Earn the (M)Talent Distinction

This online free program is open to all students, with participants ranging from first-year to graduate students. When students join the Talent Gateway, they become part of a community that connects them to campus resources and helps them identify and engage with mentors as well as develop habits of self-reflection and critical thinking. By developing these habits of self-reflection, initiative and creativity, those who participate in the Talent Gateway are not only ready for their first professional position, but are more prepared to reinvent themselves throughout their careers.

One of the strengths of the Talent Gateway is that you can participate during your entire UM-Dearborn journey, working towards earning the (M)Talent distinction. If you get too busy, stop submitting challenges for a while and come back later!

The heart of the Talent Gateway program is our "challenges." In simplest terms, a challenge is a task – do this thing, think about that, go here – and then answer a variety of questions that prompt students to reflect on how that task impacts their academic, personal, and professional success. By completing these challenges, students gain - and learn to articulate - the soft skills that employers seek in today’s graduates.

Because the Talent Gateway is a web-based, virtual program, students can submit challenges any time, any where. They choose which challenges to work on, charting their own paths of professional development. Submissions are read and responded to by the Career Peers, who are upper level or graduate students. They are also available as peer mentors, helping students identify personal passions and interests, and discovering opportunities for personal and professional growth.

With each challenge submission, students earn points towards the (M)Talent distinction. Along the way, as students "level-up", they earn awards and digital badges. There are three levels of (M)Talent, each with a point threshold and a special challenge. Meet the point requirement to unlock that Impact Challenge, and then earn points for it to receive the awards associated for that level.

• (M)Talent Maize: 20,000 points; develop a challenge for other students to complete
• (M)Talent Blue: 35,000 points; reflect on the 10 career-ready competencies 
• (M)Talent: 50,000 points; present at the (M)Talent Showcase

Students who achieve the (M)Talent distinction are recognized at graduation as well as on their official transcript. This distinction identifies students who demonstrate the characteristics of an exceptional employee who has gained the professional skills needed to excel in any setting.

In addition to student participation in challenges and other events and activities, there are a number of ways for employers, faculty and staff to engage with the Talent Gateway:

• Share ideas that you think would be a great challenge or interview questions that we can incorporate into our Competency Capstones
• Engage as a mentor for a student
• Provide job shadowing, internship, or mock interview opportunities
• Attend the (M)Talent Showcase (usually held during the first full week of April and December)
• Contribute financially to support the (M)Talent Showcase, other networking events, or prizes/incentives for students

Contact talentgateway@umich.edu for more information about any of these opportunities.