The best transition ever

Here are six pieces of advice for SPH students getting ready to graduate this year:

1) Stay open to possibilities: While in school, you are exposed to lots of subject areas through your class work and on-campus lectures. Stay open to the possibility of discovering a new area of interest - the more open-minded you are, the more job opportunities you'll find.
2) Do as many informational interviews as possible: The next six months are a great opportunity for you to network and learn from leaders in your interest area. Professionals are surprisingly happy to talk to students, so go out there and find out where the potential jobs are!
3) Hone your skills: Employers will be looking to see what you can contribute to the organization. Take time to learn new computer programs, get a certification in project management, etc. This won't take very much time, but will make you more marketable.
4) Take a class outside the school of public health: There are diminishing returns to taking a lot of classes in the same subject area. Go outside the SPH to learn about a different discipline's perspective.
5) Enjoy yourself: Spend time with other students and at on-campus events. You'll want to have lots of great memories of your time at Berkeley.
6) Take a break: Once you start working, it'll be hard to take a big chunk of time off. When you land a job, try to negotiate for starting well after graduation, and take some time to do something you've been dreaming about!