Staying Top of Mind When Your Interns Return to Campus
August 26, 2025 | By Kevin Gray
When interns return to campus for the fall semester, one of the worst-case scenarios for their employers is being “out of sight, out of mind.”
What can your organization do to stay top of their interns’ minds? Employers should always strive to firmly establish and strengthen personal relationships with their interns—whether the interns are working on site or remotely, or they are continuing their studies during the academic year.
There are many strategies employers can use to maintain—and even strengthen—ties with their interns when they return to campus and throughout the academic year. Several are to:
- Open lines of support right away—Grow personal connections through individualized, regular outreach. A simple email or text message demonstrates care for the person that extends beyond care for them as an employee and helps build a sense of belonging. Then, reach out to your interns throughout the academic year—perhaps by sending them a note at the holidays or a small care package during finals. Let them know that you are always interested to hear what they’re up to. Doing so shows your genuine interest in them.
- Leverage interns’ existing relationships in your organization—If your interns had mentors in your organization, have the mentors or their managers reach out to keep their ties strong. Have them provide interns with updates on exciting things happening in your organization, your industry, or in the department in which they interned. Keep them connected and engaged, and make sure they know the lines of communication are open for additional engagement.
- Keep them apprised about when you are coming to campus—Arrange to meet them for coffee or to take them out to lunch. Ask interns to be involved in your recruiting efforts by having them help staff your career fair booths and give accounts of their experiences with your organization during information sessions.
- Ask for their help—Whether getting their feedback on a quick survey or serving as campus ambassadors for your organization, engaging with interns shows that you value their time and perspective. This can also include asking for their support in referring their peers to apply to open roles. Having advocates on campus spreading the word about your organization amongst their peers and faculty can provide a big boost to your campus recruiting efforts.
- Be invested in the ongoing professional development of your interns—Provide interns with information and resources that are helpful to them as they conduct their job searches and consider their options. One way of doing this is by creating communities of former interns—such as through chat groups and groups on social media sites—so they can stay in touch with the company and with one another.
- Use various vehicles to connect—LinkedIn, Instagram, and other posts can keep your company top of mind as a way of passive engagement. For a more active approach, interact with your interns’ posts, encourage managers to connect or comment on posts, and create new posts highlighting the impact interns at your company are making. Have a newsletter, a blog, chat groups, and/or a website for interns where they can receive updates about the organization and interact with employees and with one another.
- Make data-informed decisions—By understanding current trends ranging from gifting preferences to renege rates to top reasons to accept a job offer, these data points can help you tailor and prioritize your efforts for strengthening ties to your interns.
You’ve already invested a great deal in your interns’ experiential learning and professional development. Keeping them engaged as candidates is essential. After all, the ultimate goal is converting your interns to full-time hires after they graduate.