Navigating Uncertain Times - Tips from ANZ Technology Graduates
Written by the ANZ Technology Graduates Team
Albert Einstein once said, “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” There is no question that the world is topsy-turvy right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So where are the opportunities?
One of the best things we can do is recognize that, at best, it's going to be a bumpy month or so and focus on the positives, while acknowledging that it's completely normal to be feeling unsettled or anxious. Take time to adjust to studying from home, figure out ways to move your body without hitting the gym and try to maintain a (virtual) social life.
We asked some of the ANZ Technology Graduates what they would recommend you do to keep busy, keep well, and how you can use this time to prepare for summer internship season early! Here’s what they had to say:
Keep Well
ANZ technology graduate chart - Pleasure, Achievement, Closeness/Connection create overall wellbeing
Think about your new daily routine - Set a regular time for waking up and going to bed, eating at regular times, and getting ready and dressed each morning. It can be helpful to organise a daily routine that involves a balance between activities that give you a sense of achievement, help you feel close and connected with others and activities that you can do just for pleasure.
Stay Social - Have regular video calls with your friends and family via apps like Messenger, and doing activities like playing games (e.g cardsagainsthumanity, io), listening to shared playlists using apps like Spotify or plug.dj or watching a movie via watch2together.
Keep Active - Creating the motivation to be active can be hard, but having competitions like the recent “Do 10 Nominate 10” where you film yourself doing 10 pushups and tag 10 other people, have been keeping Instagrammers active – there’s lots of challenges on social media . You can stay active from home with free workouts from Les Mills or there is an entire universe of free yoga classes on YouTube.
Take time to relax - Take a break from the news when you need to and create your own wind-down routine. Run a bath, or try a mindfulness meditation before bed, having a set routine and practicing mindfulness – Nigel Latta says it best. Check out the "How can we keep our brains healthy?" TED Talk playlist & reassure yourself that it is okay if you’re not productive – most of the world is in this state.
Clean the house - You finally have more time, so why not clean your living space? Organise the drawer that has been begging for order, and rearrange your bedroom furniture! Check out Marie Kondo's series on Netflix for some inspiration!
Keep Busy
Learn Something New - Pick a skill to master by the end of the four weeks, each day share a tidbit of what you've learned with a friend! Some awesome sites for learning that have structured courses are Linux Academy, Code Academy, Skillshare and Duolingo. In addition to these here is a list of tools for making coding easier to learn.
Complete an Industry Certification - IT certifications can verify your knowledge in different skillsets and could even set you apart from other candidates when applying for jobs. Cloud certifications are currently in demand - check out the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Digital Course. Google is also currently offering one-month free access to Google Cloud Training. Interested in becoming a Professional Scrum Master, check out the Scrum Master Learning Path from Scrum.org.
Get Job Ready - Internships are still going ahead, so get a head start! Build your LinkedIn profile and connect with people, review your CV, practice interview questions with your friends or family. You might even want to look for a mentor - if you do it's important to identify what makes a good mentor before selecting them.
Kick off a Project - Find a group of friends that's keen to start a project together - having a team you can trust can help motivate you to get started and to help you if you get stuck during development. Some app ideas here, here, and here. You could even participate or organise a virtual hackathon – check out some inspiring ideas here.
Become a Gamer - Jam online games with a group of friends, you can get unlimited access to Xbox Game Pass PC games on Windows 10 on a monthly subscription basis and find your next game for the lock down. The first month is only $1! And you can cancel the subscription at any point.
Listen to Audio Books or Podcasts - Have a listen to your topics of interests on the side while you do other activities. You could learn how to manage conflicts in teams while having lunch, or learn how to build muscle faster while you're working out. We recommend engineers to listen to The Unicorn Project. It's great for hearing about why enterprise level problems occur. It also covers how to resolve the problems, but not really on how the specific practices work. The first few chapters that expresses the problem are available here.
Hopefully these ideas help you keep busy and well during this peculiar time we find ourselves in. There are many more activities if you do a little digging on the internet, and why not swap your list with a friend to keep the variety?Remember to take things easy, be kind to yourself, and stay safe.