Immersions with the University Career Center

images of cities and employer logos

SEE THE SPACE  |  MEET THE PEOPLE  | DO THE JOB 

An Employer Immersion is a unique opportunity to learn about an industry by visiting an organization's workplace. In a small group setting (20-30), students will engage with professionals, be welcomed by staff, tour the company and explore their interests by experiencing a typical workday. In other terms, you'll be able to 'See the space. Meet the people. Do the job!'

Immersions are half-day, on-site trips to companies and organizations. Each semester the University Career Center regularly hosts Immersions focused on a diverse range of industries. 

Students have the chance to ask questions to professionals in the field, go “behind the scenes” of a fashion boutique, work through a case study, role play real world problems, develop a PR pitch, create a business plan, network with Michigan alums, and find out about potential job and internship opportunities.

Since Immersions started in 2008, students have explored more than 30 different types of industries through visiting over 200 companies. Immersions have been hosted in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Detroit, D.C., Denver, Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City.

NOTE: Due to the high interest of students to attend Immersions, students may be limited to only attending one immersion per calendar year.  

 

Questions? Email [email protected] 

To apply for an Immersion, search the "Events" section of Handshake for "Immersion" to see all upcoming Immersions and then click on the specific Immersion event to find details and the application. Next, click "join event" and then a survey will prompt you to fill out an application for the Immersion event. Students will be notified of the status of their application before the event. By filling out an application for an Immersion, you are confirming your attendance to the event should you be selected. 

THREE WAYS AN IMMERSION WILL FAST-TRACK YOUR CAREER DECISION

students on Citi Field - NY Mets

To start, Immersions are a unique experience for UM students. It is not every day you get to see the inside of a company. So if you're reading this already, you're one of the lucky ones because when we say this is a special opportunity, we mean it. By attending an Immersion, you will have the opportunity to - 'See the space. Meet the people. Do the job.'

What An Immersion Is

1. 'See the space': See If It’s A Place You Would Fit Into

There are tons of questions to consider when thinking about the work culture, environment, and company values that are often hard to know without seeing it for yourself.

Think you would like working in a cubicle every day? Are you more of an “open office” type with no walls? Maybe you realize you’d hate the idea of an office altogether. Could you work in a place that has constant noise, tons of collaboration and the potential of getting blind-sided by a nerf gun or would you rather have quiet spaces, independent projects, and a lot of travel? 

2. 'Meet the people': Get A Clear Understanding Of What A Job Is Really Like – From People Who Do It Every Day

An Immersion is experiencing an actual day in the working world from inside the office and through the stories of real employees. It’s going to Starcom MediaVest Group and learning from past UM Alumni by asking questions, learning how the company functions, seeing what the culture is like, and sitting down with real people with real experience to tell you the reality of working in marketing. 

An Immersion can help you take a next step and get ahead of your peers through networking and building connections.

You can ask the UM Alumni, current employees, or recruiters that often lead Immersions for tips on how to prepare in your undergrad to apply. Ask what they look for in applicants. What did they do before working at Starcom? What was their major? Here their stories and get their advice!

3. 'Do the job': Experience the work - Engage in a 'typical work day' activity 

Immersion visits will provide students with the opportunity to experience part of an actual job of a company. Let's say you're learning about sales roles within a company- they might engage you in a mini sales academy to teach you the top three tips to close a deal. If you're exploring a trading company, you might sit in on a mock trading floor to experience what the fast-paced work would feel like. You could even be asked to brainstorm a new product to be added to a company line- and the list goes on! In doing so, you will be able to gain a true sense of the work to help inform future career making decisions. 

Then when you return to campus, don’t forget to follow up! Ask for their card. Send a thank you. Add them on LinkedIn and really take advantage of meeting them face-to-face. Building your professional network will set you a part in the long run so make the most of your experience! You never know whom the people you meet may know or how they can open up opportunities for you so be intentional.

Check out this video to get a glimpse of a recent Immersion to Chicago!

 

PAST IMMERSIONS

Immersions began in 2008 as an opportunity for students to get a first-hand experience in their field of interest. 

Beginning primarily in southeast Michigan and Chicago, students were able to explore their interests and experience a "day in the life" of an employee in order to take steps in clarifying their career goals.

Immersions have now spread from the Ann Arbor/Detroit to cities on both U.S. coasts and the program is continuing to expand to new states each year. 

See below for all the companies students' have visited since 2008! 

Previous Immersions

2024-2025

2023-2024

2022-2023

2019-2020

2018-2019

2017-2018

  • Cayman Chemical Company (Biotechnology) Ann Arbor, MI
  • Jellyvision, Lieberman Research Worldwide & HS2 Solutions (Marketing) Chicago, IL 
  • United Airlines & Nielsen (Finance) Chicago, IL 
  • ProQuest (Finance) Ann Arbor, MI 
  • Federal Court & U of D Mercy Law School (Law) Detroit, MI
  • Sleeping Bear Press (Publishing) Ann Arbor, MI 
  • Leo Burnett (Advertising) Troy, MI 
  • McKinsey & Company - graduate students (Consulting) Detroit, MI 
  • Ford - PhD students (Data Science) Dearborn, MI
  • Xenith (Sports) Detroit, MI 
  • DocNetwork (Start-up) Ann Arbor, MI
  • Clean Water Action Michigan (Non for profit) Ann Arbor, MI
  • MuleSoft, CapTech, & Turner (A TimeWarner Company) (Technology/Media) Atlanta, GA 
  • Office of Justice Programs with the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine, and the Partnership for Public Service (Government/Policy) Washington, D.C. 
  • The Atlanta Braves & the Atlanta Hawks (Sports) Atlanta, GA 
  • Ally Financial (Finance) Detroit, MI
  • Quicken Loans (HR) Detroit, MI
  • Belvedere Trading, Optiver, & Wolverine Trading Chicago, IL
  • Cramer-Krasselt, Havas & Morningstar Chicago, IL 
  • Michigan Humanities Council Lansing MI 
  • Macy's, UNIQLO & Hulu New York, New York 
  • Digitas, Publicis & ABC New York, New York 
  • Converse, Hubspot & Wayfair - Boston, MA
  • Wayfair, BU School of Law & Small Army - Boston, MA

2016-2017

  • Meijer (Retail), Grand Rapids, MI
  • State Capitol, Attorney General's Office, & Clark Hill Law Firm (Law/Government), Lansing, MI
  • gyro and Walker Sands (Advertising/Marketing/PR), Chicago, IL
  • Groupon and Pinterest (Technology), Chicago, IL
  • Detroit Red Wings (Sports/Sales), Detroit, MI
  • NewPath Consulting (Consulting), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Shinola (Fashion), Detroit, MI
  • Quicken Loans (Investment Banking), Detroit, MI
  • Google (Technology), Ann Arbor, MI
  • DocNetwork (Technology/Health), Ann Arbor, MI
  • SS Digital Media (Digital Advertising), Troy, MI
  • Coyote Logistics (Supply Chain/Sales), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Amway (Engineering), Ada, MI
  • Michigan Opera Theater (Arts Administration), Detroit, MI
  • National League of Cities (Government), Washington, DC
  • Dyson, The Kraft Heinz Company, VillageMD (Electronics, Food & Beverage, & Healthcare), Chicago, IL
  • Public Communications Inc. & Rise Interactive (PR & Digital Marketing), Chicago, IL
  • Bloomingdale's & Red Frog Events (Fashion & Event Planning), Chicago, IL
  • Doner (Advertising), Southfield, MI
  • The Boston Consulting Group (Consulting), Troy, MI
  • MSU College of Veterinary Medicine (Veterinary), East Lansing, MI
  • Domino's (Food & Beverage), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Google (Technology), Ann Arbor, MI
  • ProQuest (Technology), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Altarum Institute (Public Health), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Enzo Life Sciences (Biotechnology), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Belvedere Trading, Optiver, & BP (Trading/Finance) Chicago, IL 
  • HBC & TJX (Fashion/Retail) New York, NY 
  • Ebay & Meltwater Technology) New York, NY 
  • Madison Square Garden & Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (Sports) New York, NY 

2015-2016

  • Guerrero Howe and Trunk Club (Fashion/Publishing/Sales), Chicago IL
  • StarCom  and Energy BBDO (Marketing/Advertising), Chicago Illinois
  • Quicken Loans (Finance), Detroit MI
  • Ann Arbor SPARK (Entrepreneur, Information Technology, Start-ups), Ann Arbor MI
  • Domino's Corporate Headquarters, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Spectrum Health (Healthcare Industry), Grand Rapids, MI
  • Google (Information Technology, Business), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Collabera (Staffing, Recruiting), Detroit, MI
  • DocNetwork (Healthcare & Technology), Ann Arbor, MI
  • Craftsy (Start-up, Technology), and DISH Network (Business, Technology), Denver CO - Spring Break
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pro Bono Institute, and Partnership for Public Service (Federal/Public Service), Washington DC - Spring Break
  • Teach for America and City Year (Nonprofit), Chicago, IL - Spring Break
  • Jellyvision and Yahoo (Technology/Startup), Chicago, IL - Spring Break
  • DTE Energy (Sustainability, Engineering, Energy), Detroit, MI
  • Farmers Insurance (Finance, Actuarial), Grand Rapids, MI
  • Whirlpool (Engineering), Benton Harbor, MI
  • United Shore Financial (Business, Finance), Troy, MI
  • Quicken Loans (Finance, Marketing, Internships), Detroit, MI
  • Deloitte (Consulting), Detroit, MI
  • Saks Fifth Ave and Lord & Taylor (Fashion, Merchandising, Management), New York City
  • Anheuiser-Busch InBev, New York Islanders, New York Mets (Sales, Sports, Food&Bev), New York City
  • Citibank, Morgan Stanley, RBC (Finance), New York City
  • Bloomberg, Optimity Advisors (Consulting), New York City
  • Belevedere Trading, Morningstar, and BP (Finance, Trading), Chicago, IL

2014-2015 

  • Shinola (Luxury Goods Manufacturing) Detroit, MI
  • Guerrero Howe and Trunk Club (Fashion/Publishing) Chicago, IL
  • CBS Television Studios and Creative Arts Agency (CAA) (Careers in Entertainment) Los Angeles, CA
  • Energy BBDO and Weber Shandwick (Marketing, Advertising & PR) Chicago, IL
  • Deloitte (Consulting) Detroit, MI
  • Stryker Medical Technologies (Healthcare Technologies) Kalamazoo, MI
  • PwC (Accounting) Detroit, MI
  • Quicken Loans (Mortgage Banking) Detroit, MI
  • Domino's Pizza Corporate Headquarters (Corporate Management & Business Development) Ann Arbor, MI
  • Google (Digital Marketing and Sales) Ann Arbor, MI
  • Spectrum Health (Healthcare) Grand Rapids, MI
  • Groupon  and CEB (Sales & Account Management) Chicago, IL - Fall Break
  • Navigant and Morningstar (Finance & Consulting) Chicago, IL - Fall Break
  • Starcom MediaVest Group  and FCB Chicago (Marketing & Advertising) Chicago, IL - Fall Break
  • Spectrum Health, Transmatic, Haworth, Gen-tex, Steelcase and Amway (Business, IT, Engineering) Grand Rapids & Holland, MI 

  • ESPN, CBS, Bloomberg, 

    Thomson Reuters (Media) New York City, NY - Summer

  • Belvedere Trading, BP, Chicago Trading Company (Trading) Chicago, IL - Summer

2013 - 2014

  • CBS Television Studios (Entertainment) Los Angeles, CA - Summer
  • Decades Boutique and LACMA (Art/Fashion) Los Angeles, CA - Summer
  • Morgan Stanley and AIG (Finance/Insurance) New York, NY - Summer
  • Emanate PR (Public Relations) New York, NY - Summer
  • Facebook and Sirius XM Radio New York, NY - Summer
  • CBS News New York, NY - Summer 
  • Venture for America and Grand Circus (Start Up/Entrepreneurial) Detroit, MI
  • City Year Detroit (Education/Non-profit) Detroit, MI
  • Spectrum Health (Healthcare) Grand Rapids, MI
  • Moosejaw Corporate Headquarters (Retail/Sales) Madison Heights, MI
  • Deloitte Consulting (Consulting) Detroit, MI
  • Chicago Apartment Finders and CEB (Sales/Marketing) Chicago, IL - Spring Break
  • Morningstar and Laurus Strategies  (Finance/Consulting) Chicago, IL - Spring Break
  • Spectrum Health and Van Andel Institute (Health Science and Research) Grand Rapids, MI 
  • Domino's Pizza Corporate Headquarters (Corporate Management/Business Development) 
  • Google (Digital Marketing and Sales)
  • Teach for America (Non-Profit/Education)
  • Quicken Loans and Family of Companies (Mortgage Banking)
  • Booz & Co. and Navigant (Consulting) Chicago, IL - Fall Break
  • Starcom MediaVest Group and Ogilvy (Marketing/Advertising) Chicago, IL - Fall Break
  • Coyote and Total Quality Logistics (Logistics and Account Management) Chicago, IL - Fall Break
  • BP and PEAK6 (Finance and Trading) Chicago, IL - Summer 2013

2012-2013

  • CBS Television Studio and William Morris Endeavor Los Angeles, CA - Summer 2013
  • CBS News and ESPN (Television and Media) New York City, NY - Summer 2013
  • W Magazine/Conde Nast and Steve Madden (Fashion and Publishing) New York City, NY - Summer 2013
  • Odeon Capital and T3 Trading (Finance and Trading) New York City, NY - Summer 2013
  • BP and PEAK6 Investments (Finance and Trading) Chicago, IL
  • Starcom MediaVest Group and VivaKi (Media, Marketing and Advertising) Chicago, IL
  • Laurus Strategies and SymphonyIRI Group (Consulting) Chicago, IL
  • DRW Trading Group and PEAK6 Investments (Proprietary Trading) Chicago, IL 
  • Quicken Loans (Mortgage Banking)
  • Valassis (Marketing and Design)
  • Chrysler Group LLC (Automotive Industry)
  • Google (Digital Marketing and Sales) 
  • VivaKi (Marketing and Advertising)
  • Domino's (Domino's World Headquarters)
  • Edelman, Ogilvy, and Starcom MediaVest Group (PR, Marketing and Advertising) Chicago, IL - Spring Break 2013
  • Groupon and Red Frog Events (Entrepreneurial) Chicago, IL - Spring Break 2013 
  • Morningstar and PEAK6 Investments (Finance) Chicago, IL - Spring Break 2013
  • Deloitte (Consulting - Freshmen) 

2011-2012

  • BP (Trading and Finance)
  • Starcom and Red Frog Events (Marketing and Event Planning) 
  • Google (Sales and Digital Media)
  • KeyBank (Finance)
  • Valassis (Media, Marketing and Design) 
  • Target (Career Exploration)
  • Deloitte (Consulting)
  • AnnArbor.com (Journalism/Media)
  • UM Division of Student Affairs (Student Affairs)

2010-2011

  • Caterpillar (Technical Marketing)
  • Grainger (Supply Chain)
  • Stryker (Medical Supply - Engineering and Non-Technical Tracks) 
  • Domino's (Domino's World Headquarters)
  • Ghostly International, Various Music Industry Reps (Music Industry)
  • Ogilvy and San Jose Group (Advertising and Public Relations)
  • Detroit Institute of Arts (Careers in the Arts)
  • Apple Store (Brand/Retail Management) 

2009-2010

  • Optiver and Morningstar (Finance and Trading)
  • Root Learning (Consulting and Org Management)
  • American Cancer Society (Non-Profit/Event Planning)
  • DraftFCB and Starcom (Advertising and Marketing)
  • Domino's (Domino's World Headquarters)
  • Ann Arbor Tech Brewery (Entrepreneurial)
  • Citizen's/Hanover (Insurance)
  • Detroit Institute of Arts (Careers in Museums)
  • Biotronic (Careers in Science)

2008-2009

  • News America Marketing (Marketing)
  • Morningstar and Diamond Consulting, now part of PwC (Finance and Consulting)
  • Target (Human Resources)
  • Starcom and DraftFCB (Marketing and Advertising)
  • Michigan Radio (Journalism/Radio)
  • UM Genetic Counseling Program (Genetic Counseling)
  • Osteopathic Medicine (Local DO Practioner)
  • McKinsey & Company (Consulting)
  • Target (Retail Management Management) 
  • Progressive (Insurance) Cleveland, OH
  • Entrepreneurial (Local Entrepreneurs)