Advice for Employers and Recruiters
Why September is the best time to apply for and hire management interns
Why September Is the Best Time to Apply for and Hire Management Interns
As September rolls around, businesses and students alike enter a crucial period for management internships. This article explores why the ninth month of the year is optimal for both applying to and hiring management interns, drawing on insights from industry experts. Discover how this timing can benefit companies and aspiring managers, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved.
- Align with Business and Academic Cycles
- Secure Top Talent for Strategic Planning
- Capitalize on Fresh Energy and Focus
- Leverage Peak Student Availability
- Maximize Onboarding and Training Time
- Access Top Talent Before Commitments
- Gain First Pick at Career Fairs
- Build Relationships with Potential Leaders
- Assess Leadership Potential Early
- Foster Smooth Integration and Growth
- Meet Staffing Needs After Summer Turnover
- Utilize Available Resources for Applications
Align with Business and Academic Cycles
September is a pivotal month for management internships that closely aligns with both business and students’ natural planning cycles. For many employers, the fall often triggers a review of their budgets and staffing needs for the upcoming year. For this reason, September is an excellent time to begin identifying future talent and starting to build a future talent pipeline. Waiting too long can mean losing out on the best candidates as they commit early.
For students, September represents the beginning of the academic year and allows them the maximum amount of available opportunities to identify. When companies post and advertise internships in September, they capitalize on students who have just returned to school and are eager, determined, and fired up to secure internships or jobs (long before midterms, exams, or holidays distract them from the task at hand).
September makes both sides happy. Employers are given first access to strong candidates, knowing that internships in September give them time to create internship programs, mentorship, and management plans. Students, on the other hand, can obtain clarity and peace of mind by locking in positions early on. We enjoy September recruitment as it provides visibility on the next leaders in our companies while also giving students structure and pre-planning to successfully complete their programs.
Matt Lasker
Director, Crown Billboard Advertising
Secure Top Talent for Strategic Planning
September is critical as it aligns with our Q4 strategic planning cycle. As the manager, I need to finalize next year’s headcount and resource plans now, and I’ve already secured the budget to bring on excellent management interns.
Additionally, September provides us with three full months to properly onboard and train interns before the year-end deadlines arrive. If I wait until November, I will have to rush the hiring process when we’re buried in our quarterly reports and budget preparations.
Karen Noryko
Director of Career Content, Jobtrees
Capitalize on Fresh Energy and Focus
I’ve observed that September is when corporate clients finalize their promotional budgets and uniform programs for the upcoming calendar year. Companies are making final decisions on branded merchandise strategies that management interns will help execute.
I’ve noticed this trend — September is when our corporate accounts begin ordering management training materials, new hire welcome kits, and leadership program swag. These projects require fresh management talent to coordinate between departments and manage vendor relationships.
From my experience in hiring and building our team to 75 people, September applicants gain the advantage of our full attention before the Q4 rush begins. Students who apply early get the opportunity to work on high-visibility projects such as trade show planning and client relationship management during their internship.
The promotional products industry operates on relationship cycles tied to business calendars. Companies finalize their marketing budgets in September, creating management trainee positions to handle the increased project volume from January through summer.
Luke Sanders
General Manager, RiverCity Sportswear
Leverage Peak Student Availability
One of the reasons September is a significant month for employers to begin hiring for management internships relates to the academic calendar.
Many universities and colleges begin their fall semester in September. As a result, students are actively seeking internship opportunities to earn course credits and gain real-world experience. Employers have the chance to recruit high-quality interns in September when the pool of available and motivated students is at its peak.
Interns starting in the fall have the opportunity to become fully acclimated and contribute to the company’s work on various initiatives, in addition to their coursework during the academic year. If companies have important product launches or allocate substantial resources to key Q3 projects, hiring interns in the fall is beneficial. This is because the interns will be onboarded and likely up to speed when critical business initiatives are taking place.
In conclusion, aligning the academic calendar with the business calendar allows employers to hire interns in September and have them become productive contributors throughout the year, rather than being limited to only hiring summer interns.
Ryan McDonald
COO, Resell Calendar
Maximize Onboarding and Training Time
Students and employers are both fresh from summer, making September an especially important month for management internships. Students return with a clearer understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and career goals after a break filled with reflection and new experiences. Employers are reviewing team performance, upcoming projects, and staffing needs for the new fiscal cycle.
The alignment of student readiness and employer planning creates an ideal environment for focused recruitment, helping match candidates with roles that fit their skills and ambitions while setting the stage for productive and meaningful internships.
Lacey Jarvis
COO, AAA State of Play
Access Top Talent Before Commitments
September is when the calendar still has enough breathing room for both sides to think clearly. If an employer waits until January, they are rushing into interviews while juggling year-end taxes, planning, or closing out Q4. September gives me the time to meet people slowly, walk them through the shop, ask about their interests, and actually teach something before throwing them into a busy spring. If I bring someone in during March, I am too swamped to explain things properly.
For the student, it makes a difference because my team starts mapping out next summer’s install jobs in October. Once those client jobs are blocked in, we start deciding who is going where. If a student waits until December to apply, they miss that window. The spots fill early, and I will always choose someone who was on my radar before the holiday rush. So the earlier they show up, the better chance they have of being part of real projects that matter.
John Washer
Owner, Cabinets Plus
Gain First Pick at Career Fairs
In our industry, September is a crucial time to begin recruiting for management internships because it aligns perfectly with both the academic and business planning calendars. For employers like us, this timing gives us access to top student talent early in the school year, before they’ve committed to other opportunities. It also allows us to train and evaluate interns well in advance of the busy spring and summer leasing seasons.
For students, applying in September gives them a head start in securing roles with companies that are actively growing and developing new projects. Many real estate firms, including ours, use fall as a time to prepare for upcoming development cycles and capital improvement planning. Bringing in interns during this phase allows them to contribute meaningfully to strategic work, not just back-office support.
From our perspective, early recruiting leads to stronger candidates and more impactful internship outcomes.
Steve Mackey
Managing Member, Mack Industrial
Build Relationships with Potential Leaders
September is when packaging companies get their first pick of management talent before everyone else.
Imagine students have just returned from summer break. They have clear schedules, are focused, and have not yet been bombarded with twenty other internship pitches.
If you wait until October or November, you will be competing for attention against every other manufacturer.
September is when schools hold their biggest career fairs.
Management students are actively looking, not passively swiping and scrolling. You get real conversations rather than an email nightmare.
Packaging companies typically have smaller intern cohorts than technology and finance companies. When hiring managers find candidates they like, those positions fill quickly.
Companies that recruit earlier build relationships with candidates.
Matteo Valles
Owner, Volcase
Assess Leadership Potential Early
September hiring gives you a three-month runway to assess leadership potential before budget planning season demands all your attention. We’ve seen our September management interns become instrumental during Q1 product launches because they understand our growth strategies from the ground up, not just at the surface level.
Sreekrishnaa Srikanthan
Head of Growth, Finofo
Foster Smooth Integration and Growth
September has always struck me as a pivotal month for management internships because it’s when both students and employers return from summer with renewed energy and focus. Students are mentally refreshed, motivated, and ready to engage with opportunities in a serious way. They’ve had time to reflect on their goals and are prepared to put their best foot forward in applications and interviews.
Employers are equally ready, often approaching recruitment with a clear plan and fresh perspective. This combination of readiness on both sides leads to stronger applications, more thoughtful evaluations, and intentional hiring decisions. In my experience, the focus and momentum that September brings make it the ideal time to connect talent with opportunity, setting the stage for productive internships and meaningful career growth.
Kathryn MacDonell
CEO, Trilby Misso Lawyers
Meet Staffing Needs After Summer Turnover
Early adaptability advantage comes from starting internship applications in September. Students get extra time to adjust to corporate cultures, understand training cycles, and build relationships through mentorship programs before the busiest project periods hit. They become more effective contributors and reduce logistical friction for the team.
Employers gain interns who are confident, proactive, and ready to make meaningful contributions from day one, while students experience smoother onboarding and a stronger grasp of workplace expectations. Starting early sets the stage for long-term growth and professional development for both interns and employers.
Ian Gardner
Director of Sales and Business Development, Sigma Tax Pro
Utilize Available Resources for Applications
September is the month when employers have a clear idea of staffing requirements following summer turnover and budgetary confirmation. Early hiring also enables managers to develop projects that provide interns with concrete results rather than assigning them leftover work. It avoids the scramble that occurs at the end of the year when schedules are crowded and jobs are filled out of necessity rather than suitability. Students who take action in September end up being placed in organized roles where development is planned and improvement is monitored day in and day out.
Among students, the timing gives access to more valuable resources. It is easier to find career advisors in September, professors can write effective recommendations, and students can secure interview appointments more easily. Missing this window would mean having to compete for fewer vacancies with less support. The early actors would enjoy months of preparation, which would provide them with a higher likelihood of turning an internship into a long-term career opportunity.
Gregg Feinerman
Owner and Medical Director, Feinerman Vision
