Accelerate your career path.
Level up your career prep with exclusive resources and connections to Michigan’s top employers.
Now is the perfect time to start planning your career.
As an Aquinas student, you’re already taking smart steps toward a rewarding career. We’re here to help you prepare and make connections that bring success even closer.
Leading employers we’re targeting for Michigan Career Connect.
The size Michigan’s economy (gross state product) in 2023. It is considered a Top 10 state for business, according to CNBC.
Students who complete an internship are more than twice as likely to secure employment after graduation compared to those who haven’t.
[source: survey conducted by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)]
EXCLUSIVE CAREER PROGRAMS THAT WILL HELP YOU STAND OUT.
It’s never too early to prepare for what comes next. Starting here is a real advantage – these are one-on-one opportunities that will give you a head start.
LinkedIn and Handshake are great; Michigan Career Connect is your next move. Here’s why: our programs and networking opportunities are local, hands on, and exclusive for students in Michigan’s top private colleges and universities.
We’ll focus on:
Making sure you know about top internships and other career-building opportunities.
- Facilitating potential Michigan-based internship and full-time placement opportunities.
- Connecting you with exclusive, immersive experiences that compliment your coursework.
- Networking with decision makers who can advance your career.
- Curating personal career advancement programs aligned to your interests and goals.
You’ll focus on:
Making the most of your college journey.
- Staying on top of your studies and major.
- Talking to your career counselors and professors about career goals and targets.
- Building your resume with meaningful activities and experiences.
- Thinking about how to put everything you’ve learned in the classroom to work.
Open Doors
Our Concierge Career Search is like having a personal career coach and headhunter working for you. This is a proactive connection to internships and full-time employment that are sourced on your behalf. Best of all it’s free! Simply sign up and we do the rest.
Be Inspired
Our career preparedness modules are a great way to learn what’s waiting in the real world, and how best to find your place in it. Build your resume, discover new workplace skills, gain insights from industry leaders, and so much more.
Level Up
Micro certifications and credentials beyond your major offer new pathways for career success. Our programs are a great way to add to your already impressive resume. These fast-learning tracks build your knowledge to stand out and move forward in the workplace.
Pitch In
Work with fellow students on real projects for Michigan businesses and nonprofits. It’s a great way to get hands-on experience and set yourself apart. These opportunities are exclusive to students registered with Michigan Career Connect, so don’t delay!
Open Doors
Our Concierge Career Search is like having a personal career coach and headhunter working for you. This is a proactive connection to internships and full-time employment that are sourced on your behalf. Best of all it’s free! Simply sign up and we do the rest.
Be Inspired
Our career preparedness modules are a great way to learn what’s waiting in the real world, and how best to find your place in it. Build your resume, discover new workplace skills, gain insights from industry leaders, and so much more.
Level Up
Micro certifications and credentials beyond your major offer new pathways for career success. Our programs are a great way to add to your already impressive resume. These fast-learning tracks build your knowledge to stand out and move forward in the workplace.
Pitch In
Work with fellow students on real projects for Michigan businesses and nonprofits. It’s a great way to get hands-on experience and set yourself apart. These opportunities are exclusive to students registered with Michigan Career Connect, so don’t delay!
Sign up now!
It takes less than a minute and there’s no cost. Just tell us your skills and interests and how to reach you when we find a cool program, project, or internship that aligns with your career dreams.
Kaitlyn Yonker
Business and Sports Management, ’26
Aquinas College
My participation in the Cooperative Learning Collaborative (CLC) program was incredibly valuable and complemented my internship at Golden Sands Golf Course. Through this program, I significantly enhanced my skills in event management and professional development. The hands-on experience and knowledge I gained were instrumental in preparing me for my future career.
Kaitlyn Yonker
Business and Sports Management, ’26
Aquinas College
Cameron Moore
Business Administration and Sports Management, ’26
Aquinas College
Participating in the Cooperative Learning Collaborative program was a special experience. The professional development sessions equipped me with skills I can use in future internships and throughout my career, while also expanding my professional network.
Cameron Moore
Business Administration and Sports Management, ’26
Aquinas College
Carlota Arzabe Mecchia
Business Administration and Computer Information System, ’25
Aquinas College
The CLC Professional Development Program significantly contributed to my growth, providing diverse perspectives and advice from professionals across various fields. This program offered excellent opportunities for both learning and networking.
Carlota Arzabe Mecchia
Business Administration and Computer Information System, ’25
Aquinas College
“As you begin to identify your career goals, Michigan Career Connect offers invaluable resources. I encourage our students to register and explore the opportunities MCC offers.”
We work with Michigan’s leading companies and organizations.
The state’s premier organizations are partners with Michigan Career Connect. They’re eager to help get you started.
There’s no reason to wait.
Meet our team.
Michigan Career Connect is a program from Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA), a consortium of Michigan’s top 15 independent, four-year colleges and universities. We have decades of experience working with our member institutions and leading organizations throughout the state. Here are the people working to support your future.
Dr. Robert Bartlett, President of Michigan Colleges Alliance, has spent over three decades in higher education in a variety of academic and administrative roles. He has served in executive positions at Cornell University, University of Chicago, and University of Rochester. Prior to joining MCA, Dr. Bartlett was a senior management consultant to colleges, universities, health systems, and other organizations in strategic planning, marketing, and resource development. Bob received his undergraduate education from Stetson University and holds an M.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.
President, Michigan Colleges Alliance
Director, Career Engaged Learning, Aquinas College
Dr. Katharina Häusler-Gross is the faculty director of MCC’s co-op program, the Cooperative Learning Collaborative. Dr. Häusler-Gross is Head of the German Studies Program at Aquinas College and teaches all levels from beginning language to advanced content courses, as well an interdisciplinary course on European Cultures and Identities. She came to the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar. Prior teaching appointments include Westminster College, PA (German/Russian), Michigan State University, the Universität Tübingen/Germany and the Goethe-Institut Chicago.
Faculty Director, MCC Cooperative Learning Collaborative
QUESTIONS?
WE HAVE ANSWERS.
If you don’t find the specifics you need here, please contact us. We love talking about this stuff.
MCC is a unique program that helps prepare students at Michigan’s top 15 private colleges and universities for career readiness with cutting edge on-line tools, professional experiences, and personal employer connections for internships and full-time placement with leading Michigan organizations.
MCC is a program of Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA), one of the oldest and most recognized private higher education associations in the nation. It represents Michigan’s top 15 private colleges and universities in collective promotion, scholarship development, and career outcomes for students enrolled in the MCA network.
More than ever before, college students must prepare early for career readiness to reach their goals, regardless of their majors or career aspirations. MCC provides an expanding portfolio of cutting-edge career preparation tools and employer introduction programs that supplement your on-campus resources.
Michigan Career Connect is a hub for connecting students to experiential learning projects with employer organizations, student entrepreneurial competitions, stackable credentials in high-demand fields, executive mentoring opportunities, community development engagement, special entrée to opportunities for internships and full-time employment placement with leading for-profit and non-profit organizations, and much more.
MCC is offered at no cost for students enrolled in MCA colleges and universities. It is one of many personalized benefits of attending one of Michigan’s top private schools.
Unlike open access match-making job search and canned career tool platforms, MCC is a customized website with tailored career development tools, employer introductions, and special entrée to positions at Michigan organizations looking to hire students at MCA schools. MCC is available only to students and graduates of MCA colleges and universities. It’s personal, exclusive, and just for you.
You bet… Regardless of your chosen career field, the tools and experiences offered on the MCC site will give you a “leg up”, both in securing admission to top graduate or professional school and eventually beginning your career. Skills and connections acquired through MCC are transferable across career fields and professions.
Reach out to the Michigan Career Connect team at [email protected]. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.