At this point in the year, most people have been inundated with information on COVID-19. It is hard to escape the plethora of information in the news and online. But when students and alumni are overwhelmed by the amount of information, where can they turn to get help with everyday life in 2020? In May, Career Services created a toolkit of information to help address professional, personal, and academic challenges. Students and alumni can check out the resources to see what information might be helpful at any given time, especially as schools begin to start again.

So, what can you find in the toolkit? The toolkit focuses on four major areas: managing the emotional impact of COVID-19, navigating employment uncertainty, virtual work and education, and individuals and families at home. Each of these areas includes resources and articles that you can use to navigate life during COVID-19.

Managing the Emotional Impact of COVID-19 has a wealth of information to help you manage stress. Students can find information about the Student Assistance Program, which helps connect students to resources within their communities, such as counseling services, financial help, and legal assistance. Additionally, there are a variety of resources and articles to assist social workers, teachers, and others who are particularly struggling during this time.

The section on Navigating Employment Uncertainty holds a variety of resources that can help those students and alumni who have been furloughed, experienced job loss, or are stressed about what the future holds. In this section, you will find FindHelp.org, a great website that pulls together resources for each community by zip code. Instead of doing multiple searches, this is a great one-stop shop. This section of the toolkit also includes articles with lists of companies that are currently hiring. This information is constantly changing, so keep an eye on trends and industries.

Now that we are several months into this COVID-19 world, we are truly seeing the ways work and school have changed. The section on Virtual Work, Technology, and Education has a variety of resources to help navigate your new situation. With many employers moving to remote work and schools moving online, it can be helpful to have a plan. LinkedIn Learning is one of the great resources in the toolkit with advice on creating productive workspaces for you and the kids.

For students and alumni who have family at home or are dealing with the struggles of family members with differing priorities, the toolkit includes a section for Individuals and Families at Home. There are also a variety of resources for what to do if someone in the family is diagnosed with COVID-19.

The Career Services team is here to support you through these challenging times.  We encourage you to visit the COVID-19 Toolkit frequently as your life situation changes, as well as to view updates as new information becomes available.

Written by Katy Peper, Internship Advisor