Preparing Students for the Professional World: Inside the Career Development Office at Michigan Ross
At the heart of student success at Michigan Ross is the Career Development Office, a dynamic hub dedicated to helping students navigate the professional world and prepare for their careers after graduation. The CDO connects Ross students with resources, guidance, and recruitment opportunities and provides support at every step, from the classroom to interviews.
“Our mission is to help students develop lifelong skills for a successful job and career search that they may be doing for the rest of their professional lives,” said Heather Byrne, managing director of the Career Development Office. “Many students who come to Ross will change careers throughout their lifetime. We want to help them find meaningful work and manage career transitions long after graduation.”
Supporting students and connecting with employers
Byrne leads the CDO, which comprises 31 full-time staff members, four part-time alumni career coaches, 150 part-time student peer coaches, and several part-time student workers. The office is organized into two key teams: Career Coaching and Employer Relations.
The Career Coaching team supports students in the BBA, Part-Time MBA, Full-Time MBA, and One-Year Master’s Programs by equipping them with lifelong skills and resources to find fulfilling careers. Each degree program has its own dedicated career coaches who help students with resumes, cover letters, and preparation for interviews and recruiting events. They also help students identify their strengths, discover their interests, and develop skills to help them navigate career transitions.
The Career Coaching team also collaborates with the degree program teams to welcome incoming students to Ross by sharing CDO resources and other important information at student orientations. In addition, they collaborate with faculty to embed career development content within core courses such as Introduction to Ross: Foundations in Learning Business (BA 100).
While the Career Coaching team prepares students for recruiting, the Employer Relations team connects students with potential recruiters and facilitates virtual and in-person interactions between students and employers. Their core responsibilities include building and maintaining relationships with hundreds of companies and recruiters each year and helping them organize campus recruiting initiatives. The team also helps organize company presentations, informal coffee chats between students and employers, and on-campus interviews. These efforts help employers build their brand among Ross students and identify top talent.
The Employer Relations team also collaborates with students and employers to plan career treks, which take Michigan Ross students on trips to explore careers and companies across the country. The team works with students to determine the companies and locations of interest, then reaches out to companies to coordinate logistics and set expectations. The treks take place over one to four days, with students visiting multiple companies to network with representatives and get a first-hand feel for company culture and what life would be like in that location.
Reaching more employers, inspiring more paths
According to Byrne, the recruitment landscape has shifted in recent years. Companies now conduct more interviews and coffee chats virtually, and many major employers no longer limit themselves to recruiting at specific schools. For that reason, the CDO has been working to expand its network of companies to connect students with a broader range of employers and educate them about career paths beyond the most well-known companies.
“The market is changing, and we want students to have more options,” said Byrne. “It’s not just McKinsey & Co., Bain, Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft, and Amazon – there are a lot of other amazing companies out there that students don’t know about. We want to get those companies on their radar and share with them the great opportunities that may be out there.”
Looking ahead, the CDO hopes to expand its team and develop relationships with more employers. By growing their outreach and resources, they can continue to help students find purposeful work and succeed in an evolving job market.
