Managing Callbacks
Last Monday, I received my first callback from resume posting and from job applications. The potential employer that had called me had said that they found my resume posted on indeed.com. [A short word on Indeed--Indeed is a job search website that compiles results from other sites and has a terrific resume tool. I would highly recommend Indeed. Find a link to it on my links page.]
Then Thursday, I received another callback and set up an interview. I went on the interview yesterday. I had good “vibes”, but I won’t know for about six weeks.
I think the best thing I can say for callbacks is to expect the unexpected. Never be surprised by what you hear or what is asked of you. Don’t be caught off guard by a call. It’s better, if you can’t dedicate your time and attention, to let the call go to voice mail and to get back to them when you can give them your best attention.
I would also say that writing down the information of the person that called you is essential. Get their name, their position title, and their direct dial number. Be sure you’re equipped to write it down. You never know when you might need it.
Either way, I would say that the best bet is to continue applying for positions, managing your time among school, work, interning, and applying for these positions. Keep yourself healthy and don’t be intimidated by this stage of your life. This is the time where the world is your oyster. Keep going strong. You are enough.
Posts Tagged ‘balance’
We are on the steep descent into the final sessions of our classes. This semester, only 7 weeks long, has been one of the most demanding and most exciting times of my years in school. At times, I did struggle to keep up. I think an additional element that made this time difficult was that it has been the first semester of graduate work I have had. I didn’t know what to expect. What I found were these:
Generally much higher standards for writing.
A very high amount of reading to be done each week, at multiple chapters and books each week. I ended up with about 11 different books this semester. The new jeans can wait.
Not harder work really, just learning a more focused version of social work as opposed to the generalist setting.
Some advice that I’m still working on:
Prioritize and time-manage meticulously. These are the new magic words.
Have I mentioned balance and self-care? Keep it up, keep sanity intact.
Become great friends with your APA guide. Your grades will thank you.
Cherish this time and the support of family and friends.
Don’t be a loner in class. Network with peers and stay open minded. You’ll grow out and up.
Communicate! Don’t stop.
I will be happy for a break between semesters, but I’m looking forward to the next one. Back to work!
I am in awe about how quickly time seems to pass. With my schedule, with some parts of it static and others changing often, I really need to stay on task in order to make sure I get all of my work done and meet my obligations. However, it’s not possible to please everyone or do everything. It’s not possible to say yes to every obligation or opportunity that comes my way. Sometimes that means deferring an invitation to dinner out, declining extra hours at work when I know that, as much as the extra funds would be a blessing, it’s over my energy limit, or reminding myself that even though it’s summer, the “lazy” days are over for me. Sometimes it hurts to have to say no, especially when something sounds exciting or new to me. Excitement, however, is overrated. I can’t sacrifice what’s important for me to do in favor of something more engaging or exciting. That’s like sacrificing principles and values I hold dear In order to “have a little fun.” What’s important to me right now is getting through school, being the best employee I can be, and being a great friend and family member. Those roles and priorities aren’t without their exciting times, either. As a graduate student, I often get to research, write about, and discuss topics that are interesting to me, and many exciting networking opportunities come my way. As an employee, I can challenge myself to be a better one, mastering my paperwork, engaging more effectively with consumers and those at the agency office, and developing my skills as a great problem solver. As a friend and family member, I can integrate my sense of adventure into time spent with family or find creative ways to express to them that I care. I can’t say “yes” to every opportunity that comes my way or pretend that I’m living simply for the adventure of life—I have to find the adventure in the circles I move in. I say “yes” to fun and creativity in the decisions that I already make each day. When my work is done and it’s my time to have fun, I can seek out the large-scale adventures I crave. It takes all that time, like sand slipping through the hourglass, and keeps it from being a disorienting and ineffective mess—like a sandstorm. Instead, time well spent becomes a protection from disaster like a sandbag, a place of refuge like an oasis, or an opportunity for beauty, like sand art. Spending my time wisely takes the seemingly endless desert of my routine and turns it into something wonderful, with effects that don’t slip away as my time seems to. I try not to worry about the hourglass. I have better ways to spend my time—like making sure I’m making the most of each moment.
I realized the other day that as people, we all have different organizational styles. Some people develop systems for organizing nearly every object and bit of information they possess. Some don’t really have a certain system that they pay close attention to, but they do what seems to come naturally. It’s not that they don’t have some type of logic, but it’s not an endeavor that they put much time, thought, or energy into.
I fall somewhere in the middle of these two groups. I generally know where all of my things are, and some items I’m very meticulous about. Some people who see my space would tell me that it’s a bit chaotic. Lately, I’ve been more inclined to agree. It’s not that I’ve become more disorganized. I feel more organized than I was a few months ago. I’m seeing areas in my life and things that I have that I want to organize and improve. It’s not enough to be simply tidy. Now I want things in order.
That goes for my thoughts and keeping track of my time, also. I’ve never made this many to-do lists or left myself so many notes. I’ve got a good memory, but if it’s pretty important, I write a note anyway. I even caught myself thinking about color coding my new datebook with a plethora of highlighter colors today as I was driving home. It’s not merely something in me that’s changing—I’m changing because my life is changing. Reorganizing is my form of adaptation. It makes overpriced binders and pens worthwhile—even exciting—to find and purchase.
I didn’t want to admit that I needed to change my ways. Organized chaos is adequate if I’m not concerned about the consequences of forgetting or misplacing something. I’m just realizing that I have a lot of precious things to give my time and attention to. I can’t do that if I’m busy looking for a “whatchamacallit”.
When I was structuring my schedule this summer and dividing time between my Master of Social Work program, work commitments, and family commitments, I knew one thing: I needed “me time” each week in which I didn’t have to focus on the demands of work or school. I wanted some time to have fun and enjoy the people in my life. In my BSW program, I sometimes had a hard time physically and mentally separating myself from work and school. At times, I experienced high anxiety around commitments to my education, paying my bills and working through school, and caring for the people in my life.
Once I graduated, I realized how imbalanced my amount of worry had been. I had room to breathe and reflect on how much I had enjoyed my experience but also how much I had missed out on because I was stressing about doing well. It was at that point that I determined that I needed to slow down, chill out, and carefully structure my schedule, a lifelong skill, so that I could make the most of my time and my experiences.
Self-care is an important component of social work because it allows social workers to meet their own needs as a person. In order to care for others, social workers must tend to themselves. Because social workers help others navigate life problems, crises, and trauma, they can be adversely affected by the gravity of what they are dealing with if they enter the situation emotionally raw. These situations, combined with a profession that, overall, is demanding, lead to burnout. While many social workers who experience burnout leave one social work role for another, some leave the profession entirely. Both of these responses to burnout lead to high job turnover and thus high administrative costs for social service agencies.
In thinking about my approach to my program and how I will care for myself, I think about a bonfire. A fire needs fuel to burn in order to remain lit. In other words, people need something to do or they fall stagnant. In order for our society to be productive, we need to keep the work coming. We thrive on challenges and deadlines. We grow when we have a role we need to fulfill. However, much like a bonfire being overloaded with wood and stifled, if we become overwhelmed with tasks, worries, or both, we can become less productive and effective and even cease to perform altogether. We need room to move, explore, and breathe in order to thrive and remain healthy. I must remember to challenge myself and allow myself to grow by exploring new things, but also to nurture myself with the free space to recharge. I will be my most brilliant self and care best for others this way.
