Full-time employment is a challenge for many students, but a few lucky seniors in this year’s graduating class have already secured prestigious jobs.
Most Whitman graduates move to Seattle, Portland or the San Francisco Bay Area regardless of employment status. Finding full-time employment can be a challenge, so having a job lined up directly after college can provide security and direction.
Riley Foreman is graduating with a combined major in math and economics and will be moving to Bristol, Conn. to work at ESPN in production research.
“I have always wanted to work for ESPN. As a kid it was a dream of mine. I interned at ESPN last summer in production research and the previous summer with Major League Baseball (MLB) in New York City. Working at [MLB] helped me learn that I did not want to be in business side of sports but the creative side. [MLB] was a really valuable experience in that regard,” said Foreman.
At the end of last summer, Foreman received an offer from ESPN to return to work for them after graduation. This was a huge weight off her shoulders, as she knew she wouldn’t have to go through the stressful job search most seniors endure.
Several seniors are going into government work after graduation. Politics major Katie Myers will be moving to Washington, D.C. right after commencement, where she will work as a staff assistant for Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID).
“On [Capitol] Hill the job structure is pretty hierarchical. Hopefully I will move from an intern to staff assistant to legislative correspondent. I worked for Senator Crapo in his district office [last summer as an intern], which was a slower-paced environment,” said Myers.
Myers has seen a general pattern in how Whitman students spend time right after graduating.
“The most common trend for Whitman students the summer after graduation is to work at a camp, traveling or an internship. It is not too common for someone to jump right into career,” said Myers.
Joe Heegaard is majoring in environmental studies and politics and has two separate jobs lined up after graduation.
“I will be working as backpacking guide for three months after graduating. I will be going on a 50-day trip in Alaska. After the summer I will work for a year at Green Corps in Boston as a campaign manager for them,” said Heegaard.
Green Corps is a post-graduate environmental program which lasts for one year. Students work on three to four campaigns while they work at Green Corps. Heegaard, whose specialty is renewable energy, will likely be working on a variety of energy campaigns. After students fulfill their contracts, Green Corps helps them find jobs.
“Weirdly enough, Green Corps actually called me. There was an article written in The Pioneer about a project I did installing solar panels on the Phi Delta Theta fraternity [house]. I looked into them very thoroughly. A friend recommended them to me. It felt like the right fit,” said Heegaard.
Heegaard agreed that most classmates are excited or nervous about their plans for after college.
The Student Engagement Center (SEC) can be a valuable resource for any student trying to secure a prestigious job or internship after college. Myers used the SEC to find past internships but not for her job after college. Heegaard used the SEC at the beginning of the year for assistance with his resumé.
Today it is very competitive to get a secure job in any industry. Any Whitman student is very lucky if they can get a full-time job with a decent salary right after graduating.
