Preceptors Encourage "Out Of the Box" Job Roles
When you think about your area of interest to work after you’re done with the internship you might think jobs in clinical, foodservice, or community- right? It’s important to remember as the RD profession is growing and getting more respect and attention there are a lot of “non-traditional” jobs outside of these areas, some you can even be the first to create! This blog post is a reminder to dream big, and not limit yourself.
My first rotation in the internship was at Cal Poly Dining- I know what you’re thinking…foodservice? Nope! It was actually a wonderful mix of foodservice, clinical, community, and then some. My preceptor Megan Coats was the first RD to take on this position. With her “non-traditional” job background in sales as a Nutrition Support Dietitian and Child Nutrition Field Supervisor/Trainer- she was able to mold this position into something that was new and innovative to the Cal Poly campus. This inspired me as an intern to think outside of the box when it comes to my future profession.
As mentioned, Megan was the first person to take on the Cal Poly Campus dining RD position. She states that ““A smile does wonders and being a “YES” person takes you far” when talking about making a name for herself and gaining respect. Megan was interacting with foodservice workers, directors, students, parents, and teachers- which has room to include a lot of bold personalities. In a nontraditional job like this, you need the drive to create change and be bold. Megan states: “You need to be outspoken but respectful and a bit of thick skin to build relationships and to execute initiatives.” I could not agree any more with this statement! During my 4 weeks with her, I hit the ground…sprinting.
During my time with Cal Poly Dining there were a lot of transitions happening due to a change of management. Megan trusted me to jump right in and help revise some healthy eating initiatives on campus. I attended management meetings, developed education material, and got to see the ‘not-so-pretty’ sides of a management job such as being criticized and overwhelmed. However - this is real life. Your dietetic internship is fun and exciting but it should show you how to handle yourself under pressure. Your preceptors are your role models. If you ever meet Megan, you know within the first 10 seconds that she has spunk and the tenacity to hold her own. You learn a lot from your preceptors, and Megan was a great teacher. Megan pushed me to be a self-starter, be creative, and to be respectful.
If you’re the type of person who gets bored easily, start looking around on LinkedIn for RDs in unique jobs or seeking rotations that are in the “non-traditional” job setting. Megan agrees - “I get bored quite quickly and I need to be challenged, and the “non-traditional” jobs typically pique my interest. My career path is just proof that you don’t have to be a clinical or food service RD (hip hip hooray!) and there are SO many more opportunities… and there will only be more in the future.”
Megan has unfortunately left her position at Cal Poly dining to go to … drum-roll … another amazing non-traditional job! She just started at The Wonderful Company as a Nutrition Communications Associate. She works for the in-house Public Relations Agency. Her role involves building relationships within the health professional outreach and media outlets and to act as a team member on the PR team to help with language when creating statements based on the research for products.
Megan just started her new job a few weeks ago and is no longer a preceptor for the Cal Poly Internship, however she’s not gone forever! (Although, I am looking forward to meeting the new RD taking over her position.) She mentioned that in the future, after getting comfortable in her position, she is hoping to work with some Cal Poly interns for their elective rotations. We wish you the best of luck Megan!