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Public health worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Jessica Clontz,

Jessica Clontz

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical public health worker skills. We ranked the top skills for public health workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.1% of public health worker resumes contained social work as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a public health worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 public health worker skills for your resume and career

2. Public Works

Public Works usually include the divisions of water, wastewater, street, landfills, airports, and parks and fall under the control of city managers or some other city staff.

Here's how public health workers use public works:

Manage a crew of two other public works employees, also any seasonal employees that we hire.
Repaired Public works maintenance vehicles when needed to ensure all vehicles were up and running.

3. GRASS

Here's how public health workers use grass:

Job included cutting grass, painting, trash duties, fence building, and clearing weeds and brush
Cut and seed grass in parks and fields using a weed eater and a lawn tractor.

4. Manual Labor

Any kind of work that is carried out by workers manually instead of using machines is termed manual labor.

Here's how public health workers use manual labor:

Perform manual labor for concrete and bituminous patching and sealing of cracks in roads, structures,and buildings.

5. CDL

Here's how public health workers use cdl:

Obtained my Class B CDL three years ago.
Obtained a class B CDL in 2008

6. Mowing

Here's how public health workers use mowing:

Performed shoulder and sidewalk operation maintenance and construction, mowing and vegetation control.
Prepared events by setting up bases, dragging, mowing, cleaning and transporting utilities.

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7. Sewer Lines

Every sewerage system is interconnected. Every house drainage system links the network using sewer lines to narrow down the intermissions between the house system and the central drainage system of the city or town. Burring of the sewer lines underground prevents tampering and leaking of the sewer lines.

Here's how public health workers use sewer lines:

Water & Sewer Department: Repair and maintain water and sewer lines of Paris.
Repaired water lines and sewer lines to upgraded codes.

8. Dump Truck

A Dump Truck is the name of a large vehicle intended for the transportation of large quantities of certain materials, often those used in construction projects, such as gravel and sand, and it might be used to clean up during or after said projects, such as construction waste and debris. Such vehicles require specific licensing and training on the part of the driver.

Here's how public health workers use dump truck:

Operate landscaping equipment (i.e mowers, trimmers, saws), dump trucks and general road repair equipment.
Position also involved using heavy machinery such as jackhammers, street sweepers, snowplows, and dump trucks.

9. Traffic Control

Traffic control helps in the supervision of the movement of vehicles, goods, and people for safety and efficiency.

Here's how public health workers use traffic control:

Perform highway repairs and maintenance*Establish traffic control for specific job sites.
Traffic control flag person duties4.

10. Snow Removal

Snow Removal or clearing is the process of clearing and removing snow from one or more places, whether it be public streets, building private rooftops, gardens, public parks, or bridges. This is usually done with the ultimate goal of making travel and passage easier and safer for vehicles and people alike.

Here's how public health workers use snow removal:

Job responsibilities: -Leaf & stick removal -Snow Removal -Maintain Municipal owned property
Snow removal of streets, parking lots, trails, sidewalks and alleys.

11. General Maintenance

General maintenance is the regular check-up and repairs of machinery, buildings, and other mechanical equipment. General maintenance is performed by repair workers who are skilled to handle the day-to-day defects produced in the machinery. General maintenance aims to make sure the items remain in the best operational conditions. Usually, a set of planned activities are performed regularly by an expert to monitor the maintenance.

Here's how public health workers use general maintenance:

Perform general maintenance of borough building and daycare/preschool.
General maintenance, street repair, pavement patching, street sign construction and installation.

12. Road Repair

Here's how public health workers use road repair:

Perform road repairs, operate sanitation trucks, snow plowing, landscaping and building maintenance.
Worked with crew members on various road repair and maintenance projects.

13. Building Maintenance

Building maintenance means all duties necessary to keep a building livable and functional. It involves removing trash regularly, repairing broken items, and cleaning common areas.

Here's how public health workers use building maintenance:

Perform grounds keeping and building maintenance duties which include: minor repairs and maintenance procedures on equipment utilized in grounds keeping.
Assisted building maintenance and electricians with general manufacturing equipment repairs.

14. City Streets

Here's how public health workers use city streets:

Clean up the city streets, vacant lots, and properties that the city is responsible for.
Repaired city streets by crack sealing technique using tar machinery to fill cracks in the road.

15. Water Meters

A water meter is a device that uses the standard unit of measurement for volume to measure the quantity of water that passes through a point or other outlet.

Here's how public health workers use water meters:

Water maintenance - take samples for testing, fix water leaks, replace water meters, and flush water hydrants.
Repair water and sewer problems, mow and weed-eat areas of the city read water meters

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What skills help Public Health Workers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on public health worker resumes?

Jessica Clontz

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFS, Pennsylvania State University

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 public health workers possess?

Jessica Clontz

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFS, Pennsylvania State University

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 public health workers?

Jessica Clontz

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFS, Pennsylvania State University

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 public health worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Sara Oswalt Ph.D.

Department Chair and Professor, University of Texas at San Antonio

Communication - both oral and written - and contact tracing. In the virtual world, how we communicate in email and online platforms has been increasingly important. As we return to more in-person interactions, these skills -- communicating professional and clearly -- remain important to distinguish yourself from others. If it is possible to get a part-time job as contact tracer, do it. While contact tracing has gained attention because of the pandemic, it's a standard practice in public health related to other infectious diseases and STIs (think back to HIV/AIDS in 1990s). Talking with people about their health and their behaviors is a skill that many graduates don't have "real world" experience in; getting that experience can distinguish your application.

What type of skills will young public health workers need?

Nicole Hansen

Director of Mission Advancement, YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne

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.

Do you want to know more?

List of public health worker skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a public health worker resume and required skills for a public health worker to have include:

Social Work
Public Works
GRASS
Manual Labor
CDL
Mowing
Sewer Lines
Dump Truck
Traffic Control
Snow Removal
General Maintenance
Road Repair
Building Maintenance
City Streets
Water Meters

Medicaid
MOW
Water Lines
Public Health
Equipment Operation
Crack Sealing
Street Maintenance
Community Resources
Maintenance Equipment
Mowers
Water Mains
Psychosocial Assessments
Health Education
Grounds Maintenance
Pot Holes

Repair Street
Shovels
Lawn Care
Blowers
Field Maintenance
Water Treatment
Tree Removal
Road Maintenance
Snow Plow
Financial Assistance
Substance Abuse
Birth Control
Vactor
Retaining Walls
City Property

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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