Trying to prepare for the future has never felt more impossible for college students. With most classes online, life for many students feels limited to the size of a single room. In that setting, the future feels too far off to plan. 

Fortunately, this odd semester will soon end, and students can look forward to exiting their isolation. Between going home for winter break and crossing fingers to return to in-person learning, it seems like things should look better for students shortly. 

However, the effects of such a long time in isolation can still impact students after they’ve reconnected with family and friends. 

According to Cigna’s 2020 Loneliness Index from January, 61% of American adults are lonely, and college-aged young adults are even more lonesome than people over age 72. Being a population already prone to loneliness, it is no surprise that the CDC reported in June that younger adults were among the demographics disproportionately experiencing hardships with mental health, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. 

These challenges will not magically disappear when students come out of isolation, and that change in and of itself will likely be a difficult transition for many. 

One crucial way to help is to encourage students to use the counseling services available through the school. But what else can you do? What can you say to help students prepare for the future of the next couple of months?

Here are four ways to support students and help them prepare for the upcoming transition: 

It’s no secret: 2020 has been a mess of stress for pretty much everyone. I don’t know anyone who isn’t pumped to turn the corner and move on to 2021. 

It’s time to set expectations for yourself for the new school year. The year of virtual. 

If your school is going completely or mostly virtual this year, your typical day of career counseling is not going to look the same as it once did. But that’s OK. Frankly, it shouldn’t.

Working from home means more than just a lack of face-to-face time with students and colleagues. There are many considerations for your return to career counseling this school year.

Your productivity will change, so reset your expectations. According to NACE’s Career Services Benchmark Survey, career services folks spent 55% of their time student-facing last year. If that’s what your day used to look like, don’t feel like you need to hit those same quotas in a virtual environment. 

For one thing, it’s not as easy to access your students since they won’t be walking by your office throughout the day. Therefore, walk-in appointments are a thing of the past. 

For another, you need to avoid burnout. In a recent survey from Monster.com, 51% of workers said they’re experiencing burnout while working from home during the pandemic. You need to take care of yourself in order to successfully take care of your students.

Adjust the way you think about helping your students. Instead of meeting with them in person, support students virtually through a number of platforms:

Career services have always supported students in all stages of the job search process. Going virtual doesn’t mean that will change, but it does mean the traditional approaches of reaching those students needs some adjustment.

According to a recent poll by NACE, while 69% of career centers exclusively offered drop-in career counseling in person pre-COVID-19, only 5% plan to do so this fall.

This means career centers will provide more services either entirely online or in a hybrid format (in person and online).

It’s important to determine the best ways to make virtual methods work for different types of students. Here’s how:

Distance learning presents new challenges when it comes to making sure your students feel supported. Suddenly an in-person meeting is switched to a virtual setting. Quick conversations about career resources become long email chains. And getting everyone on the same page seems almost impossible. 

Braving new technologies and synchronizing schedules is enough to make anyone’s head spin. Add the idea of differentiated learning, and it starts to feel like climbing Mt. Everest! Some students prefer virtual office hours. Others prefer asynchronous learning. And each one of their styles is valid and needs to be honored. 

In reality, though, there is a lot you can do as a career counselor to stay connected with your students and ensure they get the information they need. 

Here are some quick but powerful career resources you can easily create to ensure students are still getting a valuable learning experience in a virtual setting: 

Given the demands of social-distancing and closures, many businesses have been forced to re-examine what the modern office looks like. Hint: it looks very familiar — your living room, dining room, or spare bedroom-turned-office.

These virtual job environments have become more prevalent than ever, changing the industry and the ways you need to prepare to pivot within it. From getting the first interview to accepting the offer letter, it’s all happening without ever leaving your home.

Some of the classics still apply to preparing: dress well, show up early, and be ready to answer tough questions. However, with the removal of visible body language and the addition of technology, a virtual work environment comes with a unique interview process.

It can all feel a little intimidating, but there’s no need to fear. We’ve prepared the top six ways you can land your dream job in a virtual work environment and look like a natural in this socially-distanced workspace.

Market turns are not kind to job seekers. Whether you recently graduated from college or decided it was time for a career change, your job search strategy just went from a well-thought-out plan to a pretty big question mark.

At this point, the thought of finding a job might feel overwhelming — or maybe even impossible. But here’s the good news: You don’t have to let a major market shift throw off your game! Instead, adjust your approach to fit the current climate. 

Of course, we understand that this task is easier said than done. So to help you get started, we’re answering some FAQs about how to assess this ‘new’ market and modify your job search strategy in times of uncertainty:

You’re entering what should be one of the most exhilarating and monumental moments of your life. Usually, this period is filled with anticipation of what’s to come once you exit the commencement ceremony, degree in hand. 

Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances can pop up at any moment, interrupting the seemingly-solidified next steps in your journey. To make matters worse, the media is filled with negativity during a crisis. It’s easy for all of that built-up anticipation to increase job search anxieties. 

All of a sudden, your postgraduate times of empowerment make you feel utterly helpless. 

The truth is, even when a crisis influences the world around you, you still have the power to create a successful future. No matter what’s impacting the current job search climate, there are resources you can use and steps you can take to gain the work experience you need to come out on top of your career during a crisis. 

Here’s what you can do to gain experience in the midst of a crisis: