Career Services Spotlight – Chanya Holness, MPA ’23, Children’s Health Fund

What Fellowship were you accepted to and what are your responsibilities in your current role? Could you elaborate more on what the fellowship is?

This summer, I was fortunate enough to be selected as the Policy and Advocacy Fellow at Children’s Health Fund. My responsibilities include conducting research and analysis of health care policies, assisting with advocacy projects, drafting social media content, assisting with written pieces for the organization, assembling background materials for conferences and forums, and more as needed.

Can you detail your job/fellowship search experience?

I began actively job-seeking in December of 2020 after completing my undergraduate degree. I was looking for jobs, internships, and fellowships in health policy that would work well with my schedule as a full-time graduate student. To aid in my job search, I used Marxe CareerConnect, Indeed, Idealist, and Handshake among other sites. I eventually discovered the fellowship position on Marxe CareerConnect and applied for it in April of 2021. In July, I was offered the position.

What was the application process like?

After I discovered the position on Marxe CareerConnect, I began researching Children’s Health Fund and crafting my application, which consisted of a resume and a cover letter. I worked closely with Marny (thank you, Marny!) to edit my cover letter so that it reflected my skills and relevant experience through the lens of the job description. A couple of months after submitting my application, I was contacted to do two rounds of interviews, as well as to submit two writing samples.

Any advice for students looking for fellowships?

To any students looking for fellowships or other professional opportunities, I would suggest meeting with the Career Center to discuss any of your career-related questions and concerns. Through my meetings with Marny and Suzanne, I began to understand what I was looking for and how to talk about my skills and experiences in ways that were relevant to the different positions I was applying for. I began to feel a sense of direction in my search.

Additionally, I would say that it helps to stay organized. Early on in my search, I began to lose track of my applications, but Suzanne suggested that I create a document that helped me to remember the organizations that I applied to, the positions that I applied for, and what I highlighted in my resume and cover letter as my most relevant experience. That way, if I were contacted for an interview, I would have all the necessary information in one place. I would know exactly what I applied for and could easily remind myself why I was drawn to the position. This helped a lot.

Lastly, I would say to keep trying. Your search is likely to be full of rejection or even radio silence. I don’t know anybody who likes rejection, but more than that, I don’t know anybody who likes pretending to be grateful to have been denied an opportunity they really wanted. Still, whether you are offered the position or not, it can help to think that applying and interviewing are good opportunities to practice your voice, to determine how you want to speak about yourself and your experiences in the future, and to reevaluate your experiences in a way that gets you closer to understanding what you really want out of your career. You got this!