Guest Post: Clinical Nutrition is Not For Everyone

By Janel Ovrut

Not too long ago, it seemed the main options for dietitians were to work in a clinical, foodservice, or private practice setting. When I was completing my coordinated internship program at Syracuse University in 2004, I made it very clear to my teachers that I was not interested in any of those routes. And despite being told that I “had” to work in a hospital as my entry level job into the field, I stayed true to my passion – nutrition communications and corporate wellness – and created my own path, one that never included clinical nutrition work. I can safely say, after 6 years of being an RD, that I made the right decision.

In the past six years, I have pieced together several jobs that make up my workweek. I work as a consultant in corporate wellness, a brand ambassador to food companies, teach and serve as the campus dietitian at a small Boston college, freelance write, blog, present seminars anywhere from gyms to conferences, and counsel one-on-one. While some people enjoy the regularity of a 40-hour a week 9-5 job, I have come to love my flexible schedule, inconsistent work that ebbs and flows throughout the year, and most importantly, being my own boss. Now there are more opportunities than ever for dietitians. Anywhere there is food, there is an RD! We can be found working for restaurants, fitness centers, TV shows, in culinary settings, with athletes, doing spokesperson work, writing books, and more! The opportunities are growing, which is great news for new dietitians.

I thrive in settings where I am able to be creative with my work, educate others, and control my own hours and work. Getting to this point took a lot of drive and determination. Some days aren’t as busy as others, and this is when I really focus on networking, building on my collection of educational materials, and preparing for the next wave of work.

If this style of work appeals to you, don’t let anyone convince you that you have to work in a particular setting in order to get experience. Use your internship to gain experience, shadow dietitians who are doing what you want to do, and make it a point to network, network, network! So many job contacts I’ve made have been through people I’ve met along the way through social media, my state dietetic association, and even the random person I met at a wedding or in a grocery store. All of these experiences will help bring you down the path you want to take. For me, clinical dietetics likely would have steered me off of my path but I’m happy with the direction I took and can confidently say I love what I do.

 Janel Ovrut is a Boston-based Dietitian who enjoys helping others make healthy changes, one bite at a time. You can follow Janel’s website, blog, become an Eat Well with Janel fan, and follow her food and nutrition tweets on Twitter.Interested in interning with Janel? Contact her at janelovrut at gmail dot com.