Month: May 2024

All people want to feel comfort and peace both in life and at work. Every employer wants his business to flourish, and employees perform all their tasks on time and skillfully. However, it so happens that between these desires stands professional burnout. This is a phenomenon that arises from misunderstanding, excessive work and stress. As a result, the company may lose money due to the inability of an employee to perform work effectively, and a person loses the opportunity to enjoy life and feel joy.

Understanding professional burnout

To effectively deal with the problem of burnout of employees, it is necessary to understand and see the first signs and symptoms of emotional exhaustion. After all, you can even sit next to a colleague for more than one month and not understand what exactly is happening to him. Sometimes a person himself does not realize that he may have emotional burnout.

Many of us dismiss the first signs, writing it off as a simple lack of sleep or a bad mood. However, this can not be done, especially if the period of “bad mood” lasts more than Sunday.

Consider the five first and main signs of professional burnout:

The first sign is chronic fatigue and emotional exhaustion

You constantly feel a lack of energy, even after sleeping or resting. Easily get tired, even with minimal loads. You cannot emotionally react to any events in your life or control them, especially if you lack a sense of joy and satisfaction from the outside world.

The second sign is cynicism and negativism

You become more cynical, indifferent to work and others. You cannot and do not want to communicate with your loved ones, friends or colleagues. You do not care about the problems and consequences of your actions and words. You also lose enthusiasm, that is, you lack the strength and desire to do your favorite things or hobbies. Your life is not so bright.

The third sign is physical symptoms

You constantly have a headache or other parts of the body ache, you may even feel sick from everything. Disturbed sleep mode and power. You can not fall asleep for a long time, and getting up in the morning is very difficult. There is no desire and strength to cook and eat. Accordingly, your immunity drops, and you are more likely to get sick.

The fourth sign is depersonalization and a sense of hopelessness

You have a sense of detachment from yourself or your own emotions. You can not distinguish your feelings and thoughts, everything accumulates into a large tangled ball. There is also disbelief in yourself, your strength and capabilities. You can say you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The fifth sign, which is a consequence of the previous ones, is a decrease in productivity

Your efficiency at work is reduced to almost zero. You become imprudent and dispersed, which causes errors to appear. You can also unconsciously, and perhaps even intentionally avoid responsibilities and responsibilities at work.

Factors that contribute to emotional burnout

Burnout in the workplace is the result of the interaction of various external and internal factors that affect the emotional state of a person.

External factors

• Workload: a regular excessive amount of work that is difficult to cope with in the prescribed time frame and lack of resources can lead to constant stress and emotional exhaustion.

• Professional requirements: high expectations from the employee, the discrepancy between the effort and the reward that a person receives or does not even receive, contribute to burnout.

• Uncomfortable working environment: frequent conflicts with colleagues, constant control and pickiness on the part of management, uncomfortable and uncomfortable working conditions negatively affect the psychological state of a person.

• Lack of balance between work and personal life: one of the main reasons for the appearance of professional burnout arises from constant overload at work, the inability of a person to relax at home.

Internal factors

• Personal qualities: due to their certain character traits of people, such as perfectionism, excessive dedication to work, inability to delegate responsibilities and prioritize, the risk of burnout increases.

• Motivation and values: sometimes it happens that personal values and goals in life do not meet the requirements of work or the cultural ethics of the company. This can lead to disappointment, forcing yourself to work, which as a result gives a loss of meaning to life.

• Ineffective strategies for overcoming stress: now there is propaganda of a healthy life, we are told and shown many effective ways to stay calm and focused. However, it is important to remember that not each of these methods is right for you, you need to try different approaches to overcoming stress and look for one that helps you.

• Psychological state: a person whose psychological state is already disturbed is more vulnerable to emotional burnout than one in which everything is stable. Depending on the severity of the problem, ranging from low self-esteem and temporary difficulties, ending with constant anxiety and chronic depression, a person is more prone to professional burnout.

To prevent burnout, it is important to be aware of these factors and work on a balanced workload, a supportive environment, effective stress management strategies, and maintaining psychological health.

Strategies to prevent burnout by employers

Well, when everyone is aware of the first bells, which signal burnout in the surrounding people. However, the best thing is not to wait for the bell, but not to allow emotional exhaustion at all. This is especially important for employers who may lose the trust of their staff due to unfavorable working conditions and poor attitude towards staff. Therefore, employers and HR specialists should proactively approach the issue of preventing staff burnout.

1. Management can show on their own device how to behave at work and after it.

When the manager sits in his office at the end of working hours, his staff will also work further, or take things home. This has a bad effect on the cultural environment as a whole.

Therefore, you can encourage workers to take vacations, and not postpone rest for later. Motivate employees to active or comfortable rest after work. It is possible to provide full/partial compensation for various sections/hobbies. It is also important to make flexible schedules or remote work as needed, and to provide breaks and lunch time.

2. Create open communication with your employees

In this matter, you need to contact the HR manager or freelance psychologist. In order to establish communication with their colleagues, HR/team-lead/employer should regularly hold tete-a-tete or team meetings. This is necessary in order to understand the workload of the employee or the team as a whole, what thoughts and ideas they have regarding the development of the company. What is most important is understanding the personal experiences and problems of colleagues not only at work, but also in life.

Another option for understanding workload, stress and general well-being are anonymous surveys. This helps to encourage an atmosphere of trust in which employees will not be afraid to speak out.

3. The importance of recognizing the work of their staff or colleagues and motivating their professional development

Unfortunately, now practice shows that we all tend to see mistakes and shortcomings in our work or other people. And we do not notice the well-done work or take it for granted. This should not be the case, because it leads to a decrease in self-confidence and knowledge, which contributes to constant excitement and faster emotional burnout. Therefore, it is important not only to notice and verbally praise the work of their employees, but also to develop a system of bonuses or bonuses, especially when a person tries.

Another factor that helps prevent professional burnout is development. When a person likes to do a certain thing and his eyes are burning to new knowledge and opportunities, then you can help to carry out the plan. It is important to encourage staff to expand their prospects, which in the future will help your company to progress.

It is important to understand that these strategies can work separately, but it is better if in general to create a pleasant working environment that promotes stability and development. This atmosphere in the company reduces staff turnover and helps to build a strong and motivated team of specialists.

Develop self-awareness and stress management skills

Despite the efforts of employers, each employee is personally responsible for preventing emotional burnout. Here are some methods that you can apply yourself:

1. Set clear boundaries
   • Learn to say no to tasks that are beyond your capabilities or responsibilities.
   • Separate work time from personal life and do not check work mail in your free time.
   • Do not take on more than you can really perform.
2. Practice self-examination
   • Make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation.
   • Engage in exercise, meditation, or other forms of stress management.
   • Get enough sleep and eat in a balanced way to maintain your health.
3. Define your priorities
   • Focus on the most important tasks and do not waste time on insignificant matters.
   • Learn to delegate or reject tasks that are not critical.
   • Evaluate your goals regularly and adjust them as needed.
4. Communicate openly
   • Discuss your concerns and concerns with colleagues or management.
   • Seek support from loved ones or professional counselors.
   • Be honest about your workload and opportunities.
5. Cultivate resilience
   • See failures as opportunities for learning and growth.
   • Practice positive thinking and focus on your strengths.
   • Celebrate your achievements, even the smallest ones.
6. Keep learning
   • Invest in your professional development and acquiring new skills.
   • Attend trainings, conferences or seminars to expand knowledge.
   • Be open to new ideas and ways of working.
7. Find meaning in your work
   • Focus on the value you bring through your work.
   • Look for ways to apply your talents and passions at work.
   • Remember your long-term goals and motivation.

Preventing emotional burnout is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-examination. By applying these methods consistently, you can manage stress more effectively, maintain your well-being and thrive in the workplace.

Conclusion

Emotional burnout is a problem faced by every fifth working person. However, it is important to understand that this is not the end of the world, both for the employer and for the employee. The main thing is to see the first signs of exhaustion in time and introduce special actions to restore the human condition. And the best practice is not to bring yourself to emotional burnout, but rather to make a pleasant and comfortable zone for development around you.

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When a person starts looking for a job, he or she faces one of the stages of this process – an interview. For almost everyone, this is a very stressful situation that forces us to step out of our comfort zone. But this is only at first glance. If you have the right attitude and use some tricks, it turns out that the interview is just another step towards the realization of your goals.

So today, let’s dispel the unpleasant impression of the hiring process and turn it into a pleasant conversation with useful experience.

What is an interview?

First of all, let’s make it clear that a job interview is not an exam or a school test. In fact, the interview is a two-way communication, during which not only the employer evaluates you as a potential employee, but you also have the opportunity to understand whether this company and position are suitable for you.

To worry less, there is one effective method – to prepare for the interview. This gives you more confidence in yourself and your knowledge. After all, you already tune in to a productive dialogue and know what to expect. Moreover, your interlocutor is the same person as you, who understands that there are no ideal candidates. The main thing is to be yourself and show your best qualities and skills.

How to prepare for the interview?

The interview is stressful not only for you, but also for the HR manager or employer. They want to find the best candidate for the vacancy, which is why they conduct a thorough selection.

Understand the company’s activities

If you do not know what the company does, where you want to work, then why do you go there? Therefore, before the interview, find an hour or two to do a little research:

• What does this company do? What services do they provide?
• What basic values and principles does the company promote in its appeal to customers?
• What about this company write on the Internet? What are the reviews?

A clear wording of the answers to such questions will help you arouse interest in the employer. And for yourself, you form a clear understanding of whether this company is right for you.

Lifehack: Check your online footprint by entering your full name in the search term. Make sure that you are not left with bad reviews or compromising information.

A high-quality CV

The first thing employers look at when hiring is your CV (curriculum vitae) or resume. In these documents, you provide a concise and structured written chronology of your life or career development (depending on the type of document), that is:

1. First and Last Name.
2. Your specialization.
3. What you graduated from: school, college, university, courses; Specify the years of study.
4. If there is, then experience: where you worked, what time you worked, your position.
5. Soft skills – that is, your character traits.
6. Hard skills are skills and knowledge that are necessary at work.
7. Specify your achievements and goals. It sets you apart from the candidates.
8. It is important to specify contacts for feedback (phone, mail, telegram, link to the portfolio). It is desirable that the contacts are clickable.

When you have already understood the specialization of the company, you should personalize your resume.

For example, when studying the job description, pay attention to the key requirements, responsibilities, and skills. Or more specifically, highlight your experiences and achievements that most fit the job requirements.

Lifehack: Use in your resume the same keywords and phrases that are indicated in the description. This helps HR or the employer to make sure that you are a more suitable person for this vacancy.

Presenting yourself

The first thing you will be asked to do during the interview is to tell a little bit about yourself. You have a few minutes to present yourself in the best way possible and make the HR manager interested. This is a difficult task if you don’t think about your answer in advance. 

First, prepare specific examples of your achievements that demonstrate your value as a specialist. You can use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your answers to questions about your experience. Describe the specific situation, the task at hand, the actions you took, and the results you achieved. This will help the employer better understand your potential.

Second, show your motivation and enthusiasm. Tell them about your plans for the future, not about going to the movies, but about how you want to develop and improve your skills or acquire new ones. This will show the employer that you are not resting on your laurels and are willing to do your best to improve your work.

And finally, be ready to talk about your weaknesses, because every person has them. Don’t be afraid to recognize their existence, but focus on the fact that you are working on your shortcomings and strive for self-improvement.

For example, you can beautifully beat your pickiness to the details. Emphasize that you carefully check everything several times and spend a little more time because of this. However, as a result, you hand over a good job.

Lifehack: Don’t be afraid to be frank, because it is sincerity that can help win the trust of the employer and convince him to choose in your favor.

Mental preparation

It is important to understand that excitement is normal for any person. However, excessive anxiety can be bad for your health. Especially because of stress, you can forget even how old you are or what your name is. It sounds funny, but it’s true.

Calm down, take a few deep breaths and exhales. Before the interview, take up your favorite hobby, go out into the fresh air, think about something pleasant or share your worries with loved ones. Such banal things can help you relax and recover.

Lifehack: Visualize the successful outcome of the interview. Imagine yourself confident, calm and competent when talking to your employer. Positive thinking will help to tune in the right way.

How to behave during the interview?

It does not matter whether the interview takes place online or in the office, you should think about the first impression you leave on HR or the employer.

• Listen carefully to the question and make sure you understand its essence. If necessary, ask for clarification or rephrase questions to make sure of the correct understanding.
• Answer clearly, concisely and in essence. Avoid excessive detail or deviation from the topic. Focus on the key aspects of your experience that most fit the job requirements.
• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer and control your facial expressions. Make eye contact when listening to and answering questions, smile genuinely, and sit up straight. This demonstrates your confidence, honesty, and engagement in the conversation.
• Keep your outfit tidy and clean. Make sure your clothes are ironed and free of stains and holes. This will show your attention to detail and seriousness.
• If the interview takes place online, make sure you have a stable Internet connection and a quiet corner where you won’t be distracted. If you know that something might interfere with your interview, you should warn the interviewer about the inconvenience.

10 most common interview questions

Your goal during a hiring process is not just to answer questions, but to convince the employer that you are a good fit and valuable to the company. Therefore, prepare and practice answers to common questions in advance to feel confident and relaxed during the interview.

1. What exactly interested you in this vacancy or our company?
2. What do you pay attention to when choosing a company? Do you have certain criteria?
3. What was the reason for dismissal from the previous job?
4. What motivates/demotivates you in your work?
5. Tell us about the most difficult case you faced in your previous position, and how do you solve the problem? What experience or lesson have you learned from this situation?
6. Share your successes in the past? What achievements are you proud of?
7. Give an example of a conflict situation that you faced in interaction with your colleagues, management, clients: what were the reasons, how did you decide what was achieved?
8. What will you do if you get a new task for which you lack experience or time? What are your next actions?
9. Imagine and describe your ideal working day.
10. In what professional direction do you strive to move and what areas are you interested in for further growth? What knowledge and skills do you plan to develop to reach new heights in the future?

As you can see, the questions are generally about your work experience and about challenging situations you may have faced. Answers to these questions will help the HR manager better understand your soft and hard skills and how they fit into the job.  

Questions to ask and things not to say

An interview is a two-way process, so it’s important not only to answer questions but also to ask the employer questions. This will help you better understand the company, the position, and the expectations, and demonstrate your sincere interest and preparation. Here are some tips to help you formulate effective questions:

Ask about the key duties and responsibilities of the position. 

Example: “What will be my main responsibilities and priorities in this position for the first 3-6 months?”

Ask about opportunities for professional development and career advancement in the company. 

Example: “What training and professional development opportunities do you offer your employees? Does the company have mentoring programs or individual development plans?”

Ask about the corporate culture, values, and work environment. 

Example: “How would you describe the corporate culture and work environment in your company? What values are key to your organization?”

Ask about the next steps in the selection process and the expected timeline for feedback. Example: “What are the next steps in the selection process after this interview? When can I expect feedback from you?”

Don’t forget that there are topics that should not be mentioned during the interview. For example, complaining about your last job or employer. Show restraint and wisdom when speaking about your previous experience, or argue from a professional point of view what you didn’t like in the past. You should also not complain about personal problems, because an interview is not a psychologist’s appointment.

Lifehack: Stay professional, focused on the position and your skills, and avoid controversial or inappropriate topics. This will help you make the best impression.

Conclusion

Remember that job search is a process that requires patience and perseverance. Don’t give up after the first failure. And our tips and examples will help you create your perfect resume and prepare for the interview. Be flexible and adaptable to different situations, don’t be afraid to be creative, and you will succeed!

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