Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, October 27th, 2026
• Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
• Location: CHS 43-105
• Perks: Light refreshments will be provided!

Please bring your resume and be ready to connect directly with our featured speaker:

Harp Takhar, MPH
Director, Division Operations, Division of Epidemiological Research
Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Kaiser Permanente Research

Session Agenda & Key Topics

1. Who is KPSC Research & Evaluation?

• Who we are: A premier research program embedded directly within one of the nation’s largest integrated healthcare systems.
• What research we do: Cutting-edge epidemiologic research, health services research, implementation science, biostatistics, behavioral research, and clinical trials.
• Why consider us now or in the future: A unique translational environment where scientific findings directly shape real-world patient care and health policy.

2. Navigating the Modern Job Market (With a Focus on AI)

• The AI shift: How artificial intelligence is transforming recruitment—affecting resume optimization, automated ATS screening, and initial video/audio interviews.
• Staying competitive: Actionable steps to tailor your application materials to pass AI filters and stand out to human hiring managers.

3. Public Health Pathways & Opportunities at KPSC R&E

• By degree level: Employment trajectories tailored for BS/BA, MPH, and PhD graduates.
• Hands-on experience: Transitioning from academic projects to professional roles, internships, and CEPH-qualifying practicums.
• Summer internships: Deep dive into our structured student pathways.

4. Application Masterclass

• Crafting compelling cover letters, modern resumes, and securing strong references.
• Ace preparation strategies for interviews and technical assessments.
• The art of the thank-you note and professional follow-up.

5. Open Q&A

• Bring your questions about positions, culture, and the application process.

Active & Upcoming Job Openings (Hiring Now & Next 3–6 Months)

We are actively looking to fill multiple roles across Southern California. Explore our current requisitions below and apply via the Kaiser Permanente Jobs Portal:

• Data Reporting and Analytics Consultant II (Durational), Programming — Req #1435814
• Data Reporting and Analytics Consultant II (Durational), Analytics — Open Requisition
• Research Specialist II (Durational), Chino Hills — REQ #1437513
• Research Specialist II (Durational), Pasadena — REQ #1444145
• Research Specialist III, CPT (Durational), Inland Empire — REQ #143963
• Research Specialist IV (Durational), Chino Hills — REQ #1443268
• Research Specialist III (Durational), Pasadena — REQ #1444149
• Research Nurse IV, RN, Per Diem, Pasadena — REQ #1446002

Table of Contents

Workshop Outcomes

By reviewing these slides, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify important elements of professional first impressions
• Generate effective self-introductions for many kinds of scenarios
• Navigate starting, maintaining, entering, and exiting professional conversations
• Create a strategy for maintaining connections after meeting new professional contacts

First Impressions: 3 Key Elements

• Handshakes
• Space & Volume
• Names

First Impressions: Handshakes

First Impressions: Space & Volume

First Impressions: Names

Self-Introduction: Guiding Questions

• What do you want people to immediately associate with you?
• If a new person only remembers one thing about you, what do you want that to be?
• Based on what you know about the event/attendees, what info about you is most relevant?

Self-Introduction: Elements

• Name & Current (or Recent) Role
• Key Info
  • Context
  • Achievement
  • Skills
• Information to act on or respond to

Making Conversation: General Tips & Good Questions

Mingling: Entering Conversations

‘Read’ the group before you enter

• Check out personal space–is the group tightly packed or loose?
• Check out body language–are people intensely focused on each other?

Be prepared to briefly introduce yourself

Starting a conversation/group

• Talk to someone standing in line
• Introduce yourself to another solo person

Mingling: Exiting Conversations

Reasons to exit a group ‘naturally’

• Get a snack or beverage
• Take a phone call
• Let them know you’re meeting someone
• Have to leave the event

Thank people for their time, and if comfortable, exchange contact information

Mingling: What to do with your hands?

Avoid folded arms, hands in pockets, and other ‘closed’ body language.

It can come across as unapproachable, uncomfortable, and/or uninterested.

Instead, you can hold a prop!

• Hold a cup
• Hold a plate
• Hold a folder
• Hold your phone*

Following Up: Key Steps

Following Up: Staying in Touch

Following Up: Pre-Event Checklist

• Business Cards
  • Paper
  • Digital
    • LinkedIn QR code
    • blinq.me
    • hihello.com
• Social Media Updated
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Website
  • Twitter
• Message Templates
  • Email
  • Social media
  • Text

Table of Contents

Workshop Outcomes

By reviewing these slides, you’ll learn how to:

• Develop a negotiation mindset centered on self-advocacy
• Identify useful online tools for salary research, minimum salary requirements, and budgeting
• Determine your negotiation terms and priorities
• Create effective talking points for negotiations

Negotiation: Reasons to Not Negotiate

• You are really happy with the terms of your offer.
• You really need the job now (i.e. you won’t be able to pay your rent next month otherwise).
• The employer has explicitly made it clear that the offer is non-negotiable.

Negotiation: Reasons to Reconsider Not Negotiating

• You are afraid there will be repercussions, like the offer will be rescinded.
• The thought of negotiation makes you anxious.
• You feel that the employer does not want to negotiate.

Negotiation: Reasons to Negotiate

• Empowerment: You’ll gain access to more money and/or other resources in your new role (and likely throughout your entire year).
• Adaptability: You’ll develop or strengthen a skill that is valuable to you throughout your career (and life).
• Equity: You’ll make it easier for the next people hired at the organization, especially if you share one or more marginalized identities.

Negotiation Process: Steps

• Initial Offer Call
• Preparation Time
• Negotiation Meeting

Negotiation Process: Initial Offer Call

Negotiation Process: Preparation Time

Negotiation Process: Negotiation Meeting

Negotiation Terms: Types

• Walkaway Number
• Salary Range
• Negotiation Priorities
• Talking Points

Strategy: Walkaway Number

Your “Walkaway Number” is the minimum salary you would be willing (and able) to accept.

Easy way to estimate/determine your number is to use a budget and the after-tax 50-30-20 budgeting rule

• <50% of income goes to necessities
• ~20% of income goes to savings
• ~30% of income goes to wants

A good walkaway number is one that is ≥ double your necessities costs

Strategy: Salary Range

You may be asked to provide a salary range during:

• Application process
• Interview process
• Negotiation process 

Do your research beforehand

• Salaries for similar roles in similar locations
• Jobs in CA, CO, NY must include pay range in job description  
• Public institutions (public universities, federal/state/city government jobs, etc.) must disclose salary information
• Some non-profits and other organizations also disclose

Strategy: Negotiating Beyond Salary

Strategy: Talking Points

• Negotiation meetings can happen over the phone, via Zoom, or in-person. If at all possible, have the negotiation meeting in-person.
• Regardless of the format, having some talking points about your qualifications and/or the role prepared better allows you to advocate for yourself in the moment.
• Effective talking points usually demonstrate a connection between a role responsibility, your skills/research, and ways you can benefit or add value to the organization.

Strategy: Temperature Tango

• Open with a low pressure, usually informational, question.
• Ask about your most important negotiation priority, such as base salary.
  • Your first ask should be about whatever is most important to you.
• Ask a low pressure question.
  • Use another low pressure question to lower the tension in the conversation.
• Repeat for up to three negotiation priorities.

Table of Contents

Workshop Outcomes

By reviewing these slides, you’ll learn how to:

• Prepare for the technical and personal challenges of online interviewing
• Categorize common behavioral interview questions into themes and evaluate interview questions for common themes
• Describe professional achievements or skills using efficient, evocative stories
• Practice responses for some common interview questions

Online Interviews

Remote interviews give you some opportunities to control the environment.

• Video
  • Background
  • Framing
  • Eye Level
• Audio
  • Acoustics
  • Background Noise
  • Equipment Check
• Other Considerations
  • Dress Code
  • Notes

Online Interviews: Video Considerations

• Background options
  • Neutral, naturalistic
  • Blurred
  • Virtual background
• Framing
  • Shoulders and top of head should be in frame
  • Camera should be at eye level
• Connection
  • Wi-Fi strength
  • Ethernet access

Online Interviews: Audio Considerations

• Acoustics
  • Size of space
  • How much echoing
  • Wi-Fi strength or ethernet access
• Background Noise
  • Avoid windows
  • Prep housemates, family, children, pets, etc.
• Equipment Check
  • Make sure headphones, microphones, etc. are all charged and working on the video call platform
  • If possible, do a practice call with a colleague

Online Interviews: Other Considerations

• Dress Code
  • Dress like you would for an in-person interview, including shoes
• Physical Notes
  • If you have particular points you want to make, accomplishments you want to highlight, or questions you want to ask, it may be strategic to have physical notes.
    • Notes should be in bullet points and easy to visually navigate
  • However, do not read full sentences from your notes! Interviews are a rare opportunity to connect, so do your best to stay present.
  • You can also ask if it is appropriate to take physical notes during the interview itself.

Interviews: Common Types

Interviews: Common Questions

Interviews: Common Themes

• Self Introduction:
  • What about your previous experiences connect to the role?
• Self Awareness:
  • What skills/value do you bring?
  • Do you know how to improve in areas of growth?
• Problem Solving
  • How do you deal with difficult or unusual situations?
• Teamwork
  • Will you be easy to work with?
  • Will you fit well into the team?
• Initiative & Leadership
  • When and how do you take charge?
  • What are you enthusiastic about?
  • Does that fit with the role?
• Fit (Role and/or Organization)
  • Are you a good match for the role?
  • This theme is relevant to all interview questions.

Strategy: CART Structure

Nearly every question that asks for an example (Tell me about a time, Describe a time, etc.) can be effectively answered using the CART approach.

• Context: What was the issue? Consider its importance, your role, etc. 
• Action:  What steps did you take to achieve positive results?
• Result:  How did you impact the team/org/project? Any metrics?
• Takeaway: How is this relevant to the role we are discussing today?

This is effective for Problem Solving, Teamwork, Initiative, Leadership questions.

You may see similar acronyms (like CAR, CARL, PAR, PART, STAR, STARR, START)–use whichever structure makes the most sense to you.

Strategy: Story Toolbox

Create a story toolbox, or a working spreadsheet to document personal and professional stories that illustrate your skills and accomplishments

Stories are useful for many themes of interview questions (and cover letter writing)

Be sure to develop stories that include:

• Notable accomplishments, such as a project you led to solve a problem
• Interpersonal situations, including how you led teams, overcame absent supervision, or successfully resolved conflicts with your team or supervisor
• Mistakes or failures, including what you did to overcome these obstacles and what you learned from the experience

Pro Tip: It’s okay to use examples from unrelated fields as long as you relate your experiences back to the role you are interviewing for.

Special Case Question: “Tell me about yourself.”

Theme: Self Introduction

This is a good opportunity for you to describe throughlines: topics and themes that show why your previous experiences have led you to interview for this position as a strong candidate.

Strategy: Present, Past, Future

• Present: Discuss skills/achievements of most recent role relevant to new role.
• Past: Describe another experience related to the new role.
• Future: Describe future goals and how they align with the new role

Things to Remember

• Keep your answer focused and answer in approximately 2 minutes.
• Avoid speaking about experiences or parts of experiences that are not relevant to the position.

Common Mistakes

• Not leading to “here’s why I’m interviewing” (why you want role)
• Not demonstrating why you’re qualified for the role
• Rambling (shooting for 1.5-2.5 minutes)

Special Case Question: “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?”

Special Case Question: “Do you have any questions for us?”

Prepare 3-5 questions before the interview!

• Interviews go both ways–you are assessing if you would say yes if given an offer.
• What do you want to know (more) about if you were in this role/organization?
  • Use that info to choose/prioritize questions.
• Common types include questions about the organization, the role, and the hiring process.
  • Organization questions can help you get clarity on what life is like working at the organization.
  • Role questions can help you get clarity on role responsibilities and expectations.
  • Process questions can help you get clarity on the rest of the hiring process, including other rounds and anticipated timelines

Topics to Avoid

• Off-work, personal, office gossip
• Googleable information
• Salary and benefits
• Complicated/multi-part questions
• Topics discussed in detail earlier in the interview

Strategy: Thank You Emails

• Send thank you emails within 24 hours of the interview
  • Ideally during business hours/soon after the interview
  • 48 hours at the most
• Structure & Content
  • Simple subject line (Thank you!)
  • Address emails to individuals if possible
    • Use the name they used during the conversation
    • Make sure to spell their name correctly!
    • If you cannot find individual emails, send the thank you note to your contact and ask them to forward to the appropriate interviewer(s)
  • Thank them for their time
  • Personalize: refer to something they shared that was interesting or helpful
  • Express continued interest
  • Offer to answer any remaining questions

Being a Florida financial advisor requires a contemporary way of thinking and doing. At FFA, we’ve completely reinvented the concept of financial advice to provide our clients with a whole new level of relaxation for their futures. Unlike most advisors, we go beyond the traditional focus of our clients’ personal and financial lives by considering a more important aspect of their financial picture: their profession.

On a daily basis, our advisors: 

• Identify and set appointments with potential clients
• Meet with clients to assess their financial needs
• Develop customized financial plans to address each of the clients desired goals
• Maintain strong relationship with clients, helping them track their progress over time
• Provide ongoing consultation and support

FFA is different from other firms for many reasons, but our “Google meets Wall Street” culture really sets us apart from the rest. Our fun, fast-paced, yet laid-back mentality has helped us become a fast-growing firm that specializes in the unique needs of Floridians with a sole focus of providing comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services to help Floridians realize their dreams.

Some features of this position include:

• One-on-one training from seasoned leaders in the local financial planning industry
• A comprehensive training program that includes financial planning, analyzing investment portfolios, management, and portfolio recommendations, marketing techniques, consultative selling, client service, and regulatory compliance
• Uncapped earning potential – advisors can make $100,000+ in their first year; advisors must be comfortable with the majority of their compensation coming from their results
• Significant career growth opportunities within the company, including a leadership program (District Manager, Field Vice President, and other opportunities)

Job Requirements: 

• Associate’s degree in business or industry-related field
• Must obtain series licenses and qualify to be approved to be a Financial Advisor prior to starting in office
• Must be a U.S. or Permanent Resident
• Willing to work in office

Compensation will be given after completion of licenses and qualifications met for being a Financial Advisor. Average earnings of a first-year Financial Advisor exceed $70,000 with top earners making an excess of $100,000.

Visit our website at http://www.floridafa.com

Being a Florida financial advisor requires a contemporary way of thinking and doing. At FFA, we’ve completely reinvented the concept of financial advice to provide our clients with a whole new level of relaxation for their futures. Unlike most advisors, we go beyond the traditional focus of our clients’ personal and financial lives by considering a more important aspect of their financial picture: their profession.

On a daily basis, our advisors: 

• Identify and set appointments with potential clients
• Meet with clients to assess their financial needs
• Develop customized financial plans to address each of the clients desired goals
• Maintain strong relationship with clients, helping them track their progress over time
• Provide ongoing consultation and support

FFA is different from other firms for many reasons, but our “Google meets Wall Street” culture really sets us apart from the rest. Our fun, fast-paced, yet laid-back mentality has helped us become a fast-growing firm that specializes in the unique needs of Floridians with a sole focus of providing comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services to help Floridians realize their dreams.

Some features of this position include:

• One-on-one training from seasoned leaders in the local financial planning industry
• A comprehensive training program that includes financial planning, analyzing investment portfolios, management, and portfolio recommendations, marketing techniques, consultative selling, client service, and regulatory compliance
• Uncapped earning potential – advisors can make $100,000+ in their first year; advisors must be comfortable with the majority of their compensation coming from their results
• Significant career growth opportunities within the company, including a leadership program (District Manager, Field Vice President, and other opportunities)

Job Requirements: 

• Associate’s degree in business or industry-related field
• Must obtain series licenses and qualify to be approved to be a Financial Advisor prior to starting in office
• Must be a U.S. or Permanent Resident
• Willing to work in office

Compensation will be given after completion of licenses and qualifications met for being a Financial Advisor. Average earnings of a first-year Financial Advisor exceed $70,000 with top earners making an excess of $100,000.

Visit our website at http://www.floridafa.com