Year in Review
Career Center 2025-2026
Events and Attendees
Career Fairs
We hosted 10 career fairs during the 2025-2026 academic year and saw great attendance!
- General Interest and Business Fair (fall and spring)
- Technical and Engineering Fair (fall and spring)
- Education Interview Day (fall and spring)
- Co-op Interview Day (fall and spring)
- Next Steps in Nursing Fair (fall)
- Alabama in April Fair (spring)
"The career fair was organized very professionally, giving me the opportunity to connect with and learn about many reputable companies."
By the Numbers
We saw our largest numbers yet at the career fairs this year. Attendance for the General Interest and Business fair was up 50% year-over-year and up 33% year-over-year for the Technical and Engineering fair.
General Interest and Business, Technical and Engineering Fairs 2025-2026
- Students attended: 12,789
- Employers attended: 507
- Students participating in day-after interviews: 563
Co-op Interview Days 2025-2026
- Students attended: 340
- Employers attended: 108
Our students are champions of their careers. Across both the fall and spring Co-op Interview Days, 256 offers were extended to 300 unique students, and 135 offers were accepted!
Education Interview Days 2025-2026
- Students attended: 233
- Employers attended: 81
This spring, we hosted the inaugural Education Engagement Day, where students had the opportunity to engage beforehand with the school districts participating in Education Interview Day!
Education Engagement Day offered students the chance to perform mock interviews and network throughout the day.
Alabama in April Fair 2026
- Students attended: 323
- Employers attended: 38
This event was another inaugural event from the spring semester. This fair was designed for students who were still actively seeking summer internships, full-time roles, or post-graduation employment towards the end of the spring semester.
This fair built connections with Alabama companies to allow students another way to find summer opportunities across all industries.
Networking Mixers
Across 15 networking events, over 1,000 students were able to learn more about companies and their opportunities during the 2025-2026 academic year! This was a 19% increase in attendance year-over-year.
"There were great opportunities for career advancement and internships, and there were a variety of companies represented. Overall, a great event, thank you."
- Career Fair Connections
- Hospitality
- Sport Management Industry
- Design and Merchandising
- Broadcasters at Bama
- Connect in Media: Hearst Television
- Navigating Law School and Legal Careers
- Health and Social Services
- MedSales
- Cybersecurity
- Careers in Science
- Careers in Communications
- Beyond the Badge: Criminal Justice
- Co-op Interview Day Pre-Networking
- Education Engagement Day
Networking mixers allow for a more casual opportunity for students to network with and meet employers across different industries, creating an environment that allows industry professionals to meet students where they are.
"Wonderfully organized! I was extremely impressed with the overall quality of the students. Very prepared and engaging!"
Signature Events
Chill with Handshake
Handshake and Google Gemini came to campus and provided free ice cream and swag to students to kick off the new school year.
This event was a fun way for students to not only celebrate the new semester, but also learn more about Handshake and how to use it to champion their careers!
Excellence in Etiquette Dinner
During this event, students were able to network with employers and learn more about dining etiquette over a three-course meal.
49 students and 10 employers were able to enjoy a great night of conversation and education.
"I really enjoyed this event! It was put together extremely well, and I learned a lot. I know this will be helpful later on in life, and the Career Center did a fantastic job replicating a fine dining experience (multiple courses, wait staff, etc.). It really brings everything to life when it truly feels like you're at a restaurant!"
Lockheed Martin New Talent Reception
To celebrate the incoming summer 2026 interns and full-time employees, Lockheed Martin hosted a New Talent Reception in collaboration with the Career Center. Here, Lockheed Martin's new talent was able to network with key Lockheed Martin personnel and hear from UA alum Jalen Drummond, the VP for Corporate Affairs and International Communications at Lockheed Martin.
This was a wonderful way to wrap up the spring semester and generate excitement for the upcoming summer!
Michelin Summer Intern Signing Day
This fun event helped create excitement for the incoming summer interns at Michelin! At this event, these five-star recruits signed their certificates alongside a Michelin representative to celebrate their upcoming internships.
These students were also able to network with Michelin employees to build relationships ahead of starting their summer internships.
Programs
Our career consultants host programming workshops and classroom presentations to directly reach students and provide another avenue to learn professional development and career readiness skills.
Over the 2025-2026 academic year, our career consultants hosted 471 workshops and classroom presentations, reaching over 9,000 students!
Workshops and classroom presentations make up a large percentage of the total events hosted by the Career Center, so they are an integral part of making an impact.
"The overall workshop was extremely valuable! Learning about the Career Center and how much it has to offer is very helpful in alleviating stress."
Career Center programming covers a variety of topics, from career readiness topics like resumes and interviews to professional development topics like leadership styles, salary negotiation, and wellness in your career.
We meet students where they are to ensure they are ready to champion their careers by the time they graduate.
"The presenter gave many actionable tips which helped me find concrete techniques to use in my interviews."
Satellite Offices
Culverhouse Career Center
Highlights
The Culverhouse Career Center had another great year helping students champion their careers! This satellite office hosted 20 workshops and panels, along with an additional 14 walk-in resume sessions.
Employer connections are important in the business world, so Career Center staff were able to arrange for 63 employer events during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Live, Work, Play Immersion Trip to Huntsville
The Culverhouse Career Center led an immersive visit to Huntsville, Alabama, where 14 students explored the city, made connections and discovered career opportunities.
In addition to site visits at the Huntsville Chamber, Booz Allen and City Hall, students had the chance to network with local alumni and industry professionals at the Culverhouse Executives Society event before returning to campus.
Students appreciated the exposure to this beautiful and diverse Alabama city, and they did an excellent job representing themselves, Culverhouse and UA to alumni and industry partners.
Culverhouse to Corporate Panel and Networking
Culverhouse students attended an alumni panel focused on career journeys from college to the working world.
Panelists from Oakworth Capital Bank, Diversified Energy Company, Merit Bank, Phifer, Inc. and Regions shared their experiences and advice with 43 current business students. Following the panel, attendees participated in open networking and enjoyed refreshments while building meaningful relationships.
The event provided timely and valuable preparation for larger networking events, such as the career fair.
Prepare for the Fair Employer Panel
20 business students joined the Culverhouse Career Center for an employer panel featuring recruiters from Tractor Supply, Fast Enterprises and Dell Technologies.
Panelists shared best practices for engaging with employers and described what to expect at the career fair.
Following the Q&A, students took advantage of open networking to learn more about specific opportunities with each organization.
Engineering Career Development Center
Highlights
The Engineering Career and Development Center (ECDC) had another great year helping students champion their careers! This satellite office hosted 20 workshops. ECDC staff were able to arrange for 129 employer events during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Co-op
Tailgate
12 companies that participate in the Crimson Co-op program gathered for a tailgate on the engineering quad.
249 students were able to learn firsthand from these employers what their co-op programs look like and to gain an understanding of the high value these companies place on the cooperative education experience in a fun setting.
One employer even engaged students with Frisbee tosses!
Welcome Back
Co-op
Students returning from a semester (or more) away from campus can have a few struggles with "re-entry." To help students reconnect and strengthen their sense of belonging, we host a dinner and game night early each semester.
The students form teams and answer career-related questions chosen by our fantastic ambassadors who design and run the event.
79 students were able to enjoy this welcome-back event!
Maritime Industry
Immersion Trip
25 engineering students were selected through a competitive process to participate in a two-day Gulf Coast industry immersion trip executed through a partnership between the Career Center, the Styslinger College of Engineering and Build Giants.
Students visited the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, where they learned about life in Mobile, Alabama and Mobile's plans from the Mayor. They also participated in company tours of Austal, Birdon, HII Ingall's and Bollinger. The students were very inquisitive and asked great probing questions to each company.
15 of the attending students are now serving as ambassadors for the Build Giants initiative.
The Career Center at C&IS
Highlights
The Career Center at C&IS also had another great year helping students champion their careers! This satellite office hosted nine workshops and partnered with Tisch Student Services in a variety of college initiatives, such as Capstone Communication Day and an industry immersion trip to New Orleans!
Work-Life Balance
Workshop
This session focused on equipping students with practical strategies to sustain long-term academic and professional success through intentional well-being practices.
Key areas included stress management, boundary setting and the development of sustainable productivity habits.
The session engaged 25 students and incorporated personal insights alongside actionable frameworks to enhance impact.
Lock In with LinkedIn Workshop
Designed to strengthen students’ professional digital presence, this workshop emphasized strategic networking, personal branding and effective platform utilization.
Participants received guidance on optimizing their profiles and increasing engagement through intentional content and connections.
The session hosted 15 students with a strong focus on real-time application and skill-building.
Intern-to-Employee Pipeline Workshop
This session addressed the critical transition from internship to full-time employment, outlining strategies for performance excellence, relationship-building and positioning oneself as a high-value candidate.
With six students in attendance, the session provided targeted, high-impact guidance, supported by firsthand experience and proven strategies for conversion success.
Student Reach
Total Consultant Appointments
Helping students is what we're about! Career Center advisors held 7,226 appointments over the academic year! One-on-one appointments allow the Career Center to provide curated advice to students on their unique career path.
"I got very constructive feedback and am very satisfied with the experience."
One-on-one appointments are where students can not only get tailored advice about career readiness, but also take advantage of our resources, such as our professional clothing closet and headshot photobooth!
"I got really great advice today that has cleared up some doubts I had about my plans for the future. Will recommend 100%!"
Career Center Resources
The Career Center provides a variety of resources to assist students and alumni with self-assessment, career exploration, and job search strategies.
Career Outcomes: First Destination
The First Destination Survey (FDS) is a nationally recognized tool used to capture information about how college graduates fare in their careers within six months of graduation.
This summary of salary and job placement information from the spring 2025 FDS is compiled by the Career Center to identify ways to improve our services.
For the Class of May 2025, 83% of students reported on one or more of the following areas addressed in the FDS.
Starting Salaries
Respondents of the May 2025 graduating class reported an average $65,429 starting salary! This rate includes both full-time and part-time salaries.
Immediate Plans
- 94% overall rate of positive outcomes
- 58% of respondents have found employment (full- or part-time)
- 33% of respondents planned to attend graduate or professional school
- 2% of respondents planned for military or volunteerism work
- 6% of respondents were still seeking
- 1% of respondents were not seeking
Top 10 Destinations
- Alabama
- Texas
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Illinois
- New York
- North Carolina
- California
- South Carolina
Of the graduates who listed a destination location, 46% reported they were staying in Alabama to work or continue their education.
Top Employers
- Lockheed Martin
- Dell Technologies
- Goosehead Insurance
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
- The University of Alabama
- Regions Bank
- Amazon
- Children's of Alabama
- Morgan Stanley
- The Walt Disney Company
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Insight Global
- Oracle
- UAB Hospital
- AT&T
Live Dashboards
Our collection process takes six months for each graduating class. For more up-to-date information, check out our Career Outcomes Summary.
Champion Partners
We appreciate our Career Champion Partners for their continued support of our students!
Aldi
We had a wonderful immersion trip to the Gulf Coast Region Headquarters for ALDI in Loxley, Alabama! This immersive experience offered a behind-the-scenes look at ALDI's operations and highlighted their paid Summer Warehouse Internship.
Lockheed Martin
To celebrate the summer 2026 interns and full-time hires, Lockheed Martin hosted UA students for a New Talent Reception. Students were able to connect with their hiring and management team at this reception.
Norfolk Southern
In February 2026, Norfolk Southern spent a day on campus connecting with students through tabling, lunch and learns, and employer info sessions. Students across campus were able to have multiple touchpoints to engage with Norfolk Southern recruiters.
Michelin
In addition to "Rolling Through Michelin", Michelin also hosted a signing day during spring 2026 to engage with students. This event celebrated the summer 2026 incoming interns and allowed them to network with each other and other employees at the Michelin plant.
Shipt
Shipt spent the week of the career fairs engaging on campus across a wide variety of programs, including information sessions, crash courses, lunch and learns, student organization presentations and faculty engagement.
Contact Us
Want to learn more about us? Visit the Career Center website!
Students: Book your appointments by visiting Handshake.
Be sure to stay updated on all things Career Center by following us on socials (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn).