The University of Alabama’s Career Center is the go-to hub for preparing for the job market and discovering career-shaping opportunities. Whether a student is beginning their first year, approaching graduation or enjoying alumni status, the Career Center provides free services designed to support success at and beyond the Capstone.
From résumé help to interview prep, the Career Center provides tools that help build confidence, make connections, and take your next steps with purpose.
Career Planning Resources
Connect with Opportunities on Handshake
Handshake functions as UA’s online platform for job and internship listings. Through this tool, students can browse open positions, register for career fairs and schedule on-campus interviews. Handshake also allows students to build rich profiles and enjoy continual personalization of career recommendations based on interests and connections.
Explore Career Possibilities with Focus2 and Steppingblocks
Focus 2 is an online, interactive career-planning platform designed to help students make decisions about their future career goals and education plans. The system’s layout is designed to walk students through the first steps of their professional planning process with quick exercises, surveys and career comparisons.
Steppingblocks is another tool designed to help students consider potential career paths. The platform provides students with access to a 20-question personality assessment, a career path explorer, an institutional outcomes explorer and a tuition analyzer.
Plan your path with the Career Guide
The Career Guide offers foundational information for students beginning the career‑planning process. It includes guidance on selecting a major, examples of résumés and cover letters, as well as advice on networking and interviewing. The guide serves as an accessible introduction to essential career‑development concepts.
Preparation and Presentation
Stand out with a Strong Résumé
The Career Center guides students step by step through the résumé-building process while providing a variety of samples and tips. Students can also receive direct feedback on their résumés by uploading them to VMock or by meeting with an in-person career consultant. Appointments for in-person reviews can be scheduled through Handshake. The Career Center also offers walk-in hours during fall and spring semesters for quick resume reviews.
Prepare with Mock Interviews
VMock also prepares students for the interview process by allowing them to choose from a selection of interview questions and record their responses. From there, students are presented with feedback on their content, diction, and non-verbal communication. In addition to online resources, students can schedule an in-person mock interview with a Career Consultant. Those appointments can be made through Handshake.
Set Up for Success
Along with resume-building and presentation review, UA assists students with the resources they need for actual interviews.
The Career Center provides private interview rooms that students can reserve by calling the front desk. These ensure a quiet, professional setting for important meetings.
The Denise and Chandler Root Crimson Career Closet provides students with clothing they can borrow at no cost for interviews, career fairs and presentations. Located in 3607C of UA Student Center, the Career Closet’s inventory includes button-down shirts, blouses, blazers, pants, skirts, ties and suits. Appointments can be made through Handshake or by calling 205-348-5848.
Career Fairs and Campus Opportunities
Connect with Potential Employers at Career Fairs
Career fairs provide an ideal environment for students to connect with employers and discuss future full-time jobs or internships. Throughout the year, the Career Center will host several career fairs. Major fairs are held inside Coleman Coliseum during the spring and fall semesters, with smaller industry-specific networking events and fairs located in various locations throughout the year.
Information on upcoming fairs can be found on the Career Fair Plus App, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store as well as Google Play. The Career Fair Plus App allows students to add upcoming networking events to their mobile calendar, browse employers attending the fairs, and much more.
Employer Information Centers
Throughout the year, employers visit UA to interview students for internships and full-time positions. The Career Center hosts employer information sessions, which provide information about employers interviewing on campus.
During these sessions, employers discuss organizational structure, typical career paths, employment and opportunities, among other things. Sessions last roughly 1-2 hours and are typically held the evening before the employer begins interviewing on campus.