43. Living and Learning in Limbo

How do you learn in limbo? This week’s podcast episode is a three-person interview/discussion with the Dark Coffee team: Alice Lyons, host of the Dark Coffee podcast, Lucy Williams, the newest collaborator, and Grace Hall. Focusing on the post-university limbo and applying it to the uncertainty of the current situation with coronavirus, the team discuss their own personal experiences with job searching, aligning their values with their work and how they cope with the stresses of uncertainty. Also discussed: (1:13) Everyone’s personal experience with leaving university & the uncertainty after leaving education (8:30) How ineffective career advice/practical application/work experience can be at university unless you seek it, the lack of clarity and how that can affect students (16:01) Non-traditional trajectories after university, experimenting with different jobs, internships, leveraging opportunities (22:40) The power of networking & unpaid work in terms of soft skill building and figuring out your priorities in real time (26:38) ‘Doing what you love’, regret, and how your priorities may change from money to other forms of value (31:19) Valuable resources, planning long-term instead of getting weighed down by uncertainty in the short-term, finding focus (44:54) LinkedIn experiences and how we use it (50:43) Final pieces of advice   Resources: https://www.16personalities.com https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/downloads https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.