Community and Clinical Dietitian, Public Health SpecialistWhat type of job are you looking for? I am looking for a job in the field of community nutrition and public health, mostly in projects related to health, wellness and nutrition. What nationality are you? I am Lebanese. What languages do you speak (and at what level)? I am fluent in written and spoken English and Arabic, and good in written and spoken French, What country or area are you looking to work in and why? I am looking to work in Lebanon, because I feel I have a lot to contribute to this country in my field. What countries have you worked in? I have just worked in Lebanon. What field do you currently work in? I am currently looking for a job. What fields have you worked in before? I have previously worked in several projects related to awareness in the field of nutrition. Mostly, I have designed interventions, developed material, engaged in teaching, prepared nutrition sessions and activities, wrote articles etc. What qualifications do you hold? I have a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics from the American University of Beirut and a Masters in Public Health, with a concentration in Health Behavior and Education from the same university. Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? I believe both formal education and skills complement each other. Formal education is important as a background because it provides you with knowledge about a certain field. Skills are equally important because they allow you to highlight your education. Formal education alone can get you a job but is not enough to build a career. It needs to be backed up with skills. Describe the benefits of working with others Working with others is always a learning experience. It makes you gain lots of knowledge and improves your skills. It makes you combine your experience with the skills of others to achieve an outcome. Describe the benefits of working alone Working alone is a real challenging experience, because it puts you in a state of taking responsibility over the outcome and being teh decision maker. However, it is a pleasurable experience because it makes you learn from your own mistakes and puts "positive stress" on you to make you work with full potential. What was your worst working experience? I haven't had any so far. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? I learned to be an active dreamer, someone who works so hard to achieve my ambitions. What unique skills do you have? I am a good communicator and I am so dynamic with excellent ideas related to nutrition and health education. What would you consider as your 'dream job'? My dream job would be designing and implementing an intervention realted to nutrition for children and adolescents. What are the most interesting aspects of your field? My field is very dynamic, with plenty of new ideas worth applying. What are the least interesting aspects of your field? The least interesting aspects are that you don't always find key places or people that are raedy to go far with ideas related to nutrition and who are ready to move beyond clinical practice. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 5 years, I see myself being a pioneer in the field of nutrition and moving this field away from just being clinically practiced for the benefit of individual clients/patients, but rather to benefit the whole community, especially children and adolescents. How can potential employers contact you? gina-abihaidar@hotmail.com | 
