Advice for Employers and Recruiters
Why September is the best time to apply for and hire hospitality interns
The hospitality industry’s seasonal rhythm presents a unique opportunity for strategic intern recruitment. September emerges as the ideal time for both applicants and employers to capitalize on this cycle. Drawing from expert insights, this article explores why autumn is the perfect season to secure top talent for internships and prepare for the bustling holiday period.
- September Hires Become Holiday Season Heroes
- Early Recruitment Secures Top Talent
- Fall Transition Offers Workforce Planning Opportunities
- September Applicants Show Long-Term Commitment
- Early Hiring Beats Holiday Rush Competition
- Beat the Rush for Qualified Candidates
- September Recruitment Aligns with Cultural Travel
- Gain Advantage in Competitive Internship Market
- Gen Z Seeks Serious Experience Early
- September Training Ensures Holiday Readiness
- Align with Industry Seasonality and Academics
- September Surge Kickstarts Hiring Frenzy
September Hires Become Holiday Season Heroes
September is when cafes and restaurants desperately need fresh energy to combat the post-winter slowdown. We expanded from three days to seven-day kitchen operations partly because we could find motivated people in September who were ready to commit long-term.
Here’s the thing most people miss: September interns become your Christmas and New Year heroes. When I expanded our weekend service, the team members we brought on in September were the ones who could handle our busiest periods without breaking a sweat because they’d learned our systems during the quieter months.
From a practical standpoint, September gives you time to spot the keepers before summer staff leaves for university. Our September hires ended up being the backbone of our growth — they understood our community vibe and could train the next wave of casual staff we needed for peak tourist season.
The smart move is starting recruitment when everyone else thinks it’s too early. Those extra weeks of training made the difference between our team feeling like family versus just feeling like staff when the real rush hit.
Janice Kuz
Owner, Flinders Lane Cafe
Early Recruitment Secures Top Talent
I’ve noticed that September kicks off the serious hiring conversations. This is because most restaurants finalize their Q4 budgets and training schedules during this time. Students who wait until later in the fall often miss out on opportunities. By October, we’ve typically already committed our internship spots to candidates who showed early interest.
Allen Kou
Owner and Operator, Zinfandel Grille
Fall Transition Offers Workforce Planning Opportunities
September marks the end of cottage BBQs and the return to the rat race. Students are anxious to land a placement, with their resumes polished and their dress shirts tucked in. Rather than being passive and waiting for the best candidates to find them, recruiters have a chance to grab the top talent even before they apply. In the hospitality sector, the fall marks a transitionary period which gives a little room for workforce planning, whether it be internships, paid roles, or a combination of the two.
My tip? Start your recruitment efforts yesterday: use LinkedIn to reach out to eager (and qualified) interns before someone else snatches them up. Furthermore, you’ll find that those seasonal hires can become valuable long-term team members. Remember, the early bird doesn’t just catch the worm — it helps shape the future workforce.
Jeremy Golan SHRM-CP, CPHR, Bachelor of Management
HR Manager, Virtual HR Hub
September Applicants Show Long-Term Commitment
September is when we start identifying talent for our busy season because the hospitality industry operates on tight schedules, and we need committed people. I’ve learned that students who apply in September are usually the ones who plan ahead and stick around. In contrast, those applying at the last minute in January often bail when things get hectic during peak event season.
Jon Wayne
Co-Owner, The Venue at Friendship Springs
Early Hiring Beats Holiday Rush Competition
I’ve learned that September is crucial for our business. This is when the college crowd returns to Springfield, and we need all hands on deck for our busiest months ahead. Experience has taught me that waiting until October means competing with every other business trying to hire at the same time.
We initiate our intern recruitment in September because it provides ample time to teach proper smoking techniques and customer service before our catering season intensifies. Last year, we hired two interns in September who became our go-to catering assistants by November. They successfully managed three graduation parties that month alone because they were thoroughly familiar with our systems.
The restaurant industry has taught me that training takes time, especially when dealing with food safety and customer relationships. An intern who starts in September learns about our Tuesday charity program, understands our community values, and can properly represent us when we’re overwhelmed during football season and holiday events.
With over 40 years of experience in this business, I know that September separates the prepared operators from the scrambling ones. Properties and restaurants that recruit early get first pick of motivated students, while everyone else competes for whoever’s left when desperation sets in.
Rudy Mosketti
Founder, Rudy’s Smokehouse
Beat the Rush for Qualified Candidates
September is the busiest month of the year in terms of hospitality recruitment as many colleges finalize student schedules in September, and then students are able to commit to part-time or internship roles with certainty. When employers initiate outreach early, they are able to attract talent before the pre-holiday hiring rush, which is when hotels, resorts, and restaurants have their greatest staffing needs. Waiting until the fall, specifically October or November, can frequently mean that the bigger chains may have already filled their pipelines with interns, and even fewer qualified candidates are available. Students who apply in September have the advantage of beating the rush, as well as access to training cycles in order to provide a more timely and practical experience during the busiest seasons of the industry.
Rory Keel
Owner, Equipoise Coffee
September Recruitment Aligns with Cultural Travel
September is the optimal hiring period for hospitality internships. The timing is important, since companies are lining up new talent now to assist with planning for peak cultural travel seasons, which begin in October for spring and summer cultural opportunities with higher consumer demand for authentic cultural immersion. Our recruitment of our hospitality interns starts in September, simply because we seek out the most driven individuals who know that truly rich travel experiences are the product of months of relationship building with local guides, artisan partners, and community organizations. Early applicants express a sincere interest in cultural hospitality work, as opposed to those looking for internships a week before they need to submit resumes.
RECRUITMENT: Why September? Getting university students during the September “recruitment season” allows companies to match the internship project with actual business windows of activities for students to be able to do real work that involves building genuine cultural collaborations, researching up-and-coming neighborhood experiences, and assisting guide training programs. These initiatives help to determine how happy the traveler will be during the busiest times of the year. Successful interns in our hospitality programme normally begin their journey during planning periods in September where they design an actual cultural discovery project instead of busy work. Not only does this provide the interns with a richer learning experience, it also helps ensure that the cultural tourism business is truly cultural and enables it to prosper.
By targeting September applications, we can get the most passionate applicants while also having the majority of our interns coming when work on meaningful projects is happening. This alignment itself offers real opportunities for professional development in cultural hospitality, community partnership building, and the curation of authentic experiences — key tenets of a job in travel today. In times when human interaction and sensitivity to culture are the competitive edge to the likes of automated booking platforms, such a strategy is vital.
Yunna Takeuchi
Co-Founder & Cxo, City Unscripted
Gain Advantage in Competitive Internship Market
September is a great month for hospitality internships because it allows employers to find good candidates before the heavy competition. Many universities start to release their job fairs and internship listings at this time, so companies that wait too long to add to this roster will lose positions to more responsive companies. For students, it is better to apply in September as they will be considered to be in the first batch, which gives them more chances of securing limited seats. Doing this early not only demonstrates initiative but also stands out in our line of work, where teamwork and people skills are important in hospitality.
Starting in September will also give more time for them to prepare. Many aspects of working in the hospitality industry require training that isn’t necessarily performed in a classroom, such as language skills, customer service, or special certifications. A student who secures an internship in September has more time to prepare. For employers, this means that they can train interns early on, so when the busy holiday season arrives, those interns are ready to contribute with skill and assurance.
Miguel Angel Gongora Meza
Founder & Director, Evolution Treks Peru
Gen Z Seeks Serious Experience Early
I’ve observed a pattern with our Generation Z hires: September is when students start thinking beyond summer jobs and get serious about building real experience for their resumes. The smart ones apply early because by November, most hospitality businesses have already filled their winter intern positions and are focused on holiday staffing instead.
Justin Carpenter
Founder, Jacksonville Maids
September Training Ensures Holiday Readiness
Hotels and venues typically set their Q4 staffing in September. Night shifts fill up quickly. Bringing interns in now means they can learn turnover routines while there is still room for training. The first thing I check is the shift fit for 9 PM to 2 AM. I also check whether a trainee can use a five-photo proof of clean checklist without coaching. One thing I always notice is that a two-week head start reduces rework on the first solo night.
Here is the simple plan:
1. Post job openings on the first Tuesday of September.
2. Finish screening candidates that week.
3. Run three onboarding shifts:
– Two supervised
– One assessed
4. Measure room turnover time and checklist accuracy every night.
5. When both metrics trend upward by week two, you are ready for holiday floors and late checkouts.
John Elarde III
Operations Manager, Clear View Building Services
Align with Industry Seasonality and Academics
September is a critical time for hospitality internship recruitment because it aligns with both industry seasonality and academic calendars. For employers, September marks the slowdown after the summer peak in many markets, giving them the opportunity to recruit interns early, provide onboarding and training, and prepare for the next high-demand periods such as winter holidays, ski resorts, or spring events. Starting recruitment at this time also ensures access to a fresh pool of motivated students who are actively seeking opportunities at the beginning of the academic year.
For students, September is the ideal moment to apply, as it coincides with the start of their academic programs when internship requirements are introduced. Applying early increases their chances of securing competitive placements in sought-after destinations or prestigious establishments, while also allowing them to plan their academic commitments smoothly and avoid last-minute stress.
Chedi Chaari
CEO, Doyield
September Surge Kickstarts Hiring Frenzy
The “September Surge” is a large hiring frenzy that often takes place in September when employers return from summer vacation and need to get their hiring sorted for the upcoming schedules. It’s also when students return to their programs and may be in their last year or at a time when they will be seeking internships and work placements. With this surge in activity, there is more hiring but also more competition from other talent as people are putting themselves out there with freshly updated resumes and renewed vigor.
Colton De Vos
Marketing Specialist, Resolute Technology Solutions
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