14 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Fall 2012

A mentor made the difference at the 

start of Thuy Vu’s career. If not for 

the encouragement of her mentor, 

Thuy wouldn’t have pursued the master’s 

degree that is critical to professional development in her field.

In her jobs at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research 

Center, Thuy coordinates and directs projects 

related to cancer research. The jobs overlap, 

with both focusing on analyzing data and 

sharing research results for preventing cancer 

and promoting good health.

Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies the type of work Thuy 

does as that of a health educator, her job tasks 

differ from most of the health educators she 

knows. Other health educators with whom 

Thuy collaborates have more direct interaction 

with patients than she does in her researchbased work.

Job guidance from a mentor can be helpful. But it was especially important to Thuy, 

whose mentor helped her from the beginning to become involved in research and in 

promoting good health. In an occupation 

like Thuy’s, which can vary from one job to 

another, understanding why her work matters 

was a key factor in pursuing this career.

What do you do?

I research cancer prevention and promote 

good health, help communities understand 

research data and how to use it, and promote 

best practices (ways of doing the same thing 

in different situations) that are based on 

evidence. I work with academic researchers, 

healthcare professionals, community groups, 

and state and local health departments.

For example, one of my projects is to 

evaluate a national colorectal cancer screening program. (A screening is a type of exam 

to detect disease in people, even when they 

have no symptoms.) There are guidelines that 

outline evidence-based strategies for promoting colorectal cancer screening. I’m working 

with a team to identify which strategies the 

states are using and to study how states are 

adapting and using the strategies. We hope 

this information helps us to understand ways 

that these strategies can be used with different populations and in different settings to 

increase colorectal cancer screening rates.

How did you get these jobs?

Through networking and word of mouth. But 

the work I do now has evolved from what I 

was originally hired to do. Initially, my experience was in designing educational, intervention, and recruitment materials that would be 

tested in the field. Now, my focus is more on 

evaluating and sharing results.

How does your education tie in?

My bachelor’s degree is in political science, 

with a minor in public health and community 

medicine. The job tasks themselves reflect 

my minor field of study, but the political science gives me an understanding of the policy 

behind the work.

I also have an MPH (master of public 

health) degree with training in the social 

My career

Health educator

Thuy Vu

Research Coordinator at the University of 

Washington and Project Director at the Fred 

Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, 

Washington

BLS fast facts: Health educators

•	 May 2011 wage and salary employment: 56,610

•	 2010–20 projection: 37 percent growth 

(much faster than average)

•	 May 2011 median annual wage: $47,940

•	 Typical education and training: Bachelor’s 

degree. Some positions, such as those in 

public health, require a master’s degree.

•	 May 2011 top employing industries: Hospitals, 

local and state governments, individual and 

family services, and outpatient care centers
Fall 2012 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 15

and behavioral sciences. During grad school, 

I held a graduate-student appointment that 

required a practicum (supervised, hands-on 

experience) at a cancer research center. I had 

been exposed to a lot of the MPH curriculum 

before grad school because of my job, but 

grad school brought together everything I’d 

already been doing and gave me the perspective to fully understand it.

The only reason I have my MPH is 

because of my mentor, Deb, who was the principal investigator of a research group I was 

part of. Deb made me understand the importance of having a graduate degree in this field. 

I had no interest in going back to school after 

college until she encouraged me to get my 

master’s.

What was your first job out of college?

I had a temporary job with a small accounting 

firm. The head of the firm was very helpful to 

me when I got an offer elsewhere for a fulltime job. He took on a “big brother” role to 

help me with things like negotiating a salary 

and benefits.

The job itself didn’t necessarily influence 

my future career plans. But what was meaningful to me was having someone be so supportive even as I was leaving. I got that same 

kind of support, and more, from Deb later on.

What else led you to your current jobs?

Once, when I was almost finished with my 

bachelor’s, I was home on break and talking about school. Someone asked what I was 

interested in, and I said, “Psychology.” After 

I got back to school, I wondered why I’d said 

that—I was a political science major and had 

taken only one psychology class. But I think I 

knew even then that I had an interest in understanding behavior.

And in the field, in my job, working in 

the community, the behavioral science part 

has been a critical piece. The hard part about 

science is that what works in research works 

in a vacuum. But interacting with other people 

is what’s illuminating and informative. It’s the 

human part that can really throw a wrench in 

the scientific data.

Any surprises along the way?

The piece that’s been most surprising to me is 

the value placed on mentoring in the academic 

research community. I’m humbled by the passion and seriousness of mentors, especially the 

degree of their dedication in helping younger 

researchers to grow. I’m where I am today 

because of Deb.

Deb was a phenomenal mentor who took 

the nurturing of younger staff very seriously. 

I felt like I was such a priority in her life. 

Along with helping me develop in my career, 

she taught me to have confidence in myself, 

nurtured my interests, and counseled me. Deb 

really gave me opportunities that made me 

understand the world of research and working 

with communities.

What’s your best advice?

Actively peruse job postings to strengthen 

your skill set. If you see a posting for a job 

that you think looks interesting, dissect it 

to see what the job really is, what skills are 

required, and what is required to get those 

skills. Try to build up your skill set based on 

those known criteria, or at least study the job 

posting and know what’s involved so you can 

speak intelligently about it. Beyond that, get 

hands-on experience through a practicum, 

internship, or volunteer opportunity.

More broadly, my advice is to find somebody who is willing to take you under his 

or her wing to teach you and support you. 

Ideally, a mentor might be able to provide 

opportunities to grow, but it’s important to 

understand that a mentor’s job is not to get 

you, or give you, a job. A good mentor can be 

invaluable in jumpstarting a career.

Thuy Vu was interviewed by Kathleen Green, an economist in the Office of Occupational 

Statistics and Employment Projections, BLS. Kathleen can be reached at (202) 691-5711 

or at green.kathleen@bls.gov.