10 Tips on Staying Motivated and Productive at Home!

Posted on 21st April 2020 by

Written by Holly

During this time, It may be tempting to chill out on the sofa all day eating all your quarantine snacks in one go and binging on the latest reality TV series for what may feel like an eternity with hair that needed washing last week, but this is the perfect opportunity to get things done that you’ve been putting off since you started Uni!

Top Ten Tips!

1. The best thing to do at the very start of the day is to firstly get yourself back into a good sleep routine. 8 hours a night is recommended for most adults (I know we question that word from time to time being a student) but it’s the best way to get your mood up, feel energised and even promotes healthy skin and a regulated metabolism! Not to mention it increases concentration levels so you can get stuff done better.

2. Make a to- do list- set yourself small achievable goals. This will help you as it allows you to focus on those things one at a time and it feels great when you get to tick them off your list.

3. The next thing I would recommend you to do is to simply make your bed and take a shower, these may seem like small steps in the grand scheme of things, but it really gets you set up for a positive and can do mindset ready to take on the day.

4. Get ready in the morning- Studies have shown that productivity levels increase when you are dressed and ready for the day!

5. A clear space makes a clear mind- make sure that the room and desk you are working on is tidy as the clutter, smells or mess can distract you from what you are trying to focus on.

6. Stay hydrated- This is key to optimising brain function and will also prevent you from getting headaches whilst you’re trying to concentrate.

7. Relax- meditation, listen to music, read, draw whatever it is that getting you in a good vibe. If you feel good you will feel more inclined to do something productive and you are in a positive mindset.

8. Light a candle, let in some light and open some windows to let in fresh air- This will also put you in a good relaxed state and fresh air and light will allow you to feel more awake, as well as your surroundings feeling comfortable to work in.

9. Take a walk/ work out/ yoga- This will promote endorphins to be released into the body which is a chemical that makes you feel happy. This will therefore make you work better as you are in a positive mood. Exercise also helps towards better quality sleep which in turn will make you feel less tired.

10. If you’re struggling to get things done still, try setting a timer for 25 minuets and take a break once the timer is up. Also try out the do not disturb function on your phone to keep you from distractions.

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Have you got any tips to staying motivated/productive? Let us know in the comments!

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

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

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How Your Application Process Might Look During The COVID-19 Lockdown!

Posted on 20th April 2020 by

Written by Rosie

You might have seen previous blogs from the Career Studio about how job hunting and application processes are changing while we’re in the current lockdown situation. We spoke to a recent graduate of Staffordshire University who recently went through the application process for a supermarket role. Supermarkets near you are probably hiring right now to keep up with the increase in demand for online orders, cleaning and maintaining lockdown rules so it might be worth applying for these roles if you’re looking for work. She kindly provided details of her experience of the process and we hope this will help people who are nervous about what to expect if they apply for similar roles.

Firstly, she found the job on Indeed and it took her through to the supermarket website where she had to fill in an online form including personal details, the hours she would like to do and availability. Once this was finished, she received an email saying she had moved onto the next step which was a series of multiple-choice competency questions on the supermarket’s website. These questions included some scenarios to see how you would deal with certain situations if they arose at work. As soon as this round of questions had finished, it took her to a second round of questions that included some more specific competency questions. There was also forms to fill in about previous education and work as well as some written questions on customer service and team-work experience.

Everything up until this point had been the same application process for this supermarket as normal, all online with email communications and working through online forms.

The next round of the process is normally a face to face interview however the applicant received an email only a few hours after completing the questions with a link to an online interview. Support was provided on how to set up the camera, sound and lighting through the website. The applicant prepared by dressing smartly and making the room look professional with no clutter in the background. There were four questions that were sent in advance of the interview to allow time to prepare and when the applicant was ready they had 30 seconds to record an answer to the first three questions which included why they wanted to work at this supermarket and some basic introductions. The final question was about customer service experience and there were 60 seconds to record an answer for this.

After each answer there was a 30 second break to have a quick breather before the next question started. Prior to the interview there was a 30 second practice but after that, the recordings were automatically sent off and there were no chances for a second go.

The applicant described the online interview process as;

“The online interview was good because getting the questions in advance means you have time to prepare and plan the answers and you wouldn’t often get that opportunity in a regular interview. However, after the test run you only get one attempt to record it and if you mess up then that mess up gets sent off to the employers! It was nerve-wracking but at least you’re at home and in between the questions you get a 30 second break so you don’t have to be ‘on’ all the time like in a face-to-face interview.”

The next day, she received an email inviting her into the store for a face-to-face assessment day. To manage this while adhering to lockdown rules, they had to book a time slot to go into the store and once there, follow the 2-meter guidance. Here’s a quick summary of her overall experience;

“It was quite weird not having actually spoken to anyone directly until I was physically in the store for the assessment and it was all very fast paced. I found the job on Indeed and had been through 4 stages of the process and invited to the assessment day within 24 hours.”

Hopefully this has given you an idea of what to expect if you are applying for jobs right now. Obviously, your experiences won’t be exactly the same as this but there may be similarities that you can prepare for, such as practicing your online interviewing skills and competency questions. The Career Studio has some other blogs that offer some support in preparing for these situations so check them out and get in touch!

Thank you to our graduate for providing details of their experience to help support people who may be going through similar processes.

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

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

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LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

The Effects COVID-19 Has Had On Students

Posted on 17th April 2020 by

Written by Rosie

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed pretty much every part of our lives, and while we’re getting used to working from home and managing the supermarket run, students have had to cope with a lot of change. This blog is a very brief overview of some of the ways students have been affected by COVID-19 and hopefully it will show people that they’re not alone in their confusion and stress.

1) We have many students who have childcare or caring responsibilities alongside a job and Uni work who are now having to cope working from home, during assignment time as well as acting as teachers for their kids! If you’re one of those people reading this now, you’re amazing and you’re doing a great job. Most courses are not taking attendance anymore so there is no pressure to sit and work at certain times of day, just do what you can, when you can.

2) Assignment deadlines are always a rough time for any student, living on a diet of coffee, red bull and crisps and pretty much moving into the library! However, this time round might look a little different. The University and Union have been working hard to try to put some support in place for assignments such as a two-week extension and more options for support available to those who need it. It has been confusing for students to keep track of the new changes and it is important to remember that different departments and courses might be dealing with it in different ways. This is because sometimes a blanket policy for the whole Uni is not always best for all the students. If you have any concerns or need some extra support, it is best to ask your course leaders and carefully check emails to be sure how your course is managing assignments as opposed to doing the same things as your friends who might be on other courses. The Union website is also a great place to keep an eye on what’s happening: https://www.staffsunion.com/news/article/staffsunion/Exceptional-Regulations-for-Exceptional-Times/

3) For final year students who were hoping to showcase their work at GradEx or exhibitions we know it’s a little disappointing that these events might not look like how they usually do. Careers are currently working on how GradEx will operate so watch this space for more details coming soon! Social media is already being massively relied upon right now so maybe you could consider showing your work on Instagram, blogs or making a website to showcase your work. The Career Studio can help you with LinkedIn profiles which is a really great place to show your work to potential employers and other people in the same field as you.

4) Working at home with all the COVID-19 stuff going on around us is not the most motivating position to be in and I know some people might be struggling getting focused and motivated to do Uni work. There is lots of talk at the moment on how you can make the most of lockdown by working hard, learning a new skill or applying for work and although yes, this is all true, it doesn’t mean it’s easy. It is important to stay busy but it’s more important to be kind to yourself. It’s okay to watch Netflix or sleep in if that helps you be in a better headspace because this in turn will help you to gain back some of your motivation to do work. No one needs to feel guilty if they come out of lockdown without having learnt a new language and taken up knitting. If these things help your mental health that’s great but if they don’t, be kind to yourself and you’ll get there.

Stay safe everyone, reach out for help and support in you need it because it is there for you and keep in mind that we’ll all be back to lectures and stressing in the library in the future!

Did you find this blog post useful? Give it a like if you did!

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

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

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LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

My Experience Completing Online Courses

Posted on 16th April 2020 by

Written by Annie

During my academic studies I have utilised the resources of online courses from various website resources to greater my understanding and expertise of certain topics. The reason in which I use online courses is that they can give me a more in-depth analysis, real life case studies and test me on what I have learnt and the progress I have made.

I find online courses so useful as it enables me to work at my own pace, having no assignment to prove I understand the course and being able to use the online discussion facility to look at different perspectives to the course content from all over the world.

Key Areas:

Increasing your employability

There will be certain job specifications and applications that ask for the basic understanding of certain areas. This may be because they have run business projects, campaigns, adhere to a governing bodies/legislation, use certain software tools and data base systems. Online courses have introductions to all these areas and really begin by giving you the basics. This can help in all stages of the application processes as you can give examples of the courses undertaken, what you have learnt and explain how this could facilitate you being the perfect candidate for the job role you’re applying for.

Research, using your Initiative, increasing self-motivation

There are core transferable skillsets that can and will assist you in departments of any job role. Research skills demonstrate that you can collect, gather and prioritise information and can deliver this to your target audience concisely and professionally. Using your initiative shows your ability to work independently and that you can make solid decisions on your own accord with minimal guidance. Self-motivation is the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner and ensure your working to be the best you can be at any given time. These are all core skills that can be evidenced and are demonstrated by undertaking online courses. As you will be self-motivating yourself to research into topics and certain courses to enhance your skillset and this is solely completed from your own initiative and research to increase your employability and demonstrates commitment and dedication to improving your knowledge.

For Fun!

Undertaking online courses doesn’t have to consist of all academic topics. There are a multitude of skills you can learn, topics you want to know more about or simply because you have never had the time to learn how to; learn a language, study the innovation of fashion, use photoshop, draw/paint, interior design, art of social media. There are many different topics covering how to become an Air bnb host to mastering Feng Shui of household improvements.

Did you find this blog post useful? Give it a like if you did!

Are you partaking in any online courses? Let us know in the comments!

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

Finding Work During Covid!

Posted on 15th April 2020 by

Written by Rosie

Are you sat at home right now, bored of watching Netflix and worrying about what the COVID-19 situation means for you? Now is a really good time to apply for some temporary work in your local community, who could really do with your help. It doesn’t matter what your academic background is in, all of us have something to offer to support our community.

Here are a couple of examples of some temporary positions that are recruiting right now, many with immediate starts:

1) Supermarkets

All supermarkets such as Aldi, Tesco and Sainsbury’s are experiencing a massive increase in demand while people are told to stay home and only leave for essential groceries. They are looking for people to make sure the shelves are fully stocked every day, checkout staff to work quickly getting people in and out the store as quickly and calmly as possible and people to keep the store clean and safe. Check out MyCareer and Indeed for a number of different supermarket roles or next time you are in store for your essential, ask them (from a distance) if they need any more staff.

2) Delivery Drivers

If you have a car or motorbike you could apply for a wide range of delivery positions. There are some paid ones for take-out delivery, Amazon or other online shopping services and supermarket food delivery drivers all of whom are experiencing a massive increase in demand. Some positions are even provided vehicles if you have the right driving experience but no vehicle.

There are also some voluntary positions for drivers with the NHS including;

· Community response volunteer- collecting food and medication to deliver to those in self-isolation

· Patient transport volunteer- driving medically fir patients back home and ensure they are settled back in

· NHS transport volunteer- transporting equipment and medication between NHS services, sites and pharmacies.

3) NHS Bank Staff

The NHS are asking people to apply for bank staff to cope with the increasing pressures they are facing. This means if you apply you will be called upon to assist in areas such as Catering Ward Assistant so the clinical staff can focus all their time and attention to helping their patients. To apply for these roles, you do not need any clinical or NHS experience, they are looking for adaptable, motivated team members. Take a look on MyCareer or on hospital websites to apply for some of these roles and see what different types there are.

4) 111 Call Handlers

The non-emergency 111 line is also recruiting call handlers to cope with the number of people falling ill or worried about having COVID-19. Have a look in your local area to see if they are recruiting. Some forces have put out calls especially for college and university students so get applying!

Did you find this blog post useful? Give it a like if you did!

Are you looking for work? Get in touch with our Career Coaches!

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

Looking on The Bright Side of Covid

Posted on 14th April 2020 by

Written by Bertha

No one is finding these times easy but here is a thought-provoking question, can we all possibly look on the bright side of COVID-19?

I believe that this pandemic should not frighten us but bring us closer to our families and loved ones during this isolation. I believe that we are being given another opportunity to make things right. Partners should be more intimate, families should be more united (spend time together doing some indoor games and activities), parents should spend more time with their children and communicate more with them. You have this isolation period to correct so many mistakes you made. Also, do not stay idle during this period, be more lucrative, do more research, invest in your mental and physical wellbeing, read a new book, have a daily routine, learn new things, spend some time to reflect and meditate, acquire new skills.

Change your mindset and outlook on this pandemic and you can channel your idleness and paranoia into a strong formidable force that will drive you to achieve change and success.

The best thing you can do now is plan for how you can adapt your daily routine, and that of others in your household, to be able to follow this advice. Some of the ways in which you could prepare include:

Make sure that you keep in touch with friends and family over the phone or through social media

Think about things you can do during your time at home. Try and keep yourself busy with activities such as family games, cooking, reading, online learning and watching films.
Some jobs have made the necessary adjustments to enable their employees to work from home and if this is something you are not used to then try your best to learn how to do this by watching videos on how to use the software or apps your company is using or asking someone to teach you.
You may also find it helpful to plan in advance what you will do for the next couples of weeks by making a calendar on daily tasks to be accomplished.
Do not forget that physical exercise can be good for your wellbeing. Look for online classes or courses that can help you take light exercise in your home.
If your job has been put on hold then search for online jobs (remote working) which you can do from the comfort of your house and earn some money.
Most importantly utilise the resources available to support you and your family during these times.

Things are certainly not going to be the same but with the right mindset, approach, planning and preparations we will all go through this and grow stronger together, stand taller and be proud of ourselves. We are overcomers and will surely overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did you find this blog post useful? Give it a like if you did!

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

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

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LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Interested in Working For Yourself?

Posted on 10th April 2020 by

Find Out More About BeInspired!

Did you know?

You have access to a fully funded programme which provides you with everything you need to be successfully self-employed. This includes up to £3000 free grant to bring your idea to reality.

Many of our Graduates (about 26%) go into some form of self-employment, whether that be freelancing, commissioning, contracting, blogging, vlogging or generally being part of the gig economy. The support we can provide will give you more control over your earning potential and the opportunity to apply your academic skills doing something you enjoy.

Our current sustainability figure (Graduates staying ‘open for business’) is around 80% compared to a national figure of 55%.

Fancy a chat?

Ping us an email beinspired@staffs.ac.uk with your preferred contact details and we’ll get back to you at a time that suits you. Or, give us a call on 01785 353809 ?.

Did you find this blog post useful? Give it a like if you did!

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

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

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LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

How To Get Ahead of The Game For When The Covid-19 Pandemic is Over

Posted on 9th April 2020 by

Written by Becky

As you are all aware, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused much of the world to come to a halt, including our work, travel, leisure and social life. It is an especially daunting time for university students trying to adjust to all of the changes happening whilst still studying for exams, deadlines and looking for industry experience. However, this change and new-found time shouldn’t be seen as a negative! I’m going to give you four top tips on how to get organised and ahead of the competition for when the pandemic has ended.

CV’s and Cover Letters

There is no better time to perfect your CV than now!

Many roles have suspended their recruitment processes for the foreseeable future, giving you a great opportunity to work on your CV to make you stand out once they re-open. The Career Studio has now gone digital, which means that out team of Career Coaches are still on hand to help you every day through this pandemic, providing you with tailored advice. Another essential part of the recuirtment process is a cover letter. These are often not focused on as much as CVs, however, they provide a first impression of you to the employer and provide an opportunity to sell yourself enough to make them want to read your CV. You can utilise your time to make a draft cover letter which you can adjust to any job you apply for in the future. Access the cover letter template resources and advice via: careers@staffs.ac.uk.

Draft Applications

Get your applications in quicker by having a draft at hand to alter and submit each time! This gives you more time to target your applications to the role rather than starting from scratch and missing key information due to time constraints. Have all of your standard information (addresses, grades, work history) written in one place and underneath include some examples where you have demonstrated certain skills. A lot of applications will ask you to discuss the skills listed in the job specifications so look at previous job postings and use the STAR technique to write some examples which can be adapted to future questions! (try to stick to approx. 300 words so you can add/remove content if you need to).

S-situation – T-task – A-action – R-Response

this is handy for interview prep too!

Take Advantage of LinkedIn!

LinkedIn is a fantastic networking tool that you can be using. During this pandemic, almost everything is now operating online, so keep up with the trend and network with employers as much as you can! You can use this to browse job opportunities that may still be open, follow up previous opportunities or research/enquire into companies which you are interested in working for. Another bonus of LinkedIn is that Staffordshire University students have access to LinkedIn Learning. Take advantage of this and take some short courses from the comfort of your own home to add to your page and show employers you are still engaging with material related to your career. You can cover topics such as Microsoft office to industry specific software. More information can be found on:

https://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/library/eresources/linkedin-learning/

Gaining Work Experience

You may have heard the phrase ‘key worker’ a lot over the past few weeks, and this means that there are job roles which are classed as essential during this pandemic and are in high demand! There are so many vacancies at the moment for roles such as retail assistants, health care assistants and emergency call handlers. These are fully paid, temporary jobs in which you can gain transferrable skills and list on your CV. Alternatively, there are also an abundance of voluntary roles in need of filing, especially for charities and the NHS, some of which don’t even require you to leave your home. Take a look at local organisations and the NHS website to find a role to suit you so you can help your community whilst gaining valuable voluntary experience. Employers often look for candidates who will be open to continuous learning and new opportunities, so any experience you gain in now will

show you are adaptable and versatile!

Did you find this blog post useful? Give it a like if you did!

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

Been Rejected? Unsure of what to do now?

Posted on 3rd April 2020 by

Written by Ellen

Being rejected might be one of the worst feelings in the world, but it can help you improve and grow if you handle it correctly.

So, you’ve been for a job interview and have just been told that the company won’t be giving you the job. You feel down heartened. You feel a bit upset. You may go and binge eat some cake, and that is okay!

It is completely normal to feel any sort of emotion, when you receive bad news. The most important thing, is to use this opportunity to develop yourself and find out what went wrong.

Firstly, can you ask for feedback?

This is the best way to find out the reasons why you weren’t offered the job. It might be frightening and much easier to not request for feedback, but if you don’t, the experience of the interview process is worth almost nothing. Most employers will send you direct feedback from the interview; however, some of the larger companies are a bit harder to contact so you may have to persevere with contacting them to get your feedback.

What should you do with the feedback?

Depending on the feedback provided, it may be hard to not feel angry at the company. If that is the case, take a deep breath before reading the next point and maybe have someone else read them to you in a softer manner. For example, the feedback will mention that you didn’t show that you’d researched the company enough or that you didn’t have the correct qualifications. In these cases, you know for your next interview to fully read the qualifications that are required to make sure that you match the criteria, and to research the company’s values and projects that they have been involved in.

The feedback may include points such as, not giving good evidence to your skills, not being involved in team assessments or not being as motivated as they were expecting. Again, in these cases, a reflection on how you think you did in the interview is a good start. Do you agree with the feedback? How can you do better next time? If you didn’t do well in team assessments, maybe you need more experience of doing them, or you should apply for jobs that aren’t as reliant on team skills.

How to improve?

Experience of completing interviews is the best way to get better at interviews! I know this isn’t always possible, you can ask friends and family about their experiences or come and have a mock interview with us in the Career Studio.

If you have an obvious skills gap, how can you fill it? Volunteering is an amazing way to gain skills for your CV but also give you experiences to talk about in an interview.

Research the company’s values. Find out if they are family focused or prefer people that can work more independently. You can then talk about your skills in relation to this during an interview.

Change the negatives into positives.

Let us know in the comments if you found this blog post was useful!

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

Take an Online Course!

Posted on 2nd April 2020 by

Free/ Discounted Online Courses and Tutorials Available!

Written by Annie

There are many courses available online to further your learning and development. This could be to research into certain topics of your degree you want to gain more knowledge on, or simply learning about new topics, how to use certain software and the ability to start afresh in different subjects.

Future Learn

URL- https://www.futurelearn.com

Future learn has a range of courses in diverse subjects that are constantly being updated and added to each week. There are over 300+ free courses that combine video, audio, articles and discussion with others completing the course. All courses are taught my professors, academics and professionals. They have short courses in topics ranging from Business fundamental, Innovation in Fashion, Humanitarian Aid, Cultural Intelligence, Mindfulness and Health Systems strengthening.

A subject section that would benefit your skills within Careers is the Study Skill section.

There is access to research methods, how to transition effectively to online working and how to succeed at writing applications.

Udemy

URL- https://www.udemy.com/

Udemy has the world’s largest selection of online courses and these are very specific and detailed in every aspect. There are courses available for web development in areas such as (Java Script, CSS, WordPress), Design (Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Procreate) and many more areas that have tutorials in specific software and platforms.