Jordan Hobbs

You can support Michigan Athletics Career Center programming through the Champions Fund. For more information on the Champions Fund, click here.

Women's basketball guard Jordan Hobbs has had a phenomenal career at the University of Michigan. A senior from Springboro, Ohio, Hobbs started all 34 games in 2023-24 as a junior, reaching double figures 19 times. She earned Academic All-Big Ten honors her junior and sophomore years, excelling both on and off the court. Enrolled in the Ross School of Business, majoring in business administration, Hobbs has utilized University and athletic department resources to their fullest extent to enhance her experience in Ann Arbor.

One such resource that Hobbs has actively used is the Michigan Athletics Career Center (MACC). The career center's mission statement emphasizes the importance of career development for University of Michigan student-athletes through their Four Tenants of Development: Engage, Educate, Connect and Experience. MACC offers numerous services for student-athletes to create a unique experience and cater to their individual needs and interests. These services range from career counseling, interview preparation, to providing networking opportunities and career venture trips.

Maurice Washington, Assistant Athletic Director of the Michigan Athletics Career Center and Alumni Engagement, and Julie Fielding, the MACC Assistant Director have played an integral role in the professional development of Michigan student-athletes, including Hobbs.

“I work with student-athletes everyday, whether that's one-on-one appointments, events, workshops or team sessions,” said Fielding. “The bulk of the job is working with athletes to navigate whatever it is they need in the career space.”

MACC is focused on creating experience-based learning opportunities so they can have first-hand knowledge to inform their professional development decisions. Hobbs became involved in the career center after seeing the benefits it provided for her teammates. So she set up a meeting with Fielding. They have worked closely together on professional development, and last year, Hobbs was selected to participate in the New York City Career Venture trip.

“I saw my teammates on the Career Venture trip, and I knew I needed to do that,” said Hobbs. “It was very fun, but there were also a lot of positives with networking and getting my foot in the door.”

Currently, MACC holds five Career Venture trips annually to New York, Miami, Minnesota, Chicago and Washington, DC. During each trip, student-athletes get to visit alumni and numerous businesses, while experiencing the city they are in. These trips help them make connections, participate firsthand in the careers they are interested in and see how they function. After the trips, they submit reflections on the experience and provide feedback on how to improve the trip for future student-athletes. The MACC is constantly working towards creating and developing unique opportunities for student-athletes to prepare them for a future filled with passion and excitement.

The Career Venture connected Hobbs with the CEO of Alternative Investment Management (AIM 13) Jon Harris, a University of Michigan alumnus and donor. This summer, she was able to spend six weeks in New York interning for him, which she enjoyed.

“It was great,” Hobbs said. “I got to meet a bunch of people who were in private equity and hedge funds and small private companies, and got a ton of hands-on experience with how investments work,” said Hobbs. “I also went to some Michigan events and it was very cool to meet alumni. Living in New York was a great experience, especially coming from a small town.”

Because of her demanding schedule with basketball, Jordan was unable to do a full internship in New York. She was able to return to Ann Arbor and report for team training, and complete the rest of her internship remotely, which MACC helped set up. The MACC helps connect student-athletes with employers and recruiters, along with setting up micro-internships that can accommodate them.

“We work a lot with employer partners on creating unique experiences that will fit into the schedule of our student-athletes,” says Fielding. “We never want them to miss out on anything because of their schedules. We are focused on creating experiences that are accessible and doable.”

The MACC helps to ensure student-athletes are not left behind when it comes to their professional development because of their demanding and complicated schedules. Many student-athletes, like Hobbs, do not have their entire summers off and are of course stretched thin during the academic year.

“We don't want student-athletes to miss out on experiential learning opportunities because they give so much of themselves to their sports,” says Fielding. “We work with companies all year round, so student-athletes gain experience throughout the year, not just in the summer. Our student-athletes are very goal-oriented, but they have logistical challenges, such as with their schedules, and we helped them overcome these barriers so they don't miss out on anything.”

These opportunities are integral in providing student-athletes with a chance to develop skills needed in professional environments, and finding what they are truly passionate about outside of their sport. For Hobbs, the internship helped guide her towards what she might truly want to do after college.

“I realized I might not specifically want to go into finance, but I really enjoyed working with Excel and the number side of things,” said Hobbs. “I learned a lot of things that will guide me in the right direction for the career I want. I want to work within sports, and I am working with Julie to get my foot in the door with companies.”

Hobbs, and other student-athletes, use MACC beyond internships, such as setting up networking calls with companies. The career center has served as a guiding hand to help them find what careers they want to pursue, and connect them to opportunities.

“They work with you from step one in finding those passions, getting a job, resumes and networking,” says Hobbs. “They truly see it all the way through and are so deliberate in helping everyone out, making sure to be there every step of the way.”

MACC has even worked with athletes after graduation when they may make career pivots. The first step in reaping the benefits of the MACC is getting involved and deciding what resources to utilize.

“I always tell student-athletes, 'Fail to plan, plan to fail,'” says Fielding. “Be proactive and utilize the resources we have here at Michigan because they are unlike anywhere else.”

Whether it's through networking, one-on-one counseling or mentorship programs, MACC prioritizes professional development in a personalized way. The incredible staff is dedicated to creating opportunities for student-athletes, especially through the Michigan alumni community. If you are interested in supporting the Michigan Athletics Career Center, more information can be found at support.mgoblue.com and macc.ath.umich.edu.