By Christopher Sell
Chris serves as a member of the Career Services team at Western Michigan University, and is an alumnus of WMU (’07) and Michigan State University (’10). In his spare time, he loves to go running, camping, and backpacking throughout western and northern Michigan. To learn more about his professional work, visit www.christophersell.com or follow him on Twitter @WMUBronco_Chris.
I am excited to be a part of Michigan’s comeback.
I grew up and spent most of my life in Michigan. I studied at two of the 15 wonderful public universities in Michigan, so it’s natural that I would have an affinity to the state shaped like a mitten. But it’s more than that. Things are changing, and I am excited to contribute.
I do not have to look far to see the signs of a dramatic resurgence. Recent tax reform at the state level is making Michigan a competitive marketplace for seasoned business owners and emerging entrepreneurs:
- Grand Rapids is home to nationally-renowned traditions like Art Prize and LaughFest.
- Communities like Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor are drawing the attention of young professionals looking for charm, fun, and an enduring spirit of walkable urbanism.
- The Lansing region was just cited as the nation’s leader for fostering manufacturing growth since the end of the recession.
- Artists, innovators in technology, and stewards of the creative class are helping transform Detroit into the envy of the Midwest.
Michigan’s revitalization is not just around the corner. It’s happening now.
Today’s college students will be the workforce champions of tomorrow, so we must create environments lucrative to college grads and showcase the myriad opportunities for living, working, and playing in the new economy. Young professionals are not just interested in a job. They also want to work in a community that offers urban housing, great shopping, and a sleek public transportation system.
As a state we must illuminate companies and cities in Michigan as favorable destinations for Generation Y.
Our team at Western Michigan University Career Services is partnering with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to help engage college students and young alumni in several programs focused on highlighting Michigan communities rich with jobs and opportunities for living, working, and playing.
For the past year, we have promoted LiveWorkDetroit! to our students, a reoccurring day-long program that showcases Detroit as a destination for young job seekers looking for a vibrant community. The Great Lakes Bay Region and the Holland/Zeeland communities have partnered with the MEDC to host Pure Michigan Opportunity events– programs similar to LiveWorkDetroit. Our team has promoted both events and actually driven students to and from the program.
We also recently added content to our web site for Pure Michigan Talent Connect, the state’s new portal for job seekers and employers, to better align our services with state initiatives. 
This March, we will be taking WMU engineering students on our first annual Michigan Industry Road Trip, giving our students a chance to tour industry-leading companies, practice networking skills, and learn about the incredible opportunities that find genesis in Michigan.
As a college educator, I am a first-hand witness to the incredible work of our state’s teachers, professors, and university administrators in readying students for the workforce. And as a native Michigander, I’m very encouraged by the progress our state is making.
I cannot wait to see what is yet to come!
