AMAA: Work Stress
Work stress is different for everyone, be it the woes of casual employment, job interview anxiety or social barriers to employment/education. It's normal to feel stressed about this stuff; it's also important to let someone know if it's starting to get you down. This month we're going to share our experiences with a guest and I'll be sharing handy resources if you find yourself stressed about employment.
This topic covers a broad range of experience, and we are here for all of it, from how to cope with financial stress to building your confidence and self-esteem. You might have experienced work stress in the past, or maybe you're feeling it now. You aren't alone, and you don't have to struggle in silence - that's why we're inviting a guest to chat about it!
This will be our guests second time joining the community for a live chat. Kai is a Youth Ambassador of ReachOut and is looking forward to answering your questions. Introducing:
"I'm Kai, 22, Queer, Non-Binary person, Photography and film student, hair dye enthusiast and cat lover. I spent two years unemployed and faced hundreds of rejection emails each week, I was facing a tough situation financially, when I finally caught a break and secured a casual job"
We're looking forward to having this discussion, and you can submit your questions below.
We’ll be here on the 30th of September, answering your questions between 7-9 pm! In the meantime, you can check out all our work and money content here.
Goodnight @Lost_Space_Explorer5 I hope you're enjoying your night, take care of yourself and chat soon 🙂
It sounds like it would help to have a chance to chat with someone in detail, unpack the challenges and hopefully gain a better understanding of what areas you'd like support for. I would recommend talking to careers counsellors, I've done so for things like this many times.
I also take time to ask my usual psychologist about this kinda stuff so I can ask for help. It might be worth contacting Job Access and seeing if they have support for this kinda thing 🙂
1800 464 800
It depends on what the condition/ disability is, if its likely to affect your ability to do the job, then it’s best to try and disclose it, if it won’t affect your ability to do the job, then you can probably get away with not mentioning it. Most employers will be happy to accommodate you and give you the extra support needed to succeed. You don’t have to share every part of your condition/disability, really just the parts that may affect your ability to do the job well, only having to disclose a small amount of information relating to what youre living with can make it easier especially when it is embarrassing or personal
Burnout can manifest in many different ways but the main signs are, being constantly exhausted, feeling extra irritable,loss of appetite, finding it hard to concentrate and lack of motivation. These can be managed by taking a step back and looking at your situation, do you need to take some days off? reduce your hours? and when you first notice the signs of burnout, up your self care, take some more time for yourself to do nice things, and talk to someone about how you may be feeling.
Yes to all of that @KaiRoe if you're feeling burnt out it's crucial to try something new and ask for support. A psychologist can help you recover from burn out too - you don't have to do it alone!
This is a great question! It's important to have these conversations.Keen to see what you think @KaiRoe
How can we start a conversation about the stress we are experiencing in our job?
Talk to someone you trust like a friend or a family member, it can be as easy as saying “hey, work is tough right now and I’m super stressed, can i talk to you about it?" remember you're not alone in dealing with work stress, chances are the person you are talking to has experienced something similar and will have some good advice
Telling your close people is always a good idea, agreed @KaiRoe If things get really hard it could be worth seeing a counsellor. Part of their role is to support you with decision making, I've found it really helpful personally 🙂
HeadsUp is a cool org that is all about workplace mental health - definitely one to check out.
Some places also have employee assistance programs. I've never used them, but I've had friends recommend them to me.
Thanks for adding that in! Always good to check if your employer can offer support
Job interviews are not a walk in the park, especially if you're new to them. The good news is practice makes progress and over time they do get easier!
@KaiRoe Do you have any tips for getting through a job interview?
Practice definitely does make them alot easier but my top tips are: Research the place you are interviewing for, this way you can show you really want the job. Try practicing answers to some of the most common interview questions beforehand so that you have an idea of what you want to say. Always have a question for them, it shows that you're interested, one of my go to questions to ask is What is the biggest challenge that a new hire faces in this role?
I agree with researching the place you're interviewing for @KaiRoe - it helps to know what the business/department/organisation is about.
My tip is to reflect on your previous experiences - what are the situations you thrive in? what are the strengths people see in you?
If you've had work and/or volunteer experience, think about what you were recognised for, skills you developed, challenging situations and positive feedback. Use this information to guide you when answering questions. It is also good to provide examples of different scenarios you've come across, how you dealt with it etc. Thinking of some examples beforehand is helpful!
Job jumpstart is a site where you can get more tips on searching for a job!
Ahh sorry I'm late to the party everyone I completely forgot!
I've been struggling a lot with finding work lately. Like @KaiRoe and @WheresMySquishy were saying, I've been applying for so many jobs with no luck and the interviews I do I don't hear anything back from and it sometimes keeps me up at night 😞 I'm with my family atm so it's not super stressful but my cat has been sick lately and I'm worried about paying for future vet bills 😞 And also about eventually moving out
I really hope you get to find a job! I feel like having good references and past experience were the reason I got my current job. I really thought that I wouldn't find one because I had applied and interviewed with so many places, but I got one eventually. I think any organisation would be lucky to have you.
Aww thank you @WheresMySquishy ❤️ I don't really have much experience aside from volunteering. I've never had a proper paid job!
@KaiRoe That's a great question. I have to interview again next week because my role is now becoming a permanent one (which means they have to do the recruitment process again) and someone told me, 'Remember, interviews go both ways'.
Thanks for sharing your tips @KaiRoe it sounds like you did a good job of juggling application and downtime. Our next question comes from a community member who raises an uncomfortable but common experience.
I've been unemployed for six months due to covid. Family members have started questioning me about how hard I'm trying. I'm starting to feel really embarrassed about being unemployed and idk what to do
Covid has made getting and keeping employment super hard! My advice in this situation is to be kind to yourself, tell your family members that you are trying but covid is making job hunting hard. It is super had for everyone across the country to get or keep employment right now, and that's okay, we are in a pandemic, and besides, things are slowly starting to open back up now, keep at the job hunt but really make sure to look after yourself, being unemployed in the current situation isn't your fault.
It sure has @KaiRoe Sometimes I think we've adjusted to covid in such a way that we forget that there is this pressure on us that wasn't there before.
It sucks when you feel like you have to prove yourself to those around you - if it starts to become a regular thing and it is having an impact on you it's worth chatting to someone about. You can always start a thread here on the forum, vent to a friend or a counsellor.
The most important thing to know is your value isn't found in your job title, jobs come and go, what matters is who you are.
This conversation reminded me of an reach out article called "how to mostly stop worrying about the future of work". A good read for anyone who is in this position at the moment.
I love a happy ending @KaiRoe it's so good to hear that you're out providing support to the community and enjoying it. When you're in the midst of job applications and rejection e-mails it can be hard to keep at it.
Do you have any tips on how to look after yourself while applying for jobs?
