Whitman College students walking together with Fall colors

At Whitman College, you won’t wait until your senior year to begin thinking about life after graduation. 

Right from the start, you’ll be introduced to your Career and Community Engagement Center Coach. Your coach will be there for you—to guide you to resources, programs, groups and opportunities to enhance your areas of study, as well as to support your growth and development as you consider what professional passions and career paths speak to you.

Meet the CCEC Coaches & Staff Handshake Resource Library for Current Students

What to Expect

Working with your coach during your time at Whitman, you will open the door to experiences, resources, and skillsets that build upon each other. Take a look at what each year may hold.

You will begin your career coaching experience by meeting your coach and completing an assessment that will help you to learn more your values, interests and strengths. You will use resources like the Four-Phase Plan and Handshake portal to take your first steps toward professional growth. Then, your coach will share more about campus activities, clubs and programs that can help you extend your network while you’re at Whitman.

Returning for your second year at Whitman, expect an invitation to participate in the Sophomore Summit–a hybrid learning conference crafted to help you build the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue research, search for internships, learn more about community engagement, get insight on campus work, plan to apply for competitive fellowships or grants, and more. In addition to the Summit, you will have access to your coach to help you identify and prepare for opportunities that align with your budding professional interests.

As you continue to move through your Whitman journey, we’ll help you connect with alumni and other professionals working in roles and industries you are considering. Using resources like Whitman Connect and LinkedIn to begin building connections to mentors, you’ll have access to formal paired mentoring programs and online communities to gain a deeper understanding of many career pathways. Working with your coach, you will build relationships and access insight that will allow you to initiate & grow your professional network while you continue refining your direction and expanding your skills and experience.

In your fourth year, you’ll move to consolidating all of your gained knowledge and experiences as you begin planning your post-graduation life. You will work with your coach to narrow down the options you plan to pursue and then identify skills and application materials necessary for those next steps. You will reach out to the networks you’ve been developing to share your plans, seek out advice and prepare for interviews. You will access resources for post-college life that will help you prepare for the independent personal and professional roles that you’ll be stepping into.

Pillars of the Career Coaching Program

We’ve designed the Career Coaching program using these four pillars to maximize the benefits you receive by participating.

Self-discovery: Understand your strengths, interests, values and how they align with a variety of career fields. 

Exploration: Access on-campus, community, and professional opportunities that allow you to gain skills, networks, and insights about potential career paths that interest you.

Reflection: Connect the dots between your learning, experiences and plans for the future.

Action: Take steps to move toward your professional goals and aspirations.