain.

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How you could contribute to the organisation you want to join.

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Have knowledge of what is current in the company you want to join, if it is a private company check to see what they offer and the scope of their business, if it’s a Local Authority check to see what Environmental/public health issues they have.

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Career Insight: Environmental Health

NOTES

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Looking for out of hours careers support? Access our suite of online careers tools at any time, from anywhere ...

CAREERS ZONE

24/7

❙❙ CV builder ❙❙ Interview simulator ❙❙ Job search websites ❙❙ Careers Newsroom ❙❙ Psychometric testing and

assessment centre practice portal ❙❙ GoinGlobal international jobs database Access Careers Zone 24/7 from the Careers website:

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers LJMU CAREERS WORLD OF WORK CAREERSTEAM CENTRE 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk || worldofwork@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 2048/3719

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers www2.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork