Zhang Career Center

Student talking with employer at career fair

About the Zhang Career Center

At the Zhang Career Center, our goal is to empower you to successfully launch your career. You will have access to innovative, relevant programming that is focused on teaching you the professional readiness skills you’ll need to stand out—both as a candidate and an employee.

Focused on meeting the needs of both students and employers, customer service is the center's priority. Partnering with global, regional and local organizations that hire WMU Haworth students, the Zhang Career Center is focused on valuable connections.

The center is housed within Schneider Hall, giving you easy access to a wealth of career services. Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang have made a generous gift to support ongoing operations, recognizing the importance of this resource for WMU Haworth students.

Haworth College of Business
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5457 USA
(269) 387-5050

Career advising services

Career advising is available to all undergraduate and graduate business students, as well as recent alumni who are pursuing their first professional position after graduation. Visit the center for assistance in your career development, including career planning and answering questions. To schedule an appointment, call (269) 387-2711, email us at @email or use our online scheduling portal.

Internships

Photo of student gesturing at a white board

Experience-driven learning will be a core part of your business education. That means you will have many opportunities inside and outside the classroom to hone your skills, learn from mentors and refine your career path.

That's why internships are something you should consider! Internships provide valuable, real-world experience, and they also give employers the chance to meet and nurture the next generation of employees. If you are a student interested in an internship, contact your department to get started.   

If your organization is interested in hiring an intern from WMU Haworth, please click below or call our employer relations representative at (269) 387-2729. 

Request internship information

Meet Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang

Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang both earned graduate degrees from Western Michigan University. Together they manage Zhang Financial, a leading, nationally ranked, fee-only wealth management firm based in Michigan. The Zhangs have generously donated more than $1 million to the Zhang Career Center in the Haworth College of Business. The Zhangs’ vision for the center is to help promote, inspire and develop professionalism in current WMU students so that they may apply knowledge in their communities, becoming leaders and innovators.

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Leaders in philanthropy

With their hearts rooted in Kalamazoo, the Zhangs enjoy giving back both time and resources to their alma mater and community. The Zhangs are supporters of many University programs, including Miller Auditorium, the Department of Economics, the Academically Talented Youth Program in the Office of Precollege Programming, the Medallion Scholarship Program, the Zhang Financial Room in Heritage Hall, and additional programs at WMU Haworth. They were also the major donors for the Zhang Legacy Collections Center, opened on WMU’s campus in 2013. Lynn Chen-Zhang serves on the WMU Board of Trustees and is also president of the WMU Foundation Board of Directors. Charles Zhang has served as an adjunct professor of finance at WMU.

Learn more about the Zhangs’ philanthropy.

Leaders in financial advising

Charles Zhang is founder and president of Zhang Financial and has consistently been ranked the No. 1 financial advisor in Michigan by Barron’s and Forbes for several years. Barron’s also named Charles Zhang the No. 4 ranked advisor on its list of America’s Top Wealth Advisors for 2023. Additionally, and he is the highest ranked fee-only, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors-registered financial advisor on that list.*

Lynn Chen-Zhang serves as CEO and chief compliance officer with Zhang Financial. She has been recognized by Barron’s as one of the nation’s top 100 women financial advisors.* Additionally, she was named to Investopedia’s list of the top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisors of 2023.

Both Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang are often quoted in national media sources including CNBC, the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s.

*All rankings have specific criteria and methodologies. Complete disclosures are available through Zhang Financial.

 

Partnering with employers

At the Zhang Career Center, we work hard to get our students ready for their careers. We also work hard to connect them with employers who are hiring. That's where you come in! Your company can benefit from the talents and career readiness of our WMU Haworth students.  Our curriculum is focused on experience-driven learning, giving students the skills they need to quickly step into their field and succeed.

Our employer relations representative can consult with you on designing a recruiting strategy tailored to your needs. We also host a variety of career fairs during the year for students in all fields. (See below for details).

 

Request career fair information
Student poses with Tony the Tiger at Business Externship event

Career fairs

Companies from southwest Michigan, throughout the state and across the nation will attend the fair to promote their organizations and recruit WMU candidates for internship, co-op, part-time and full-time positions in digital marketing and advertising. 

The Government and Nonprofit Job Fair, held in person at the WMU Student Center on main campus, brings government entities and nonprofit organizations to campus that are recruiting candidates from all WMU colleges, majors and programs.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is organized by WMU Career and Student Employment Services. For more information regarding the Government and Nonprofit Career Fair, please contact Career and Student Employment Services at (269) 387-2745.

Companies from southwest Michigan, throughout the state and across the nation will attend the fair to promote their organizations and recruit WMU candidates for internship, co-op, part-time and full-time positions. 

Companies from southwest Michigan, throughout the state and across the nation will attend the fair to promote their organizations and recruit WMU candidates for internship, co-op, part-time and full-time positions in supply chain management. 

Join us to learn what to do at a virtual career fair and how to achieve your goals for a career fair visit; topics related to job or internship search and personal branding will be discussed.

Companies from various industries from southwest Michigan, throughout the state and across the nation will attend the fair to promote their organizations and recruit WMU candidates for internship, co-op, part-time and full-time positions.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is organized by WMU Career and Student Employment Services. For more information regarding this Career Fair, please contact Career and Student Employment Services at (269) 387-2745.