Next Steps for Seniors

As your senior year comes to a close, the Career and Community Engagement Center remains committed to supporting you in your Next Steps. On this page you will find tips and resources from the CCEC as you begin the first year of your post-graduation journey.

Senior Check-ins by Appointment, Spring Semester 2024:

Reserve an appointment on Handshake
Read about our staff's specialties

Mondays: Kim Rolfe (3:00-4:30 PM) and Nikki Brueggeman (3:00-5:00 PM)
Tuesdays: Jonathan Simons (10:00 AM-12:00 PM) and Nadine Stecklein (2:00-4:00 PM)
Wednesdays: Jacqueline Erwin (2:00-4:00 PM)
Thursdays: Lindsay Szramek (9:30 AM-12:00 PM)
Fridays: Nikki Brueggeman (10:00 AM-12:00 PM) and Victoria Wolff (1:30-3:00 PM)

Stay Connected with the CCEC:

After graduation, you are still able and invited to utilize the career, job, and fellowship application resources provided through our office.  Find jobs on Handshake, schedule appointments with our staff to review a resume or prepare for an interview, or just get advice if you're feeling lost.  Reserve an appointment with CCEC staff

• You will lose access to your Whitman email address a year after graduating.  Send a message to ccec_info@whitman.edu to update your Handshake account with a permanent email address.

Browse the CCEC's career resources and recordings and check out our recommended reading and listening in the fold-out sections below!

Keep exploring: the CCEC's Fellowships and Grants team is here to help you learn about, decide on, and apply to nationally competitive fellowships, scholarships, and awards.  Connect with them to see the possibilities of research, travel, and global learning!

Additionally, here is an archive of helpful resources shared during the 2021-22 school year.

Connect with Alumni:

Lean into your community: as a Whitman alum, you have joined an incredible network that reaches around the globe.  Take advantage of these connections for advice, research, and resources.  Continue the cycle by helping students and younger alumni who reach out to you!  Read more about how to connect with alumni in the Resources fold-out section below.

Transition Your Public Profiles:

As you progress with your post-grad job and career search, it's important to communicate to prospective employers that you're no longer a student.  Here are a few quick tips to update your LinkedIn and other public profiles as you begin life as a young professional:

• Write an informative yet creative headline.  You're not a student anymore!  But you're also more than just a "recent graduate."  Craft your headline to capture your unique skills and interests.
• Craft a professional profile.  Align your profile (in LinkedIn, the "About," "Experiences," and "Skills" sections) to the industries and fields you're pursuing: think keywords, relevant experiences, required skill sets.
• Build your network: connect with classmates, family, past supervisors, and professors first (your 1st-degree network).  Then try your 2nd-degree network (people with whom you share a mutual connection).  Connect with alumni at companies that interest you!

Remember to update your email address on LinkedIn and other public profiles.  You will lose access to your Whitman email address a year after graduation.