CDCR keeps students and employers engaged throughout spring semester

As Auburn Engineering students prepare for a busy spring semester, the Office of Career Development and Corporate Relations (CDCR) will help future engineers get ready for the workforce by connecting them with potential employers.

CDCR will kick off the semester with January events designed to help students discover meaningful experiences, connect with alumni for advice, and strengthen interview skills. Passport to Your Engineering Experience takes place on Jan. 21 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m., with Career Conversations with Young Alumni and In-Person Mock Interviews with the Engineering Young Alumni Council on Jan. 29 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Beginning in February, CDCR will launch several opportunities for students to connect with employers, starting with Career Fair Ready Week, Feb. 2–5. The week offers résumé review appointments and career fair workshops designed to help students enter the recruiting cycle confident and ready.

Career Fair Ready Week leads directly into the Auburn Engineering Career Fair and Interviews Week, Feb. 9–13 — a multi-day recruiting event that connects students with employers through the college’s spring career fair and on-campus interviews.

The free Career Fair Plus app offers an interactive map of the venue, filters employers by major and lists open positions — making it easier to research companies ahead of time.

“Our goal is to help students walk into recruiting season knowing what to expect and feeling ready to represent themselves well,” said Heather Rush, CDCR career coaching manager. “That preparation makes a difference — not just at the career fair but throughout the entire job and internship search process.”

Additional events will follow throughout the month, including the Civil and Environmental Engineering and Biosystems Engineering Career Fair (Feb. 17), Virtual Mock Interviews with the Engineering Young Alumni Council (Feb. 19) and Cybersecurity Industry Day (Feb. 24).

During fall 2025, CDCR hosted 354 employers on campus through career fairs, industry days and smaller-scale engagement opportunities such as tabling, employer lunches and networking sessions. Career fairs and industry days alone attracted more than 2,000 student attendees representing every Auburn Engineering department.

“Those numbers reflect relationships that have been built over time,” said Apryl Mullins, CDCR director of corporate relations. “Employers understand the strength of an Auburn Engineering education and consistently return to campus to recruit. When they come back semester after semester, it opens the door to deeper, more meaningful opportunities for students to learn about roles, industries and career paths that align with their interests.”

Beyond large recruiting events, CDCR embedded career readiness into the curriculum through its Next Level Career Development initiative. During the fall semester, staff worked with faculty to deliver 29 career-focused assignments across 38 classes at the 1000–4000 level, reaching 1,765 students — or 31% — of the undergraduate engineering population. Topics included interests and motivations, résumé development, industry research, financial literacy and reflection on high-impact experiences.

That coursework was reinforced through 26 in-class facilitations of associated career development topics, reaching 1,901 students — roughly 34% of Auburn Engineering undergraduates. These sessions provided practical guidance aligned with students’ academic and professional stages.

“Embedding career development into the classroom helps students see how their coursework connects to future opportunities,” said Jessica Bowers, CDCR manager of career development content and strategy. “It allows them to start thinking about careers earlier and prioritize preparation incrementally rather than all at once when graduation is approaching.”

Individual coaching remained a core component of CDCR’s work. During fall 2025, the engineering career coaching team met with 760 students through 1,135 one-on-one appointments, supporting résumé and interview preparation, job and internship searches and longer-term career planning.

“Every student comes in with different goals and levels of confidence,” said Heather Rush, manager of career coaching. “Our role is to meet them where they are and help them make informed decisions about what comes next.”

Student interest in experiential learning also continued to grow. In fall 2025, 344 students expressed interest in pursuing a co-op or internship, and CDCR supported them from early exploration and search preparation to formal reporting, transcript recognition and continued guidance while students are away at work.

“Co-ops and internships are learning experiences, not just jobs,” said Marissa Miller, CDCR director of career coaching and programs. “We focus on helping students prepare for those roles, reflect on what they’re learning and transition that experience into long-term career growth.”

Together, those fall outcomes provide the foundation for CDCR’s spring programming, which supports students at every stage — whether they’re preparing for a first career fair, practicing interviews with alumni or connecting with employers in targeted industries.

“Career development doesn’t happen in a single semester,” Bowers said. “By combining incremental preparation in the classroom, customized programs and coaching support, and employer engagement, we're helping students translate their education into meaningful professional opportunities.”