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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)

Spring Semester Workshops:

Saturday, February 10th, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM in Maxey 104
Led by Kim Rolfe and Victoria Wolff '12
Salary Negotiation Workshop

Tuesday, February 27, 4:30-5:30 PM in Reid Campus Center G-02
Led by Jonathan Simons and Victoria Wolff '12
“Do I have to talk to people now? Informational interviewing made easy!”

Tuesday, April 2nd, 4:30-6:30 PM in Maxey 104
Led by Lindsay Szramek and Victoria Wolff '12
Salary Negotiation Workshop

Connecting with Alumni:

Create an account on Whitman Connect and explore the many resources there that can help you prepare for life after Whitman.  You can use Whitman Connect to identify and reach out to Whitman alumni with a variety of specialties and life experiences, who have a specific desire to engage with Whitman students.

Additionally, here is an archive of resources shared during the 2021-22 year along with the recorded sessions incuded below.

As you begin 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 public profiles as you begin life as a young professional:

Use Your Network

Connect with your first-degree network (the people you already know). Then try your second-degree network (people you share a mutual friend with). Connect with alumni at companies that you're interested in!

Write an Informative and 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 & interests.

Build Your Network

Connect with classmates, family, professors, and alumni in fields you're interested in!

Pro Tip: You will lose access to your Whitman email after a year. Update your Whitman Connect and Handshake addresses to your personal email.

What Can I Do With This Major?

Use this resource to explore 100 major profiles with information on common career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Scroll to the bottom of each profile for links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources.

LinkedIn

Join the Whitman College Community Group to connect with other alumni around the world. Jobs, internships, and other opportunities are posted here.

Handshake

As an alumnus, use Handshake to find jobs or schedule appointments (remotely!) with our professional staff.

Networking events

Attend Whitties Helping Whitties events in PNW cities to stay connected with students or make more connections yourself as you start your career.

Whitman Connect

Find alumni via Whitman's extensive alumni network. You are able to search based on location, industry, and more!

Online resources

The CCEC website has information on resumes and cover letters, graduate school, professional development workshop recordings, and more!

Here are some recommended books and podcasts from the CCEC:

The Psychology of Your 20's

Episode 3— The Psychology of the 9-5
Episode 18— The Psychology of Big Life Changes
Episode 40— When you feel directionless
Episode 43— Hustle Culture and Burnout
Episode 46— Making Friends in your 20’s
Episode 48— Identity Crisis!
Episode 49— Financial anxiety, money, and relationships
Episode 52— Career anxiety, disillusionment and feeling stuck
Episode 68— The myth of the “dream job”

Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise.

How to Money: Your Ultimate Visual Guide to the Basics of Finance by Jean Chatzky & Kathryn Tuggle

There’s no getting around it. You need to know how to manage money to know how to manage life — but most of us don’t! This full-color, illustrated guidebook from New York Times bestselling author and financial expert Jean Chatzky, Kathryn Tuggle, and their team at HerMoney breaks down the basics of money—how to earn it, manage it, and use it—giving you all the tools you need to take charge and be fearless with personal finance.

Creative Job Searches

Networking Tips & Tools

Finding Opportunities in the United States

How to Market Your Leadership Experiences

Questions? Contact:

Lindsay Szramek and Jacqueline Erwin, Career Development Specialists.

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