KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For Erin Hagemann, a University of Missouri senior and Kearney native, losing the final few months of her undergraduate career is devastating.
"I got the text on my phone saying the university is done, we're done with classes for the entire rest of the school year and I cried," Hagemann said. "The first thing that came to mind I was, 'OK, it's class, that's fine,' but I'm in a sorority, so I'm losing all of those lasts we would have had. So that was really tough for me."
On top of grieving lost memories, Hagemann is scrambling to figure out what her next move is.
"All these things that I thought I had lined up, they're either canceling or they're not doing an internship program or they're not even hiring," Hagemann said.
She originally planned to apply to entry-level marketing or public relations jobs, but now she is considering going to graduate school for her MBA. However, she's not sure if that is the right move either.
"Every single day it's been changing," Hagemann said, "so I'm kind of trying to open several doors and see which one feels right at the time."
41 Action News spoke with several university career staff members at MU and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Matt Reiske, director of Career Services for the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri, said while the job market might appear limited, some employers still are honoring previous job offers and full-time positions still are being posted.
"For us, we want to make certain that we work with these students so they don't hit panic mode," Reiske said.
Tess Surprenant, director of the Bloch Career Center at UMKC, said students should consider casting a wider net.
"A student going through school might have a very specific role that they're thinking they will start their career in," Surprenant said. "Now is maybe a time to broaden that out a little bit more."
If students do find themselves jobless, Amanda Nell, senior coordinator of Student Services at MU, said they should try to pick up a new skill.
"Even if it's volunteering or doing LinkedIn learning or just being productive with the time that they do have to make a stronger candidate later when more positions open up," Nell said.
All three staff members encouraged students to reach out to them. Even though campuses are closed, students can still utilize career center resources virtually.
