“There has been a
four-fold increase in the number of children and teenagers admitted to hospital
for obesity-related conditions in the last decade” (Briggs, 2013) . This statement provides an accurate
representation of the child obesity problem in the UK. In an effort to combat
this epidemic, commencing September 2014 the government have published a
revised national curriculum, which from then on will involve students aged
five-fourteen engaging in cooking lessons (Paton, 2013) .
These lessons will incorporate the understanding of nutrition, preparing
dishes, learning cooking techniques and understanding seasonality, similar to
the programme on which I’ve been working.
Throughout my placement Alison, my supervisor continuously offered chances to
discuss career opportunities within the council along with my personal career
aspirations. Completing this work placement has enabled me to make a conscious
decision that working in a primary school on a full-time basis, is not for me.
However Alison’s role of ‘Community Nutrition Worker’ for the council
interested me greatly. I have a great passion for nutrition and would thrive
off a job such as this. A career in community nutrition and health presents
various opportunities to get involved in devising and delivering different
programmes and schemes, opposed to the monotonous day-to-day routine of
teaching in a school. The recent emphasis upon
nutrition and health in children could present new job opportunities. A
brilliant job opportunity would be to create a team of enthusiastic health and
nutrition specialists, who could devise and deliver nutrition programmes to
schools and colleges around the country. Although I am only beginning my career
path, there is no harm in being aware of future opportunities and having
aspirations, no matter how optimistic they may be.
In order to aid the process of choosing a suitable career path, I created an account on Prospects (an official graduate’s career website). This enabled me to complete a number of questionnaires, which identified my key skills, motives and desires, producing a list of careers which may be suitable for me, (Appendix 6). A Health Promotion Specialist was found to be a well matched job for myself. Although sports science was my chosen degree, throughout the course of the year I have always favoured nutrition and health related modules. To be a health promotion specialist I would be required to attain vast amounts of experience within the sector, building upon leadership skills and learning to effectively motivate and influence others. Health promotion is a very broad subject, various areas of which I am unfamiliar with, therefore it may be beneficial for me to complete training such as level 1 and 2 awards in health promotion. In accordance with Prospects (2012) upon completion of my sports science degree I would be eligible to apply for this job. Although I may be at a disadvantage to those who have/are working towards a nutrition specific degree, I believe that my drive and enthusiasm will help me get into this sector of work. Key professional and personal attributes required for this job include: excellent oral and written communication skills, negotiation skills, initiative and research skills. Although my written communication skills are quite accomplished, my oral communication skill need much improvement, I believe that this will come with practice and experience. Research skills are something which I do possess as an outcome of working towards my degree, completing my dissertation in Eating Disorders required me to do a lot of reading and research. Health promotion specialist jobs in the NHS range of typical salaries are £21,176-£34, 189, to begin(Prospects, 2012) . This job also
offers opportunities for career development, leading to roles such as senior
health promotion specialist and possibly assistant managers.
With relation to future career aspirations I need develop my oral communication skills, by conveying the confidence I have established in front of the students (work placement), when presenting information to a group of adults (e.g. at a job interview). Using reflection to attain personal development is a relatively new skill to me; it is a useful skill to possess in order to showcase my ability to critically reflect to potential employees. In order to pursue a career in community health or nutrition it is imperative that I further develop both personal and professional attributes discussed throughout the assignment. In order to achieve this effectively, I have devised a personal development plan (Appendix 7); outlining clear actions I must undertake in the near future, in order to meet my aims.
In order to aid the process of choosing a suitable career path, I created an account on Prospects (an official graduate’s career website). This enabled me to complete a number of questionnaires, which identified my key skills, motives and desires, producing a list of careers which may be suitable for me, (Appendix 6). A Health Promotion Specialist was found to be a well matched job for myself. Although sports science was my chosen degree, throughout the course of the year I have always favoured nutrition and health related modules. To be a health promotion specialist I would be required to attain vast amounts of experience within the sector, building upon leadership skills and learning to effectively motivate and influence others. Health promotion is a very broad subject, various areas of which I am unfamiliar with, therefore it may be beneficial for me to complete training such as level 1 and 2 awards in health promotion. In accordance with Prospects (2012) upon completion of my sports science degree I would be eligible to apply for this job. Although I may be at a disadvantage to those who have/are working towards a nutrition specific degree, I believe that my drive and enthusiasm will help me get into this sector of work. Key professional and personal attributes required for this job include: excellent oral and written communication skills, negotiation skills, initiative and research skills. Although my written communication skills are quite accomplished, my oral communication skill need much improvement, I believe that this will come with practice and experience. Research skills are something which I do possess as an outcome of working towards my degree, completing my dissertation in Eating Disorders required me to do a lot of reading and research. Health promotion specialist jobs in the NHS range of typical salaries are £21,176-£34, 189, to begin
With relation to future career aspirations I need develop my oral communication skills, by conveying the confidence I have established in front of the students (work placement), when presenting information to a group of adults (e.g. at a job interview). Using reflection to attain personal development is a relatively new skill to me; it is a useful skill to possess in order to showcase my ability to critically reflect to potential employees. In order to pursue a career in community health or nutrition it is imperative that I further develop both personal and professional attributes discussed throughout the assignment. In order to achieve this effectively, I have devised a personal development plan (Appendix 7); outlining clear actions I must undertake in the near future, in order to meet my aims.
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