Accelerate your career path.

Level up your career prep with exclusive resources and connections to Michigan’s top employers.

Hillsdale College header photo

Now is the perfect time to start planning your career.

As a Hillsdale 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.

50+

Leading employers we’re targeting for Michigan Career Connect.

$490B

The size Michigan’s economy (gross state product) in 2023. It is considered a Top 10 state for business, according to CNBC.

2X

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.
HOW WE HELP

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!

Harlee Scholten headshot

Harlee Scholten

Dance Performance and Kinesiology, ’24
Hope College

Participating in the MCC Cooperative Learning Collaborative was life-changing. It helped me land my dream job, taught me about personal branding, workplace ethics, and leadership. I gained hands-on experience, earned credit, and built valuable relationships. I ended with a job offer and skills that will benefit my entire career.

Harlee Scholten

Dance Performance and Kinesiology, ’24
Hope College

Rodney Mitchell headshot

Rodney Mitchell

Psychology, ’24
Albion College

The MCC Cooperative Learning Collaborative program was an invaluable part of my internship at Corewell Health. I participated in meaningful work and presented solutions for real needs. I sharpened my project management, communication, and leadership skills, and received professional development significantly enhancing my career readiness.

Rodney Mitchell

Psychology, ’24
Albion College

Sarah Vanisacker headshot

Sarah Vanisacker

Integrative Physiology and Health Science, ’24
Alma College

I was part of a three-person team that competed in the MCC College Community Challenge. We finished the competition in first place, earned scholarships, and were able to fund supplies and staffing to begin implementing our winning concept. This program not only allowed us to impact our community, but also to invest in our future!

Sarah Vanisacker

Integrative Physiology and Health Science, ’24
Alma College

“Michigan Career Connect offers a valuable resource for Hillsdale College students and employers across the state. I encourage our students to register and explore its many benefits!”
Dr. Larry P. Arnn
President, Hillsdale College

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.

Be a part of something designed specifically to connect top college talent with top Michigan employers. Take advantage of all we have to offer. It’s free to register and full of possibilities.

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.

Bob Bartlett headshot

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.

Robert Bartlett, Ph.D.
President, Michigan Colleges Alliance
Bio
Sharon Kinsler-Rupp headshot

Sharon Rupp is the Director of Employer Relations for the Hillsdale College Career Services Office. Sharon has worked in higher education for over 10 years serving students in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. She brings unique perspective working in both the private and public sectors in the health care field with a focus on preparing students for their career through employer connections and internships. Sharon has a passion for advocating for students and supporting them in all aspects of their career path.

Sharon Kinsler-Rupp
Director of Employer Relations, Hillsdale College
Bio
Katharina Häusler-Gross headshot

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.

Katharina Häusler-Gross, Ph.D.
Faculty Director, MCC Cooperative Learning Collaborative
Bio

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.