Why I Joined
When I learned about EUPHAnxt Mentoring Programme, I immediately thought I should apply. I had been looking for ways to connect more with the public health community after earning my MPH degree. I wanted to meet new colleagues from the field and move my career forward as well. Having completed my studies via distance learning, I did not feel like I had developed enough meaningful professional connections, and EUPHAnxt felt like a possible answer to this problem.
The Mentor Match
I was delighted to learn about Dr. Ute Bültmann and the EUPHA Section of Social Security, Work and Health that she is heading. This EUPHA section focuses on work disability prevention and individual and community-level health promotion. The section supports research and promotes evidence-based actions in this field. Dr. Bültmann’s international career and occupational health expertise and my own professional background in occupational health made me confident that this was a great mentor match.
The Conversations
I met Dr. Bültmann six times over a six-month period on Teams. We discussed career pathways in occupational health and public health, and I got networking advice and feedback on CV writing and job applications. We talked about international opportunities as well as opportunities to join a PhD-programme. Dr. Bültmann connected me with her long-time colleagues too. I really enjoyed our conversations. We would typically spend 45 minutes to an hour in total talking about recent developments in our personal lives and moving on to any public health theme that would have surfaced during our chat. Finally, we would always schedule the next meeting.
What I Learned
Resulting from our conversations, I gained new professional contacts, I participated in an educational webinar arranged by an organization that Dr. Bültmann is part of, I modified my CV and gained new insights into job interviews. I learned a lot more about relevant public health and occupational health organizations. The Nordic Institute for Advanced Education in Occupational Health (NIVA) turned out to be a great resource in my field of work. Their webinars helped me gain a better understanding of the differences between occupational health systems across EU countries. Understanding the importance of continuous learning, exploring different opportunities and talking to new people was the main takeaway that I took home from our discussions.
Looking Ahead
During the mentorship programme, I was able to secure a new role as an occupational health advisor in the pharmaceutical sector in another EU country. Dr. Bültmann was also my academic reference during the final steps of securing this new contract. Our discussions helped me identify and understand what is most important to know about a new country’s occupational health system. In the future I would like to attend the European Public Health conference to meet my mentor and other mentees in person, as well as continue connecting with the European public health community.
Final Reflection
This mentorship programme provided access not only to knowledge but also to a professional network that could otherwise have taken many years to build on my own. I am very grateful for the experience and recommend it to any early-career public health professional.
Dr. Ute Bültmann
Mentor
Henrik Räbinä
Mentee
