u/SereneLavenderSpace

Hey everyone,
I’m 34, I live in NYC, and I am at a massive career crossroads. I have an MPH and have spent the last 5 years working directly with clients/patients in HIV/STI/Hep C prevention. I genuinely love patient care both the physical and emotional/behavioral sides of healthcare, but I am incredibly demotivated by how poorly public health pays.
I’ve been stuck in the exact same pay bracket for three years now. I recently had to take a second job just to supplement my income and stay afloat, but I am exhausted. I want one job that allows me to make what I actually deserve, have a real work-life balance, and finally move toward having my own place (renting or buying here feels impossible right now).
A friend of mine got her PMP, but even as a seasoned professional with way more public health experience than me, she is struggling heavily to find employment. I absolutely do not want to go back to school or get a certification that won’t pay off in the long haul.
I want a clinical/billable license to leverage my income, and I'm torn between two paths to supplement my MPH (open to other paths if you have any suggestions):
1. Nursing (LPN/LVN or ASN)
The Appeal: I know NYC hospital nursing pay is strong and it would immediately fix my income problem.
The Hesitation: I'm 34 and working two jobs; I don't know how I could realistically find the time or flexibility to balance work and school.
My question for RN/MPHs: Was it easier to get your foot in the door at hospitals/clinics compared to traditional new grads because of your public health background? What does your day-to-day look like?
2. Social Work (MSW)
The Appeal: I love the mental health and emotional side of care. I know you can do micro/clinical work or therapy, not just macro. The schooling also seems way more flexible to complete while working.
The Hesitation: I worry the starting pay for an LMSW in NYC won’t actually solve my financial stress, and that I'll be stuck waiting years to get an LCSW before seeing real money.
My question for MSW/MPHs: What roles do you hold, and has the dual degree actually given you leverage for higher-paying positions or hospital roles out of the gate?

In essence, I’m tired of the two-job grind. If you’ve transitioned from pure public health into either of these fields in NYC or a similar high-cost-of-living area, I would love your raw, honest insight on the day-to-day, the pay, and whether it was worth the investment.

Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone,

I posted the other day about exploring new job opportunities within Public Health, and I’m back because I really need some outside perspective and advice on my current situation.

Right now, I work for an organization that is incredibly low-key and laid-back. After coming out of some very stressful past positions, it’s been a refreshing change of pace. However, the lack of structure is starting to become a major nuisance, and I’m growing increasingly concerned about my job security.

It is a very small program -- just three of us total. Recently, my colleague (health educator) resigned and left earlier than her planned notice period. She had been here the longest out of all of us, meaning the senior manager, my specific role, and her role have gone through 5 or 6 different people within these past two years or so. Now, it is just me and my direct supervisor trying to navigate a program that neither of us has deep familiarity with.

With the health educator gone, her entire workload has fallen straight into my lap --specifically the documentation and data entry. Now that I am reviewing the historical paperwork, it is an absolute disaster:

• Missing Core Data: A lot of the information from educational sessions and workshops is missing. I can’t even figure out which specific courses participants took to enter them into the system.
• Incomplete Intake Forms: Dates of birth, intake dates, and contact information missing.
• Access Issues: We recently had an incident that prevented us from working on-site, and because the state database we use can only be accessed on-site, I am falling way behind on tracking.
• Lack of Oversight: My supervisor is rarely on-site, so there is very little direct guidance or visibility into what I'm dealing with.

On top of this, our organization’s data team has been doing compliance rounds to audit files and check if staff are doing their work and therefore, I'm concerned of what they are going to report to the higher-ups.

I’m stuck in a precarious position. The pay isn't great, but the flexibility can be nice. Now, I feel like I am being set up to fail. I'm worried the organization will look at the incomplete state databases and use me as a scapegoat to say, "You didn't do what you were supposed to do," even though the data never existed in the first place and nothing was properly transferred over due to constant turnover.

How do I protect myself in this scenario while I look for other jobs? How do I communicate to my supervisor (and the data team) that I've inherited a broken, paper-based system that is entirely out of my control to retroactively fix?

Any advice on how to handle the data mess, and the anxiety that comes with it, would be greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone, I’m at a major career crossroads and would love some perspective—especially from people familiar with New York State/CT State jobs, benefits, salary progression, and long-term financial planning.

I'm 34, have an MPH, and currently work as a Women's Health Program Manager focused on HIV/HCV prevention, earning about $70k. I also maintain a per-diem Mental Health Counselor role that brings my total annual income to roughly $80k. I've been in the per-diem role for about a year and my primary role for six months.

One important factor: I recently met with a financial counselor as part of my first-time homebuyer planning and am on a very strict savings path over the next year because my goal is to purchase my own home. Financial growth is a major priority right now, but so is stability.

Another consideration is that my current primary job has been surprisingly stable, supportive, and VERY low stress. Prior to this role, I changed my primary job because of burnout, poor management, or unsustainable stress levels. As a result, I'm nervous about leaving a position I genuinely enjoy for higher pay, only to end up wanting to leave again.

Recently, several very different opportunities emerged:

1. NYS Rehabilitation Counselor (State Government)
Salary range: approximately $70k–$89k. I had a great conversation with someone in the agency who mentioned a potential conditional offer and encouraged me to follow up if I don't hear from recruitment. My concern is that the starting salary would be almost identical to what I earn now.

2. Planned Parenthood Program Manager
Salary range: $80k–$90k. This role aligns closely with my background in HIV prevention and would immediately match or slightly exceed my current combined income from both jobs while allowing me to focus on one full-time role.

3. HIV Pharmaceutical Industry (Community Engagement)
Salary: $142k+. This is an active lead (no offer or beyond as of yet given that it's a role in the process of opening up and a connection of mine is strongly referring me and the hiring manager has been in-touch and has reached out). This one obviously offers the highest earning potential by a significant margin. From a homeownership and savings perspective, it's difficult to ignore.

4. Potential Connecticut State Opportunities
I recently advanced to second-round interviews for a few Connecticut state positions, so there may be additional government opportunities on the horizon as well. While nothing is guaranteed yet, they add another layer to the decision-making process given that most are 100k+.

For those with state government experience or jobs:

1. How valuable are the benefits (pension, job security, etc.) in practice? Are they worth accepting a lower starting salary or holding out on?
2. Is there any meaningful room to negotiate a higher starting salary within the NYS potential offer based on an MPH and relevant experience, or are salaries largely fixed?
3. At age 34, would you prioritize the long-term stability of a state position, the mission-driven work and moderate pay increase at Planned Parenthood, or the substantial salary jump in pharma?
4. Has anyone else struggled with leaving a job they genuinely liked because the compensation no longer aligned with their financial goals?

I'm trying to balance financial growth, future homeownership, job satisfaction, and long-term stability. Part of me thinks the answer is obvious financially, but another part of me worries about walking away from a role that has finally given me some peace of mind after several stressful positions. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has faced a similar decision.

Hey everyone,

I know the job market right now is incredibly tough, and so many people are struggling to find opportunities. A colleague in my department at our small community service nonprofit is transitioning out on June 26th, and my supervisor gave me the green light to start gathering resumes early to jump-start the hiring process.

I will be the direct supervisor for this role, and honestly, it’s one of the more low-key and laid-back (personally speaking) organizations I’ve ever worked for throughout my career.

The Team & Culture

We are a very tight-knit, small team; technically we'd be a team of three for this specific program. Because the organization is small, it really feels more like a family than a rigid corporate office.

Schedule & Flexibility: This is a fully on-site, Monday–Friday role (no hybrid/remote), but there is great schedule flexibility. For example, the current person leaves at 4:00 PM (working an 8–4 shift), and my direct supervisor and I can accommodate similar hours for e.g. from 9-5.

The Perks: Benefits kick in right away. Plus, the organization "gifts" staff a full free week off in the summer and another full week off in the winter (specifically for office-stationed staff like this role). We also have Summer Fridays—which we have yet to start though.

The Pace: It is very chill and self-paced, but because we are small, you do need to be self-guided and self-sufficient. There isn't an army of people managing your day-to-day, so we love someone with the initiative to just handle their work, though you will absolutely get training and guidance.

The Role

You would be stationed in our main office, working specifically within our women’s HIV/Hep C prevention program. Your main responsibilities would be:

- Providing HIV/Hep C Testing onsite

- Leading workshops. Good news: The curriculum is already completely set and established—you do not have to create any lesson plans or content from scratch.

- Data Entry / Case Notes: Entering program information and notes into the Welligent and Airs system.

- Community Engagement: Occasional community tabling or outreach activities here and there.

What We Are Looking For (Qualifications)

A college degree is not required from what I understand—for this position. We care much more about finding the right fit. Ideally, we want someone with some level of experience in social services, human services, or education.

The Balance: If you don’t have a degree (like an Associate’s), solid relevant experience makes you competitive. If you don't have a ton of experience, having an Associate's in a relevant field helps balance it out.

Salary

The pay is hourly. I don't have the exact HR-approved range just yet, but the outgoing educator makes $50,000, so it will be in that ballpark.

How to Apply / Next Steps

My supervisor and I want to review resumes before we get interviews rolling so if this sounds like a fit for you, please DM me directly. Let me know a little bit about your background, and I can send over my email address in which you can email your resume to.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

This position is located where Crown Heights transitions into East Flatbush and Brownsville in Brooklyn, NY.