Careers in food and nutrition are one of the best jobs, according to the US News. Dietitians and nutritionists rank 24th among the best healthcare jobs and 78th among the best 100 jobs. What’s more, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates nutrition-related jobs to grow by as much as 5,900 between 2019 to 2029.
These exciting prospects open up a world of possibilities for a nutrition career, and fresh graduates are indeed doing their best to prepare for these opportunities. To help you improve your chances of landing a job and finding your spot in the growing field of nutrition, take note of the following tips.
No need to worry. Here are several career paths for you to consider:
1.Obtain Relevant Degrees
Gaining an education is an advantage. While an associate or bachelor’s degree serves as a great start, a master’s degree from this recommended site can further your education by giving you a specialized area of interest. An advanced degree in public health, sport, or animal nutrition allows dietitians and nutritionists to enhance their knowledge and skills to pursue doctorate exciting careers or engage in public or private practice.
2.Gain Experience
Apart from advanced education, gaining hands-on experience can also help you in your nutrition career. Internships provide you with real-world experience, expand your network, and help you develop leadership and professional skills. They may even serve as opportunities for full-time employment.
Serving as a volunteer can also get your foot in the door if you plan on working for international aid organizations. As a start, you can offer to help local professionals or organizations with their social media management or contribute your ideas to help deliver nutritional information better.
Paid work in companies or institutions, whether as side gigs or starting jobs, can also give you experience and help you earn income. Working in healthcare settings gives you an advantage when you plan to work for government agencies. In addition, you can also look for food-related jobs to help you gain commercial experience.
Having relevant experiences in all three—public, private, and non-profit—sectors allows you to experience the field of nutrition and to decide which can give you a promising career.
3.Find Your Nutrition Niche: Read Up And Do A Personal And Market Assessment
As you gain knowledge and experience, you’ll be closer to shaping a career in the nutrition field. You can now move on to explore your nutrition niche by conducting a personal and professional assessment. Find your strengths by listing down your interests and asking friends and family about what you’re good at. Your best qualities can help you determine if you’ll do well as a dietitian, nutritionist, health speaker, or fitness coach. Rank your interests and do some research to see if people’s needs align with your passion. Once you find a match, you can now embark on your chosen nutrition career path.
4.Develop Additional Skills
Your degree in nutrition gives you an understanding of how nutrients affect the body. At the same time, your experience in various settings exposes you to the need to inform people and encourage them to take advantage of the benefits of healthy eating. There’s more to your knowledge and expertise on nutrition topics, as you’ll also need additional skills to get your message across.
Since you’ll be dealing with people one-on-one or in groups, you’ll need to develop strong communication skills. You’ll need to understand people’s motivations and behaviours, so you can encourage them to make the change. Aside from these, you’ll also need to learn how to interpret data, read the latest trends and findings, and create presentations for everyone to understand at the same time. All these skills are necessary for you to become an effective nutrition advocate.
5.Build Your Network
As a nutrition expert, you’ll find yourself in the company of various individuals who share your passion. Establish connections with like-minded individuals by attending conferences, joining nutrition organizations, or partner with local food producers. Create an extensive network of contacts in person and on social media. Get to know other professionals and increase your prospects of finding better employment or finding additional opportunities to help others.
Conclusion
There are many promising careers in the field of nutrition now and in the years to come. The combination of education and experience helps you build a career while developing additional skills. Creating an extensive network both online and in-person can surely earn you a spot among the industry leaders.
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