Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for community health program coordinators in the United States
Are community health program coordinator jobs in demand?
Community health program coordinator job and salary trends over time
Community health program coordinator jobs over time
Community health program coordinator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 446 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 429 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 431 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 410 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 400 | 0.00% |
Average community health program coordinator salary over time
Community health program coordinator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,644 | $23.39 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $46,745 | $22.47 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $45,795 | $22.02 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $44,440 | $21.37 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $43,235 | $20.79 | +2.8% |
Community health program coordinator jobs by state
Most common states for community health program coordinators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 961,939 | 444 | 46% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 291 | 42% |
| 3 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 1,101 | 38% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,050 | 37% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 325 | 37% |
| 6 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 616 | 36% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 439 | 33% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 246 | 33% |
| 9 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 192 | 33% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 330 | 31% |
| 11 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,479 | 30% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 550 | 29% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,553 | 28% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 1,110 | 28% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 872 | 28% |
| 16 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 578 | 28% |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,803 | 27% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,479 | 26% |
| 19 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 778 | 26% |
| 20 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,594 | 25% |
Most common cities for community health program coordinators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Bergen | 2 | 3% | $51,264 |
| 2 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $43,182 |
| 3 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $52,554 |
| 4 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $45,882 |
Community Health Program Coordinator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of community health program coordinator experts
Michigan Technological University
University of Akron
University of South Florida
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Wake Forest University
Pennsylvania State University
Connecticut College
Heidelberg University
Austin Community College
Wichita State University
University of Illinois at Chicago
YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne
Seattle University
East Tennessee State University
Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy - CSWA
The USA Hockey Foundation
Pacific Lutheran University
Hartwick College
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tayler Haapapuro MS: Continuing education, conferences, and certifications. Making sure you are apart of an organization with continuing education (AKA, ACSM, CSCS etc). Staying on top of the ever evolving world of health can give you an edge in many areas of treatment.
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Melissa Smith MS, CHES, NBC-HWC: For new graduates, I would say they now have a solid foundation of knowledge, skills and abilities in the field, but that their learning experiences have just begun! My advice is that they count every experience on the job – good, bad, or ugly – as a learning opportunity to grow their professionalism and expertise. It takes about a year to learn any new job, so give yourselves time and grace along the way. Every experience has the opportunity to make you into a better professional and person.
What will help Community Health Program Coordinators increase their earning potential?
Melissa Smith MS, CHES, NBC-HWC: There is a two-pronged approach I recommend to maximizing salary potential as a new graduate: 1) expand your professional network and 2) pursue additional certifications in areas of interest. Ways to expand your professional network are to leverage your LinkedIn account to connect to professionals you meet at work and at professional conferences. Volunteer to serve on committees to organize community events related to your work, such as fundraising events put on by the American Heart Association (e.g., Heartwalk) or American Cancer Society (e.g., Relay for Life), or a local health fair. As you discover your strengths in the workplace, pursue additional certifications to enhance your qualifications.
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Maureen Chiodini-Rinaldo: God gave you two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk. Remain open-minded and stay in touch with your mentors. We should always be learning. Find your path and your niche by doing what makes you happy. Don't chase the money. If you are happy and doing what you love and are passionate about, the money will come.
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Maureen Chiodini-Rinaldo: Technology is paramount but must also be matched with interpersonal communication skills. There will always be people who want and need personal interaction to achieve their success. Work hard to hone your 'coaching' skills so that you can assist people in achieving their success. Remember, people are created whole and complete with the ability to solve their problems. Often, we lose our innate ability due to experiences. Help people resurrect that innate ability to be healthy. Remember, it is their story, not yours. Additionally, we must be more proactive in using data and analytics. We wear watches that capture so much information, but do we even know whether they are accurate and what to do with the data? Artificial intelligence is coming on strong. How can we use it to enhance people's health? How can we use it to help our businesses?
Dr. Wendy Huddleston
Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Director, Associate ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Communication Disorders Sciences And Services
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Dr. Wendy Huddleston: Interprofessional teamwork, cultural humility, flexibility, and innovation will be the keys to a successful future in health and wellness. Healthcare in the US is going to change significantly in the next decade. Methods of delivery, including more telehealth/telecommunications, and the use of AI in clinical practice are some examples.
What will help Community Health Program Coordinators increase their earning potential?
Dr. Wendy Huddleston: Treat clients and patients as individuals with unique lived experiences. They can teach you as much or more than what you learned in a classroom. Seek out and volunteer for new experiences. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Recognize the experience of others but know that you bring the value of new knowledge and a fresh perspective.
Van Whaley DC, EdD
Assistant Professor-in-ResidenceUniversity of Nevada - Las Vegas
Nutrition Sciences
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Van Whaley DC, EdD: Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) is a vital part of so many healthcare and human-performance fields. Understanding how our bodies work creates better therapists, nurses, doctors, experts, trainers, and more understanding people. We all have friends and family members who face health issues - diabetes, high BP, high cholesterol, autoimmune conditions, hormone/chemical imbalances, arthritis, etc. Learning A&P helps us to help others, including being a health advocate for loved ones.
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Van Whaley DC, EdD: Specificity in training or certifications definitely can increase someone's salary potential. Also, there is a wide variety of jobs (and pay rates) within most fields. Someone in private practice may make two times more than someone with the same credentials working at a non-profit. However, those two would have very different experiences and demands in their work demands.
What will help Community Health Program Coordinators increase their earning potential?
Van Whaley DC, EdD: Integration, cooperation, and critical thinking. Today's top healthcare includes virtual doctor visits, multiple places doing tests, and a centralized location that organizes this data to best help the patient. The days of a lone practitioner treating a community are replaced by a team of healthcare providers taking care of an individual.
Dr. Shari DeVeney Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Graduate Program Chair, Department of Special Education & Communication DisordersOmaha
Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Dr. Shari DeVeney Ph.D., CCC-SLP: There are a number of skills that will become increasingly important in health and wellness fields over the next 3-5 years. One of these is expanding capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration. Efficiently and successfully addressing complex health, wellness, and/or educational issues often requires collaboration across different professional disciplines. Effective communication is essential for these kinds of collaborations. You will need to be able to contribute to a team and work well with others to explain complex concepts specific to your area of the field with clients and colleagues as well as provide complementary - not overlapping or contradictory - clinical services with your professional partners. Additionally, cultural competence -showing respect and understanding of cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values that differ from your own - will become increasingly important for effective clinical practices within a pluralistic society. Finally, skills related to successful and appropriate remote care delivery are important to cultivate. The rise of tele-medicine, tele-therapy, and remote client monitoring will require health and wellness professionals to adapt their skill sets so they can not only provide high-quality care through in-person interactions, but also through remote formats.
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Shari DeVeney Ph.D., CCC-SLP: To maximize your salary potential as a new professional in health and wellness fields, I encourage you to research salary trends and expectations for entry-level positions in your specific professional and geographic areas. Salaries can vary substantially depending on work setting and geographic location. We see this a lot in my own field of speech-language pathology. Research the cost of living in different areas and consider relocating if it's a viable option for you and your salary may be higher relative to living expenses there. Be open to opportunities for professional growth! You can achieve growth not only through advancements or promotions within your organization, but sometimes through lateral moves as well if these lateral opportunities provide you with new experiences and skills that can enhance your overall value as an employee. Enhancing your professional value and capacity for meaningful contributions can lead to increases in your earning potential over time.
Ted Eaves
Associate teaching professorWake Forest University
Sports, Kinesiology, And Physical Education/Fitness
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ted Eaves: I think as far as skills are concerned, all graduates need to have the basic knowledge and ability to use that knowledge to help their patients/clients; however, the interpersonal skills are the ones that will be the most important moving forward. Caring/compassionate care is essential, empathy and listening skills help you relate to your patients/clients, and cultural competency is a big emphasis now. Communication and collaboration among constituent groups is also really important if going into health care. Taking care of patients requires an entire team of professionals and being able to interact with these different groups is going to be crucial to offering the best care possible.
Jessica Clontz
Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFSPennsylvania State University
Human Development and Family Studies Department
What skills stand out on Community Health Program Coordinator resumes?
Jessica Clontz: The skills employers are looking for include teamwork, leadership, creativity, and flexibility. Although many agencies have moved to a remote service delivery model, professionals are still working as a team to meet client needs effectively. Employers want leaders who are not afraid to take on responsibility and communicate assertively. Working in human services requires you to think on your feet... a lot! Being creative will allow you to meet clients where they are instead of where you want them to be. The pandemic has made flexibility a necessary skill for all human service professionals. Schedules and activities can change at a moment's notice; therefore, you must be able to quickly adapt.
What soft skills should all Community Health Program Coordinators possess?
Jessica Clontz: Although the pandemic has changed much of how the human services field functions, the most important skills remain the same: compassion, empathy, creativity, maintaining personal wellness, and holding space for others. With millions of people grieving sudden deaths of loved ones, professionals will need to be prepared to be a witness and hold space for that grief. To avoid compassion fatigue and burnout, it will be helpful for professionals (and employers!) to make personal wellbeing a priority and encourage a balance between work and other fulfilling endeavors.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Community Health Program Coordinators?
Jessica Clontz: The pandemic forced us to redesign service delivery; therefore, professionals will need to demonstrate proficiency in tech skills such as setting up and hosting a teleconference, helping clients navigate online services, and leveraging social media for your agency. Although marketing on social media is not usually what professionals in the human services field expect to be doing, it is a necessary component among thriving organizations. Cultivating an engaging presence on social media and other platforms helps reach more people who may be in need of your services.
What skills will help Community Health Program Coordinators earn the most?
Jessica Clontz: The ones you continue to strengthen and grow.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Community Health Program Coordinator job market given the pandemic?
Julia Kushigian Ph.D.: The exciting trends for students graduating in Hispanic Studies and for those already in the job market are the potential benefits of a remote learning anticipated years ago through pedagogical tools designed by those in language, literature and culture. The interactive formulas, ability to engage participants and broaden the definition of language learning to include cultural studies of a variety of professional fields were already in the works and Covid was the impetus to move even faster. We know from a variety of studies, including a major report by the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages, for example, that 9 out of 10 U.S. employers rely on employees with language skills other than English. Spanish being in high demand is the most sought after language. Of course, beyond the more obvious benefits of being bilingual ("Why Bilinguals are Smarter" NYT 2012) are the less obvious of being adept at solving certain mental problems, thriving in ambiguity, flexibility with unknowns and the potential to stave off dementia later in life.
Paige Atterholt
Adjunct ProfessorHeidelberg University
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Community Health Program Coordinators?
Paige Atterholt: I think now, being in year 2 of the pandemic, I think if anything there will be more jobs for graduates. Just looking through the jobs online, there are many opportunities for graduates to get a job. I think the older community retired when things got bad, which opened the door for the younger generation.
What's a good job out of college for Community Health Program Coordinators?
Paige Atterholt: A good job out of college is a job that you feel passionate about because I believe your happiness comes first. Being in the world of education, a good job in my eyes is a job that you enjoy going to every day, want to make an impact, and enjoy the time you have with your students.
What will help Community Health Program Coordinators increase their earning potential?
Paige Atterholt: There are many ways a teacher can increase their earning potential. This can be done through continuing education, maybe looking at a Masters or more to move up on the pay scale. Teachers can advise student council, tutoring, or even look at coaching to earn more money. There's vast opportunities in the world of education! Schools always need teachers who are well-rounded.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Community Health Program Coordinators?
Stuart Greenfield Ph.D.: According to the National Student Clearinghouse estimates for Fall 2018-Fall 2020, Nscresearchcenter, enrollment inf post-secondary institutions declined by 703.9K. Of this decline, 621.4K (88.3%) were attributed to Public 2-year institutions.
What soft skills should all Community Health Program Coordinators possess?
Stuart Greenfield Ph.D.: Given the changing demographics that the country has experienced, the entire education continuum must change. According to the Brookings Institution, Brookings, the non-Hispanic White population in the under 18 cohort since 2000 has declined.
As you'll note from the occupations that are projected to increase the greatest, most require face-to-face contact, so that soft-skills will be necessary. I would also expect that critical thinking skills will be needed as more responsibility will be required of front-line workers.
Sonja Armbruster
Health Sciences EducatorWichita State University
Department of Public Health Sciences
What's a day at work look like for a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Sonja Armbruster: The pandemic has re-defined what it even means to have a "day at work". I'm writing this response from my home office. Work in public health jobs can involve so many kinds of roles and responsibilities. The only thing I can guarantee is that the successful person seeking a career in public will be constantly curious and constantly learning. There are many public health jobs that are clearly defined with a set of protocols and software and office time that is scripted. Many more public health jobs require learning something new about community members, community partners, the system (including the department/organization one works for), the latest science and political realities that enable and constrain public health work. A day at work will involve continuously learning and seeking to understand new connections.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Community Health Program Coordinators?
Sonja Armbruster: Absolutely. For most of my 20-year career in public health, my colleagues and I have been frustrated by the fact that most people have no idea what public health is. At least now, most people have some understanding of some aspects of the field of public health. Particularly, people see that policy development, assessing community needs, community engagement and addressing equity are all core responsibilities of this field. After 9/11/2001 and the anthrax events, new preparedness dollars flowed into public health, and over times those funding streams slowly eroded again. Over the next few years, it is reasonable to expect increased funding to support public health. This article from The Nation's Health would be a good resource to learn more: www.thenationshealth.org
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Community Health Program Coordinator job market given the pandemic?
Frank Borgers Ph.D.: While the pandemic has created short-term financial distress and driven some degree of organizational reorganization, the longer-term impact may be to increase the focus on the nation's need to create a far more robust public health infrastructure, that in many ways, begins with, and sits top primary care. The 2020 elections should accelerate this focus as the new administration and congress seek to secure and expand the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
But, healthcare is of course a huge, vibrant sector, and the underlying drivers of sector growth (in particular the large baby boomer population that will continue to drive acute, outpatient, and nursing home demand) remain, and thus the job market outlook across healthcare jobs remains incredibly robust.
When it comes to health care administration , the future looks very bright. The most recent US News and World Report's, ranks "Medical and Health Services Manager" as #4 amongst its "100 Best Jobs" across all economic sectors, and #1 amongst "Best Business Jobs"!
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics we can anticipate over 30% employment growth for medical and health services managers over the next decade and the creation of an estimated 133,200 new jobs.
In short, despite the pandemic, the job market for health care administration looks incredibly promising.
Nicole Hansen
Director of Mission AdvancementYMCA of Greater Fort Wayne
What type of skills will young Community Health Program Coordinators need?
Nicole Hansen: Along with a four-year degree, new graduates will need to demonstrate good interpersonal skills, a positive attitude, and the ability to be cross-trained into more than one department. People who become "utility players" are more valuable because they can pitch in when the need arises. Graduating with a four-year degree communicates that the student is disciplined, responsible, and mature and manages time. Soft skills are also very important because no one wants to work with someone who isn't friendly or cooperative. Being reliable and dependable is also important, especially when beginning a new job. Employers want to know that you can be counted on to arrive on time and to meet deadlines without constant reminders about the expectations. A successful, newly-graduated employee will be known for stepping up and taking on new assignments with eagerness and confidence. The future is unclear, and we are all looking for the type of person who is ready for the challenges ahead.
Theresa Earenfight Ph.D.
Professor of History, Director, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies ProgramSeattle University
History Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Community Health Program Coordinators?
Theresa Earenfight Ph.D.: As a historian of the European Middle Ages, I'm struck by how students this past year have acquired something scarce: historical empathy. The past can seem so remote, so very different from our lived experiences today, and this can make history seem irrelevant. But this fall, I was teaching a section on the bubonic plague, which historians of medicine now know was a global pandemic, not just an epidemic in Europe. Usually, students are fascinated by the gruesome medical details, but not this group.
They did not need or want to look death in the eyes. They wanted to know how did people react? How did they get back to normal? When we ticked off the list of reactions--fear, distrust of science (such as it was in 1348), xenophobia, scapegoating, economic collapse, hoarding supplies, turn to religion, gallows humor about worms crawling about corpses--they got it. When we talked about the aftermath--eat, drink, be merry, and protest the inequality--they got it. That is historical empathy, and I'm sad that this was how it had to be learned, but it will give them broader compassion that can encompass people alive today.
What type of skills will young Community Health Program Coordinators need?
Theresa Earenfight Ph.D.: Science. They will need to learn and trust scientific knowledge-social work. We have a lot of work to do to repair the social fabric. Art. We need to know to express our pain in creative ways.
What experience really stands out on Community Health Program Coordinator resumes?
Theresa Earenfight Ph.D.: Altruism. Anyone who reaches out and does work that repairs the shredded world and does not ask for an avalanche of cash. And an understanding of how privilege works and a desire to work to rein in the harm of unchecked privilege.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Community Health Program Coordinators?
Dr. Frederick Gordon Ph.D.: Graduate students will need to refocus on the changing institutional role, being both remote and in-person, and impacting agency goals and performance.
What type of skills will young Community Health Program Coordinators need?
Dr. Frederick Gordon Ph.D.: Budgeting skills are essential, as well as apparent, logical written ability.
What experience really stands out on Community Health Program Coordinator resumes?
Dr. Frederick Gordon Ph.D.: Program concentration and meaningful internship experience.
Nicolle Zellner (on behalf of members of the CSWA)
ChairCommittee on the Status of Women in Astronomy - CSWA
What type of skills will young Community Health Program Coordinators need?
Nicolle Zellner (on behalf of members of the CSWA): I believe (hope) that the effects of the pandemic will be short-lived and that there will be a surge in job opportunities once a vaccine is available. Nevertheless, greater flexibility and versatility in skills are always useful. For example, astronomers who have analyzed large data sets or worked with machine learning algorithms will be in significant demand.
Interdisciplinary studies are also on the rise. New fields like astrobiology are rapidly growing, and there are ripe potentials for researchers with unique combinations of expertise or who can work with broad collaborations spanning disciplines.
With the growth of data, especially from large astronomical surveys, technical skills like computer programming and experience with data science tools and machine learning is increasingly useful. The ability to communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences is a necessity in most fields, and astronomers generally have great relevant experience with community outreach.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Community Health Program Coordinators to find work opportunities?
Nicolle Zellner (on behalf of members of the CSWA): I think that permanent and what might be considered more "traditional" astronomy research positions like tenured professorships are more difficult to attain, primarily because of a short supply in the availability of those positions compared to the number of qualified candidates. Looking more broadly, there's a wide range of relevant positions for which many astronomers have very useful and increasingly more recognized skillsets - outreach/education positions for a variety of age groups in STEM, technical program/project management, scientific writing, and data science in industry, as examples.
How do you envision technology impacting Community Health Program Coordinators in the next 5 years?
Nicolle Zellner (on behalf of members of the CSWA): Advances in optics technology (laser frequency combs, for example) have already impacted high precision radial velocity measurements that the exoplanet community has been using to search for Earth-sized exoplanets. In the next five years, this technology will continue to be developed and used by other sub-fields in astronomy, including cosmology and Galactic dynamicists.
In planetary science, there are a number of advances that are rapidly changing how we do an exploration of our solar system. For example, NASA is strongly pushing for commercial partnerships that may facilitate delivering scientific payloads to the Moon, and small satellites (e.g., CubeSats) are opening up a lot of new options for both scientists, technologists, and engineers to get more involved in solar system missions.
Computational and algorithmic advances make it easier to aggregate and analyze large datasets, especially with the increasing prevalence of astronomical sky surveys. The increasing popularity of open-source tools and cloud usage for sharing data, I think, is and will be pushing reproducibility of research to be a more heavily emphasized expectation of the standard research process and evaluation metric of a researcher's work.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Community Health Program Coordinator job market given the pandemic?
Tamara Tranter: Remote, remote, remote. I also believe we will see more people trying to enter different fields than the fields they were in pre-pandemic. Our norms have shifted, and almost everyone has had to pivot in some way to show their value. People with experience in different areas will be able to add more value to a company that has had to downsize.
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tamara Tranter: Communication skills. Take a communications course. Read books on communication and leadership. You may not want to be the leader, but learning about leadership will help you understand what type of leader you want to work for and learn from. Pick up the phone and call people you think you want to work for or learn from, don't just email them; making cold calls teaches you character. Learn to stand out. What can you do during that year that will add value to your life and career buckets? Read and learn about emotional intelligence - understand who you are and how to best interact with others.
Companies who are hiring are going to want to know you were doing something to grow and learn during the year if you were not employed or going to class during that time. Don't fake it. Tell us that you were taking an online class in a different program you wanted to learn about or that you were a stay at home parent that had to help your child/children with remote learning. Talk about the things you were motivated to do each day and the things that challenged you. Tell us if you had a family member that was ill. We want to know that you did things to help you grow and add value to yourself - reading books, taking up running, helping out your neighbors. We know everyone faced some type of struggle during this, but how did you manage it?
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Program Coordinator?
Tamara Tranter: Take risks, go outside of your comfort zone, and don't go into interviews with big expectations. Many qualified people have been impacted and are going to get many of the jobs because they have past experience. So be realistic, be positive, and be a team player.
Jordan Levy Ph.D.
Associate Professor of AnthropologyPacific Lutheran University
Anthropology Department
What experience really stands out on Community Health Program Coordinator resumes?
Jordan Levy Ph.D.: Any research project where students develop independent research skills. This can be part of the coursework, or part of an internship, or through a summer research assistantship. Anthropology is known for its holistic and comparative perspective and our ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Our qualitative research methods, in particular, have a range of applications. If students can develop interview skills and their capacity to make sense of human behavior, while also pursuing their undergraduate degrees, this knowledge and skill set will be attractive to a range of employers. As the U.S. becomes more diverse, our society will demand a workforce to better understand and interact with people from a range of cultural backgrounds.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Community Health Program Coordinators in the next 3-5 years?
Jordan Levy Ph.D.: Most of the students I work with are, fortunately, very quick to learn new communication technologies. This is so important because, as the COVID pandemic has shown us, the ability to work remotely is crucial. Communicating in a range of formats (writing emails, recording videos, participating in group discussions via Zoom, etc.) while also making your arguments and content clear to a range of audiences is essential, now more than ever.
What Community Health Program Coordinator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jordan Levy Ph.D.: Some students enter college having taken a "gap year" between high school and university. Any kind of volunteer or work experience that further develops their interpersonal communication skills is beneficial for the range of discussion and small group work that university-level classes require. Some students do service projects in other countries, which is great because they also gain international experiences that contribute to their overall formation as informed global citizens. These experiences can then tell what kinds of classes they take in university and can remain a source of inspiration for what careers they pursue.
Namita Sugandhi Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of AnthropologyHartwick College
Anthropology Department
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Community Health Program Coordinators in the next 3-5 years?
Namita Sugandhi Ph.D.: Documentation and public engagement will remain crucial parts of Anthropological work, and technology that allows us to record, analyze, and share data will continue to be necessary. Over the next several years, it will be essential to find new and innovative ways of connecting virtually to audiences' broader network. This will require the ability to think out-of-the-box and adapt to unique circumstances and new technologies. Technologies that allow people to build relationships across space will continue to transform how we experience social life. Those who are new to the job market will have to master these new virtual strategies of communication and self-promotion and need to understand and navigate the impact of this pandemic on the non-virtual world.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Community Health Program Coordinators in the next 5 years?
Namita Sugandhi Ph.D.: There is an absolute need for employees who can think anthropologically, but this is probably not where most jobs will lie in the next five years. There is no perceived "demand" for Anthropology graduates in most circumstances; this is not new, but it is to our detriment as a society when most people no longer have the capacity to critically understand the social and historical circumstances of the labor market. This will continue to erode at safe and fair conditions for many working people in America and worldwide. That being said, new candidates will have to be adept at doing new things in new ways - not just replicating the same old things in new ways. I do not think the training for this will come from the professional fields of medicine, law, or business, which are traditionally more conservative. I suspect there will continue to be a declining demand for professional Anthropologists but increasing demand for skilled graduates with an anthropology background. They can apply the social and historical insights of these subjects to whatever field they practice.