| Course | HW106 Health and Wellness Profession and Career Planning |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 8 |
| Paper type | Professional networking plan |
| Length | About 880 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health and Wellness |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HW106 Unit 8
Three Associations, Five Conversations, One Shadow Day: A Unit 8 Professional Networking Plan for Entering Community Health Work in Tucson
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HW106: Health and Wellness Profession and Career Planning
Unit 8 Professional Networking Plan
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The student, contacts and events are composite; the organizations named are real and their offerings should be confirmed before joining.
Why Networking Matters in This Field
Wellness jobs are often filled through relationships. CHW positions in particular are frequently hired by community organizations and clinics that value trust and references from people they know. Knowles et al. (2023) describe how CHW programs depend on community connection and on the organizations that host them, and Ignoffo et al. (2022) note that programs that recruit from the community they serve tend to integrate CHWs more successfully. With CHW employment projected to grow 13 percent over the decade to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026), new programs are forming, and their first hires often come through people already known to the organization. My networking plan is designed to make me known to the people who make those hiring decisions.
Goals
1. Within six months, hold five informational conversations with people working as CHWs, CHW supervisors or health educators in Tucson.
2. Shadow a CHW for at least one day.
3. Join two professional associations and attend at least two events.
4. Earn state CHW certification or be enrolled in approved training by the end of the period.
Associations
State community health worker association. Arizona has a statewide association of CHWs and promotoras that offers training, events and advocacy. I will join as a student member and attend its next regional meeting in Tucson. This is the most direct route to people who hire CHWs locally.
National community health worker association. The national association connects CHWs across states and publishes on workforce policy, including payment and certification. Membership will keep me informed about trends that affect the job market.
Health education professional society. The national society for public health education professionals offers student membership, webinars and a job board. Joining now keeps my longer-term path open.
Five Conversations
1. A CHW at a federally qualified health center on the south side, introduced by a class member who is a patient there.
2. The CHW program supervisor at the same health center, to learn how they hire.
3. A promotora at a church-based diabetes program, whom I met at a community event.
4. A county health educator who runs the diabetes prevention classes I mentioned in Unit 2.
5. A health coach who works remotely for a national company, to understand that path even if it is not my first choice.
Each request will be short and specific: twenty minutes, by phone or in person, with three prepared questions about the work, the hiring process and advice for someone with my background.
Every contact on the list is one introduction away from someone I already know, which is how hiring in this field tends to work.
Preparing for Each Conversation
Before each conversation I will read the person's organization's website, note one program they run and prepare three questions. For the CHW, I will ask what a typical week looks like and what surprised them most. For the supervisor, I will ask what makes a strong CHW applicant and whether certification affects hiring. For the promotora, I will ask how church-based programs recruit volunteers and staff. For the health educator, I will ask what experience made the biggest difference before she earned her credential. For the coach, I will ask how remote coaching jobs evaluate candidates. After each conversation I will write a short note on what I learned and one action it suggests, so the conversations shape the plan rather than only fill a list.
Events
The state association's regional meeting, a county health department community health fair where CHWs staff booths and a Purdue Global virtual career event for health and wellness students.
Online Presence
My online profile will be rewritten around three things, teaching fitness, managing restaurant teams and working in two languages, and will say plainly that I am heading into community health work. I will connect with each person I speak with and send a brief thank-you note within two days.
How I Will Measure Progress
Each month I will record conversations held, events attended, applications sent and follow-ups owed. At three months, if I have held fewer than three conversations, I will ask my gym director and two class members for further introductions. At six months, I will judge the plan a success if I have shadowed a CHW, earned or begun certification and received at least one interview.
Risks
Time is the main risk, since I work and study. I will schedule one networking activity a week, usually a call during a lunch break. A second risk is discomfort asking for help; framing each request around specific questions makes it easier.
Conclusion
The plan builds connections through associations, conversations, events and a shadow day, using relationships I already have as the starting point. It is aimed at a CHW position in Tucson while keeping health education open, and its monthly measures will show whether it is working.
References
Ignoffo, S., Margellos-Anast, H., Banks, M., Morris, R., & Jay, K. (2022). Clinical integration of community health workers to reduce health inequities in overburdened and under-resourced populations. Population Health Management, 25(2), 280-283. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2021.0376
Knowles, M., Crowley, A. P., Vasan, A., & Kangovi, S. (2023). Community health worker integration with and effectiveness in health care and public health in the United States. Annual Review of Public Health, 44, 363-381. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-071521-031648
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Community health workers. In Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/community-health-workers.htm
HW106 Unit 8 instructions, in plain terms
Unit 8 usually asks for a plan to build professional connections in the student's chosen field. Expect to set measurable goals, name associations and why each matters, list people you will contact and events you will attend and explain how you will follow up. Instructors look for specificity: named organizations, a number of conversations and a timeline. Many prompts ask how you will prepare for each conversation and how you will measure progress. A short rationale for why networking matters in the field, with a source, strengthens the plan. Risks, such as time or discomfort asking for help, should be acknowledged with responses. A plan aimed at one role while keeping another open shows realistic thinking about an uncertain job market.
How the HW 106 Unit 8 example is put together
The plan opens with why networking matters in community health work, citing Knowles and colleagues, Ignoffo and colleagues and federal growth data. Four goals follow, each measurable. Three associations are described with their purpose. Five named contacts are listed, each reached through someone the writer already knows, and a highlighted line notes that this is how the field tends to hire. A section explains how the writer will prepare for each conversation and what to ask each person. Events, an updated online profile and thank-you notes follow. Monthly measures include a check at three months with a corrective step. Two risks, time and discomfort, are paired with responses, and a short conclusion restates the target role.
Reading the HW106 Unit 8 grading rubric
Networking plans are graded on specificity, feasibility and connection to career goals. Goals should be measurable and dated. Associations and contacts earn credit when named with a reason. Preparation for conversations shows the student will use them well. A follow-up method and progress measures, including a mid-point check, show the plan will be managed. Graders reward realistic attention to risks. Linking the plan to the student's target role, and to evidence about how the field hires, demonstrates purpose. Professional writing and an organized structure make the plan usable for a student juggling work and classes. Sources used for the rationale should appear in APA 7, which finishes the rubric.
HW106 Unit 8 help from the desk
Networking plans often list associations and say the student will attend events, with no numbers or dates. Another weakness is a contact list of job titles rather than people the student can actually reach. Some students plan to ask strangers for jobs, which rarely works; asking for a short conversation works better. Plans without follow-up or progress measures tend to stall. Ignoring time limits makes a plan unrealistic for working students. Before writing, list five people you already know who work in or near the field and who each could introduce you to. Send your goals and contacts, and the plan can be drafted around them.
Get an HW106 Unit 8 example written to your instructions
Send your goals and the plan instructions with the rubric. A custom networking plan names associations, contacts and steps. The first is free, delivered within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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HW106 Unit 8 questions, answered
Which associations are relevant?
It depends on the role; coaching, community health work and health education each have professional associations.
Is student membership worth it?
Often, yes, for reduced fees, events and job boards.
How do I approach a mentor?
With a specific, brief request, such as a 20-minute conversation.
Where can I find a free HW106 Unit 8 sample paper?
You can read the complete HW106 Unit 8 professional networking plan on this page, setting six months of associations, conversations and events for entering community health work in Tucson.
How does the HW106 Unit 8 sample measure progress?
By monthly counts of conversations, events, applications and follow-ups, with a three-month check that triggers new introductions if fewer than three conversations have happened.