As Director of Career Services Joanna Wisely met with employers to interest them in hiring Hillsdale College students, she said she found a similar theme. They said they wanted to hire more women.
So the career services office is holding an event with General Motors Company to equip future businesswomen with the tools to succeed. On Sept. 19 from noon to 1 p.m. in Dow Room H, the “Women in Business” lunch event will feature speakers discussing the ins and outs of pursuing a career in business as a female.
The idea for the event came not from a woman, but from a Hillsdale College alumnus. Michael Koziara ’15, who is a fix cost financial analyst at GM, said the company’s emphasis on both diversity and mentorship inspired the event. Plus, “discourse about personal life and career is very liberal arts,” he said.
Two guests from GM, Maria Bowles and Holly Mille, will speak, likely covering topics about flex time and balancing motherhood and career, Wisely said.
Bowles, who works in global finance talent management, said she is excited about speaking because, when she was a young professional, she heard a piece of advice from an older career woman that she’ll never forget.
“As a female, it’s okay to step back for a little while and focus on what is important, and my career will be waiting for me,” she said.
Wisely is encouraging women to sign up on Handshake, career services’ online platform, though men may still attend. A maximum of 60 spots are available.
Senior Mackenzie Dickhudt, an economics major, was one of the first students to sign up for the event. She said she wants to learn more about the business world from professionals who are already a part of it.
“I am inspired by success stories — women who have grown in and through their role at a company,” she said. “I always love hearing the stories behind careers.”
