Public health industry professionals deal with everyday people on a personal level. You might work regular office hours, going back and forth between your desk, people who drop in, co-workers, and meetings. A few times a year there will also be conferences that you plan to attend but scheduling problems may cause you to change your plans. Just as it is critical that you perform your daily responsibilities, going to meetings geared towards master of public health professionals is also something you should do to recharge and make improvements. Keep on track and do everything you want to in your career by keeping a structured schedule.
Break Up Your Schedule into Daily Tasks
Knowing that you’re to come into the office at 9am everyday isn’t enough. Write down what you need to do each day and then stay on schedule. Know what days you plan to take a late lunch, if possible, and be sure to come back when you’re expected. You won’t be caught off guard by small scheduling changes when you stay on top of things with extreme precision.
Know What You’re Doing Months Ahead
You can’t have a meltdown in the office due to scheduling conflicts if you have an outline on what you’re going to do and where you’re going to be months in advance. Use an online calendar so you can easily move meetings to different dates, cancel appointments or add things to your schedule at the last second. Unexpected public health crises are actually kind of to be expected, so you can keep yourself booked solid if you want to manage all of your time well. This way, when a conference comes up and you know that you’re not going to be around your home office for a few days you can let everyone that you work with know well before the date arrives.
Keep Everything Flexible
If a meeting gets cancelled, don’t freak out. It can be rescheduled when you have free time eventually. As someone in the public health field, you’re going to need to be more than flexible at times. With an MPH degree that you can boast about, your subordinates will know that you are highly capable, and your peers will have respect for whatever you decide. Make changes when you have to and don’t sweat the small stuff. If you find out that a conference is coming up, then have enough control over your schedule to change things to suit yourself better.
Remember that conferences that are well organized can suddenly be postponed or moved to a different location. If you don’t have your schedule under control at work, you won’t be able to accommodate these scheduling nuances. Pledge to organize your desk, keep a detailed calendar and be on top of any changes as soon as they are apparent. This will aid you in making it to each and every public health conference that you plan to go to without being stressed, rushed, or feeling like you’re going to go back to work with a pile of tasks waiting for you.
