College Experiences That Helped A Project Coordinator At Legal Aid San Mateo County Succeed
Maraina, a Project Coordinator at The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, identifies "how to let things go" as a crucial career lesson, highlighting the emotional toll of "a lot of people...that you can't help." This ability to detach from work's emotional weight, through rituals and boundaries, is vital for preventing burnout in a demanding community-based role.
Project Management, Stress Management, Resilience, Problem-Solving, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Maraina Weyl
Project Coordinator
The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
Syracuse University
Santa Clara University School of Education and Counseling Psychology- M.A. Counseling
International Relations & Affairs
Government & Public Sector, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Consulting
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Learning to let go of cases you cannot help is crucial for preventing burnout. This involves setting boundaries and developing strategies to detach from work after hours.
2. Working in community support roles means handling heavy emotional burdens. It's vital to establish routines that help you switch off from work and avoid burnout.
3. Referral processes to other organizations are a significant part of the job, and you need to manage client expectations and emotions related to cases you cannot directly handle.
Transcript
What's one lesson you've learned that's proven significant in your career?
I think the key is learning how to let things go. There will be many people who come to you for help that you can't assist. If you let all of that weigh on your heart all the time, it becomes incredibly heavy.
You have to be able to let things go. Often, people come to us from out of county, seeking help with income, but we still can't assist them. Sometimes the referral process to other organizations doesn't go well, and people get angry.
It doesn't feel good knowing you're letting someone leave without help. However, we have to maintain parameters with our work and eligibility process. You have to learn to let it go.
If you're working in the community with difficult situations, you need to be able to turn it off. You can't take it home with you, or you'll burn out immediately. So, have a ritual to help you leave the workday behind.
Otherwise, you'll have all these people leaning on you and sharing their burdens. If you hold all of that with them, it will destroy you. Learning to let things go is the lesson that has helped me the most, and I still need to improve at it.