The Journey Continues: I’ve Officially Been Hired as A Dietitian!
- Holly Forbes
- Sep 16, 2020
- 5 min read
Hello everyone!
It's been a while since my last post where I spoke all about my RD exam preparations, and it made me so happy to see how many of you found it both insightful and valuable.
So much so that I just could not help but share the next steps of my professional journey with you.
I’ve obviously been quite busy since then and can’t wait to tell you guys all about it.
As I mentioned before, after you complete your Dietetic Internship, the next big step is the RD Exam.
After that is the moment you’ve really been waiting for, A JOB!
And not just any job either, a job as a Registered Dietitian!
But where are you going to work?
There are sooo many different types of settings that you can be employed in as a new Dietitian.
This list includes:
Hospitals
Outpatient Clinics
Dialysis Centers
Sports Teams
Consulting/Private Practice
Government Agencies
Food Service Establishments
Community/Public Health Organizations
And more!
Where you choose to apply is entirely based on your goals and your prior experience, and also kind of based on what’s available.
Some people recommend starting off in clinical. Others recommend going straight into private practice or a specific niche you are passionate about.
Really and truly, it’s entirely up to you.
In future posts I hope to delve into the "You need 2 years of clinical before entering private practice" debate, but for now the primary intent of this post is to discuss the route I took to land my first job.
First Things First: Where to Apply?
I wanted to become a dietitian who worked to help people prevent, or at the very least manage, chronic illnesses.
Since I didn’t quite have a super specific “dream job”, I was open to anything centered around disease prevention and health promotion.
I also didn’t want to have to potentially choose between too many offers, so I didn’t apply to many jobs and because of how quickly I got called for interviews, I ended up only applying to two places.
Job Option #1: Public Health
One of my preceptors sent me a job opening for a Public Health Nutritionist Position where I’d be working primarily with women and children.
I gladly welcomed this opportunity because the health of women and children is fundamental to the health of communities.
Don’t underestimate the value of a strong relationship with your preceptor when it comes to opportunities after your rotation.
Make sure to make a good impression!
Job Option #2: Clinical Nutrition
Speaking of preceptors, I received very good feedback from my clinical preceptors, so I also considered applying to clinical positions.
Working in a clinical setting provides you with an array of experiences with various disease states and helps to strengthen your knowledge of Medical Nutrition Therapy.
The exposure to various illnesses and different types of patients can also help you to determine the preferred niche of patients/disease states you like working with. And considering that at least 21% of dietitians practice in Clinical settings, it’s where many of the jobs are.
Next Up: Interviews!
When trying to find a job, one of the many frustrations of new dietitians is the length of time it takes.
It can range anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Exactly 46 days elapsed between when I took my RD exam and officially started my job.
I passed my RD exam on August 1, 2019 and I started working on September 16, 2019.
To help you get an understanding of how this all panned out, I’ll provide you with the major dates in chronological order.
August 9: I submitted my application for the Public Health position and received a call 3 days later to schedule an interview.
August 16: I had my first Interview for the Public Health position. I was interviewed by the director of the program and 1 other dietitian. I was asked general questions, situational questions, and questions about the program. The interview went very well and the next step was to await a call for a second interview.
August 22: I submitted my application for the Clinical Nutrition position. I chose this particular facility because it was one of the only facilities with open positions within 25 miles of where I live.
The very next day, I received a call to schedule an interview for this position. It just so happened that the best date for the interview was this same day, 4 hours after I received the call.
On this same day, I also received a call to schedule my second interview for the Public Health Position.
August 23: As mentioned above, my interview for the Clinical Nutrition Position was scheduled for this day. It was a peer interview which consisted of the Director and Assistant Director of the Food & Nutrition department, and the other 2 clinical dietitians I would be working with. I was asked questions about my dietetic internship experience, situational questions regarding my ability to do the job, and long-term goals.
I liked that the two other people I would be working with were a part of the interview and I distinctly remember feeling very relaxed and at ease in this interview.
On this very same day, about an hour after my interview ended, I was offered the position for the Clinical Nutrition Position. I was rather shocked because I wasn't expecting to get an offer that fast! But since I had my second interview scheduled for the Public Health Position, I asked for a few days to make a decision.
August 26: My second interview for the Public Health Position was very different. It was a behavioral event interview with a very specific structure and format.
Finally, The Decision…
I was offered the job for the clinical position, but it would be about 2-3 weeks before I heard back from the public health agency, so essentially I had a tough decision to make.
Although I got very good feedback in my clinical rotations, I didn’t really see myself loving working in a clinical setting.
I gladly welcomed the idea of working in public health and felt it would be something I’d enjoy, but I didn’t have an offer for the position...yet.
I knew exactly what the clinical world would be like and felt that I possessed the skills necessary to do the job well. But I had no idea what it would actually be like working for the public health organization.
The pay was similar between the two positions, except one was salaried, the other hourly.
After much thought, many prayers, conversations with family and mentors, I chose to accept a position as a Clinical Dietitian.
One year later, and I’m still happy with my decision!
I really hope you enjoyed today’s article because it’s only the beginning.
I’ve learned so much on my journey to becoming a Registered Dietitian and I can’t wait to share it all with you in the days, weeks and months to come.
Is there something specific you’d like me to share about my journey?
Maybe more about the interview process and preparation tips?
Also, remember to subscribe to be first to find out when I write new posts!
Until next time,
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