As you kick off your senior year at Whitman, the Career and Community Engagement Center is here to help you make the most of this pivotal time! Come and talk with one of our career coaches about senior-specific programming and resources, post-grad planning and last-mile skills and certifications. Whether you’re connecting with us now or in the future, we remain committed to supporting you in your next steps!
On this page you will find a variety of tips and resources you can put into action during your senior year to help you prepare for the first year of your post-graduation journey.
Mix, Match, Master: Thriving in a Career Between Industries
Your future career may sit squarely within a particular industry sector - education, environment, technology, or the arts. However, for many Whitman grads, their professional paths led to the interesting areas BETWEEN industry sectors - design and the environment, consulting and healthcare, technology and finance, education and the arts. This panel of Whitman alumni - Mikaela Slade '19, Clara Merlino '16, and Tom Howe '17 - will share their experiences and insights as they found those interesting places and are thriving by bringing diverse interests TOGETHER.
Thursday, February 12, 2026 | 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. | Reid Campus Center Ballroom
Light refreshments provided
Strategic Design: A Career Talk with Clara Merlino '16
Clara Merlino ‘16 graduated with a degree in economics and experience as a campus leader and a varsity athlete. After spending some time in the management consulting arena, she pursued to a graduate program at Parson’s School of Design. She has an MS in strategic design and experience working with clients in industrial, hospitality and technology sectors. Join her for a discussion of how she has found her niche in the place where design, consulting and climate solutions exist.
Friday, February 13, 2026 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | Reid Campus Center Room 207
Lunch provided - please RSVP at link above
Finance and Startus: A Career Talk with Mikaela Slade '19
Mikaela Slade ‘19 started her career in capital management, transitioning to investment banking at Seattle’s largest investment bank and JP Morgan before transitioning to Startup Marketing at OpenAI. Her independently Planned Major in Data Science & Energy Systems - paired with campus leadership and off-campus internships - helped her to build the knowledge and competencies to transition successfully across sectors. Join her for a lunch chat and insight to help you imagine what your next steps might be. Lunch will be provided by the CCEC for the first 15 students.
Friday, February 13, 2026 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | Reid Campus Center Room G-02
Lunch provided - please RSVP at link above
Business of Healthcare: 1-on-1 Conversations with Tom Howe '17
Friday, February 13, 2026 | Various Times | Cleveland Commons Cafe
Reserve your timeslot or join the waitlist using the link above
Cases. Causes. Crossroads. Fellowships, Law School, and Career Pivots - Alumni Panel
From fellowships to law school and beyond, learn how Whitman alumni turned early opportunities into lasting impact. Join us for this highly enagaging conversation with four Whitman alumni to hear about their post-Whitman career trajectories.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. | Olin Auditorium
Light refreshments provided
CCEC / Career Coaching Pop-Up Tables
For everyone, including seniors: come by to chat with a coach, pick up some helpful resources, and grab some snacks and maybe a duck or two!
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Cleveland Commons
Thursday, April 2, 2026 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Cleveland Commons
Friday, April 3, 2026 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Reid Campus Center Lobby
Here you can find a selection of tools, guides and opportunities that may prove useful to you during your senior year and beyond. Please see the fold-out section further below for additional resources.
Use this resource to explore over 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 Learning is a series of short courses on topics of business, technology, and creativity that can help you develop skills through expert-led course videos. While living in Walla Walla, students and young alumni can utilize the platform for free, courtesy of the Walla Walla Public Library. You will need to acquire a public library card (which is free to residents of the City of Walla Walla) before you can sign in. Students can use their Whitman ID card as proof of residency.
Join the Whitman College Community Group on LinkedIn to connect with alumni around the world. Jobs, internships, and other opportunities are posted here regularly.
Attend Whitties Helping Whitties events held in Walla Walla and several PNW cities both before and after you graduate, in order to expand your professional network, stay connected with students and keep making connections as you start your career.
On the Whitman Connect platform you can find alumni who have specifically expressed an interest in helping students - and each other - via networking and mentoring outreach. You can explore Whitman's extensive alumni network by searches based on location, industry, and more!
The CCEC’s website contains an assortment of helpful information for job seekers, such as advice on creating strong resumes and cover letters, lists of industry-specific job boards, access to job listings on Handshake and more.
Don't leave money on the table - learn how to wisely negotiate your salary and benefits after having received a job offer.
Review a wide variety of recorded workshops from the Craft Your Future series, led by Whitman alumni, staff and student leaders, which can boost your career readiness in topics ranging from workplace communication to budgeting and mastering pivot tables in Microsoft Excel.
If you are considering graduate school, investigate the CCEC’s collection of advice on the topic, which begins with addressing the decision of whether graduate is a right fit for you and your goals, then goes on to explore how to search for schools and programs, as well as methodology for putting together a strong application.
After graduation, you are still able and invited to utilize the career, job and fellowship 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.
NOTE: 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. Contact WCTS at helpdesk@whitman.edu if you need assistance migrating your email or Google Drive content to a personal account.
The CCEC’s Fellowships and Grants team can introduce you to national and global fellowships, scholarships and awards that are available to alumni, helping you identify those for which you may be a good fit, and assisting with the creation of a competitive application. Connect with them to see the possibilities of research, travel and global learning!
Lean into your community: as a Whitman alum, you will be joining 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!
As you progress with your post-grad job and career search, it is 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:
Remember to update your email address on LinkedIn and other public profiles. You will lose access to your Whitman College email address a year after graduation.
Here are some books and podcast episodes recommended by the CCEC:
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 20s
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”
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.
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, award-winning author 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.
