Motivating the Unmotivated: How I Learnt to be Meaningfully Engaged
Clutching at straws
When I first learned that the short work placement would be part of my second-year programming, I was unsure of what area I wanted to do this placement in. Unfortunately, months later I was still in the same position and struggling to motivate myself to dive deeper into the adverts placed on blackboard. Eventually the deadline creeped nearer, and I had to begin looking for a placement whether I wanted to or not.
To my surprise, there were still placements, even if they weren’t perfectly placed for me. I wrote a few cover letters for these placements but none of them really excited me until I read an advert about Parkinson’s and music. Music is something I’ve always been interested in and playing an instrument is a big part of my life, from both a social and economic standpoint. Immediately I felt excited to get started on this placement, and this enthusiasm was reflected in my initial approach to securing the placement.
Firstly, my cover letter was written in a much more succinct and professionally appropriate manor compared to my previous attempts. The information I gave about myself and my ability to successfully apply myself to the role advertised was much clearer. I think this was because I was genuinely interested in the music element of this research and hadn’t really had a chance to explore this in a psychological sense at university. A heightened interest in the topic propelled me forwards to try my best to successfully secure the placement.
My relationship with motivation and engagement
Whilst it was exciting that I had found a placement that interested me and felt appropriate, it also made me nervous that if I didn’t get this placement, what would I do? I attended and interview where I was asked about my previous experiences and why I’d be a good fit for the placement. Fortunately, my extracurricular involvement with music and previous experience working with digital data sets led the supervisors of the project to offer me the placement. I was ecstatic and texted my mum, beaming with pride. It may seem like a small thing to most people, but for me this was a big step in recognising the different levels of effort I put in depending on my motivation.
“I didn’t get this placement, what would I do?”
The contrast between the dread I felt having to apply for a placement that didn’t interest me compared to getting accepted by one that truly engaged me was huge. It helps that the placement experience was also a practical one, as I now have the confidence to put myself out there for other opportunities that genuinely interest me. Understanding my levels of motivation is also another big benefit I’ve gained from applying for different roles for my placement. It’s important for me to understand that to do my best I need to be meaningfully engaged, and this is hugely beneficial when looking for jobs further into my career.