The Unwavering Fulfillment of Professional Development: A Reflection on the 2025 AUCC Career Fair - Natalie Alexander (co’29)

             

              On September 19, 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the 2025 AUCC Career Fair at AmericasMart Atlanta. This wonderful experience allowed me to connect and network with various companies in healthcare, consulting, finance, and so much more. As someone who is actively seeking job opportunities and internship experiences, I appreciated this career forum that allowed me to familiarize myself with the work of various organizations as well as the partnerships and for undergraduate and in particular, first-year students. From speaking with BlueCross Blue Shield of Alabama, Jackson Healthcare, Atrium Health, and Mayo Clinic, I learned more about opportunities to get involved in my local community and pursue a career in healthcare. I appreciated the opportunity to share my resume with companies I was interested in partnering with and connecting with organizations on LinkedIn and Handshake to stay informed of any future hirings that may arise and remain on their radars. 

            While it was the slightest bit discouraging that most of the companies at the event were looking for juniors and seniors who could work full-time, I still valued the ability to gain professional development experience and begin drafting a list of internships I plan to revisit once eligible. It would certainly be beneficial for the event to have more companies tailored to all undergraduate students with internship opportunities offered, as the ratio of interns to full-time workers for many of the companies I spoke with was relatively high. 

In high school, I attended career fairs and development workshops that served as ideation forums for students to begin deciding what field of study they might want to pursue. Because the intent of those events was never to hire or develop long-term relationships, attending the AUCC Career Fair was incredibly fulfilling and informative for me as a first-year. I am so grateful that the Spelman College Office of Career Planning and Development helped orchestrate this event and hope to see it prosper in the coming years.