Avoiding And Managing Burnout

By Amber, 25 November 2020

Written by Amber

During the pandemic we are all facing personal and professional challenges we may not have faced before. With working and studying from home, especially now during lockdown 2.0 and for those of us that may be isolating, it can be extremely difficult to stay focused, motivated and on task, to the point where we might actually be starting to experience burnout.  

What is burnout?

“Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/burnout).

I don’t know about you but with the extended social isolation, worrying about catching covid-19 and the impact it could have on family members, trying to balance work, study and a socially distanced social life on top of our usual uni experiences, we all could be experiencing repeated and prolonged stress.

There are many factors that are also probably making us feel exhausted like sitting in the same chair all day because work or uni are all or mostly online, we can’t meet people from other households, or we are physically not allowed to go out. Things like not being able to socialise and go outside the house could have huge implications on the motivation, productivity and wellbeing of individuals.

How to avoid or manage burnout?

Some of these tips have helped me but that doesn’t mean they work for everyone. Try to find things that work for you.  

Set Boundaries  

Remember it’s okay to say no! You don’t have to be capable of doing everything all the time – if you don’t have time, don’t feel able or just don’t want to do it then that’s okay.

Healthy Work-Life Balance

Make sure if you work or study at home you are not going beyond what is expected of you. If you work from home, I highly recommend not having work emails on personal devices you have access to all the time like your phone.  

Designated Workspace

Try to have a specific workspace like a desk or different room to where you relax if possible. It can help with your ‘work mindset’ to have a specific place to do work tasks.

Write A List

I am definitely a list person! Sometimes it helps to write down your tasks for the day and when you cross them off it can be so satisfying. Try to make sure they are achievable though otherwise the to-do list could have a negative impact.  

Take A Break

This sounds so simple but having a break and switching off is the best thing for us! I try to have at least one day a week where I do nothing but facetime friends and binge watch Netflix. If you feel like you can’t have a full day off, then at least try to have an hour or two each day.

Fresh Air

For people that aren’t outdoorsy, I still recommend trying to get outside occasionally as I’m sure we all might be experiencing some cabin fever at some point during the pandemic. I know it’s cold at the moment which doesn’t seem inviting but after 8 hours sat in one spot at a computer screen even the cold air is welcoming.   

Talk

One of the biggest, most important things to do is to talk to people, whether this is people you know like friends and family, speaking to lecturers or tutors, or speaking to people you don’t know. If things start becoming overwhelming or you feel like you’re more stressed than usual, then tell someone.

Meeting Deadlines

Now, as many of you may know this is also a busy time to meet deadlines for graduate schemes, jobs and placements, which can also be stressful. To try and make that experience easier for you firstly try to follow (or find) tips to help manage stress and burnout.

Regarding career questions, problems or applications the Careers Team can help you every step of the way. Make an appointment with a Career Coach via My Career (https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/mycareer) and we can discuss what stage you’re at and how best we can help you. This is a service you can keep coming back to as many times as you need, even when you are a graduate.  

Alternatively, you can also chat to a Coach (https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches) if you would prefer a more informal (text-like) conversation. Our Coach profiles also show our experiences which may help you get the answers you need as many of us may have ‘walked in your shoes’.

Remember we are still here for you!

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Career Chat: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches 

Digital Career Studio – We’re Still Here for You!

By Amber, 18 November 2020

Written by Amber

We want you to know we are still here for you! Even though we’re currently living through lockdown 2.0, getting in touch with the Career Studio has never been easier. You can access our services through a range of different platforms across a magnitude of devices.

What is ‘Career Chat’?

One of the new ways of contacting us is the ‘Career Chat’. This is where you can contact a Career Coach and send an informal/instant message to them. This is a really easy and simple way of asking any questions you may have or asking for some quick tips, which may lead in to directing you to further support.

How do I access ‘Career Chat’?

You can access ‘Career Chat’ by going to our website, clicking on ‘Career Studio’ and then clicking the link ‘Chat to our Career Coaches’ (https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches).

As you can see on this page you have a few different options. If you look at the ‘Buddies’ tab you can learn a bit more about the Coaches which may help you decide who to direct your query to. Also, there is the ‘blog’ tab which will highlight some of the blogs our coaches have been writing for our main blog page that you may find useful (there are also organised into themes). The following two tabs ‘Inbox’ and ‘Sign Up’ are where you can send messages to the Coaches and you will receive email notifications when you have received a response from the Coach.

When can I use ‘Career Chat’?

You can contact our Coaches whenever is convenient to you and we guarantee the Coaches will get back to you within 24 hours.

Look out for our weekly LIVE Career Chat events:

• Monday – 12pm – 1pm
• Wednesday – 1pm – 2pm
• Friday – 11am – 12pm

 See the website for the Career Chat Link.

Our team endeavour to make sure your Digital Career Studio experience is easy as possible, please let us know if you have any suggestions how we can improve our service delivery.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Career Chat: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches

Placement Experience with Staffordshire Police

By jp4, 11 November 2020

Written by Becky

During my experience completing a six week placement with Staffordshire Police, which was through the Staffordshire University Forensic Partnership, my project was based in the Digital Forensics department.

Starting the placement

The day came and I found out I was one of the few lucky students to be given a placement and I was ecstatic! It was daunting as I was going into an unknown environment and was worried I didn’t know enough or would be prepared enough however, my levels of excitement surpassed this so couldn’t wait to start. We had to complete a number of vetting forms which were quite extensive and therefore took a number of weeks to be processed, then the placement could commence.

Before we started the placement, we attended an induction day at headquarters and were provided with induction check sheets which tracked our progress and helped us visualise the things we needed to be aware of to give us the best start possible. We were then taken to our relevant departments where we could meet the rest of the staff we would be working with, finalise our project ideas and start to plan our time.

The project idea that interested me the most was related to collecting data from games consoles. I chose to do this because my interest in the digital side of forensics has grown massively over the last year and I had been contemplating studying a masters in that area upon completion of my degree. (That is the great thing about forensics; it is so versatile and has so many routes to explore!)

Every day I was learning so many interesting facts and regulations and gained a good understanding of how it works behind the scenes. I brought my own console in to practice on, as for obvious reasons I couldn’t use the ones in police possession due to them being a part of live cases. Working alongside staff in this environment demonstrated to me in real-time the hurdles technicians face and gave me the chance to ask them directly what they would improve if they could. I then started my own research, carrying out typical live previews on my console and using the new technology to see if it would be of use to the police.

At the end of the project, we are required to make a presentation to staff members from both the police and the university, who were invited to watch and ask us any questions they may have. I created the presentation so that non-technical readers could understand and the report included more detail as it will be used by the forensics staff working in that area.

Benefits of completing a placement

I feel I have really benefited from this placement and I have absolutely loved every day of it! It has given me an insight into how forensic departments operate, what processes are carried out and what protocols are followed. It has really reinforced my ambition to go into this line of work when I graduate and if anything, increased it! It is definitely something I could see myself doing as a career and hope I am lucky enough to do this in the future! I feel like this will be a great addition to my CV, giving me relevant experience that I will inevitably need. I was the first 2nd year student to get onto this scheme (as it is usually 3rd year students), therefore I feel I have a unique opportunity to apply my knowledge to my studies and help others learn from it.

Not only does it benefit me as a student looking forward to a future career, but it also benefits the police force as students may provide an insight or perspective on an issue that may not have previously been viewed. Furthermore, it provides the force with extra people to help research areas they may have been wanting to work on but didn’t have the time or man-power to dedicate themselves.

My expectations were nowhere near as good as the placement itself! I thought my placement would be similar to the open days, for example all of the screens being turned off when we entered the room etc. However, once I completed my induction (after vetting), people treated me as an equal and carried on working around me, integrating me into the office and chatting to me. I appreciated this as it really gave me a feel for what it would be like to work in a place like this and the whole team were so incredibly friendly and welcoming! I didn’t think I would learn as much as I did but I feel like I have come away with so much knowledge and understanding of processes and legislation I didn’t even know existed! I didn’t expect to get much help due to the staff having their own work to get through but everyone went out of their way to help me with whatever difficulties I had!

Advice for students

The main advice I would give to students who may be reading this would be to go for it! You have nothing to lose by applying, and even if you are not successful, the application process is an experience in itself! I would say to always believe in yourself and your abilities, I hadn’t done anything similar before but settled in straight away. Finally, I would say to choose something you are interested in – if you find a topic you really want to do you will surprise yourself with how much you will learn about it in a short space of time and it will boost your work rate so much.

To read the full two-part series of blogs written by Becky about her experiences on this placement look at the links below:

http://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/careers/2020/03/26/work-placement-experience-at-staffordshire-police/

http://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/careers/2020/03/27/work-placement-experience-at-staffordshire-police-2/

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch: 

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk 

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs 

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs 

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development 

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Career Chat: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches

My Psychology and Mental Health Placement Experiences

By jp4, 5 November 2020

Written by Amber

Unsure about completing a work placement? Don’t know what to expect and need convincing?

I’ll start by saying doing a placement, whether for a whole year or alongside your study, is 100% worth it!

Placement Year

I completed a placement year in between my second and third year of my undergrad degree and even though it was the scariest, most challenging thing I had done so far it was also the most rewarding! During my 12 months as a support worker I gained invaluable experience working with a diverse range of people suffering with homelessness and poor mental health from different backgrounds, with different experiences. This role pushed me to my limits…in a good way! Who knew I could be confident, resilient and a good leader – I didn’t until I had actually lived this experience.

Although my time on this placement came to an end (a very sad end I might add with a teary farewell party) I had gained connections in an industry of my interest for life. This experience gave me an insight into a career I wanted in the future, formed the basis for my FYP in my final year and helped me secure my next opportunity. (They actually headhunted me for a job too!)

Securing My Next Opportunity

Even though my first placement gave me useful and invaluable experience, I needed support with the application process and interviewing preparation for this next role. As one of your career coaches I understand how important it is to tailor my application and interview to the specific role, therefore I asked my fellow coaches and other members of the Careers Team to assist me. They helped make sure my application was tailored correctly and helped me decide which examples would be the best to use. Also, I did a mock interview with the team to practise my answers, being put on the spot, and making sure the virtual interview wouldn’t phase me. Make sure you use this service when applying for a placement! (I know I’m slightly biased but it genuinely helps you feel more prepared and confident).

Placement Alongside Study

At the moment, I am completing a placement with a mental health charity, which I don’t think I would have had enough experience for without my first placement. This second placement is developing my skills even further by working within a new role, with a completely new client group and working within situations I haven’t encountered before. For the first time, I am managing my own case load with little supervision, consulting with mental health professionals and working in a person-centred way. Although it has only been a short time I feel like I have already gained valuable insight into my career aspirations from this point, and the learning and training I have completed so far will put me in the best position when I look for my next opportunity.

Pros of Placements

• You gain experience
• You make connections
• You develop ideas for your FYP
• Can lead to further employment or opportunities
• Huge amounts of personal development!
• Can help you decide what you want to do or what you don’t want to do (equally important)
• You get to do something you are passionate about!

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch: 

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk 

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs 

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs 

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development 

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Career Chat: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches