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Summer internships may be wrapping up this month, but that doesn’t mean the work is over.
Treating your internship as a short-term gig is a common mistake students make, according to Lasse Palomaki, founder and CEO of The Strategic Student, a coaching and workshop company for college students.
“Too many interns log off on their last day and kind of just move on and say, ‘Okay, I had a great time at that internship, but now it’s time to focus on what happens next.’ And that does leave a big portion of that long-term return investment on the table,” he says.
The average intern conversion rate — meaning the number of interns hired into full-time roles — reached just over 63% for 2025 interns, nearly a 13% increase from the year before, according to the 2026 Internship & Co-op Survey, which was published in April by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Even if you don’t land a return offer, maintaining your relationships with mentors and colleagues, as well as with your fellow interns, will pay dividends for the rest of your career, according to Palomaki.
According to Palomaki and other experts, here’s what interns should do to end the summer on a high note, whether they’re finishing up their last week or already back on campus, and to position themselves for full-time jobs in the future.
Ask for feedback
Internships provide a rare opportunity for students to work with experienced pros in the field they’re hoping to enter. That’s why it’s important to be proactive about soliciting feedback from your supervisor, says Jessica Roffe, a career coach for college students and the founder of coaching company Career Beginnings.
Before the end of your internship, “ask them what you’ve done well, where you can grow” and “any skills that they would recommend you continue to develop,” she says.
The conversation shouldn’t end there. Every few months, Roffe recommends sending a quick update to your former manager about how you’ve applied their advice.
“You could say, ‘Oh, I took you up on that [feedback] and learned this skill, or I took this course, or I enrolled in this kind of class at my university this fall,’” she says.
Sharing those updates will establish you as “a coachable person who wants to improve” – which are qualities that any manager looks for in a potential employee, Palomaki says.
Post about your experience on LinkedIn
Ideally, Roffe says, you’ve been keeping track of your accomplishments throughout the summer. And if not, now is a great time to jot them down.
She recommends writing a reflection post about your internship experience — including major projects you worked on, milestones you’ve reached and skills you’ve gained — and sharing it on LinkedIn.
You should also take the opportunity to thank anyone who helped you along the way, such as your supervisor or hiring manager, and tag them in the post, Roffe says.
It’s a great way to keep your achievements top-of-mind for your colleagues. Plus, it’ll demonstrate to other potential employers who come across your LinkedIn profile “that you’re invested in your professional development,” she says.
Say ‘thank you’
Thanking your colleagues at the end of your internship should be an obvious step, Roffe says, but you’d be surprised how many people skip it.
At the very least, interns should send a short, sincere thank you message to their team via Slack or email, Roffe says. If you have time, leaving handwritten thank you notes is always a nice touch. “Little things like that mean a lot to people,” she says.
Specificity is important, too. In Palomaki’s opinion, a generic sentiment like ‘Thanks for everything’ is “fine, but not very memorable,” he says.
If you really want to stand out, he recommends sending a more tailored thank you note to the people who made the biggest impact on your internship experience.
For example, you could say something like, “Thank you for walking me through that proposal process in week two. It really changed how I drafted them moving forward, and I know it’s going to benefit me for years to come,” Palomaki says.
Voice your interest in returning
Closed mouths don’t get fed, as the saying goes, so if you’re interested in returning for a second summer — or for a permanent role — it’s crucial to communicate that to your supervisor, Palomaki says.
He recommends saying something like, “I had a fantastic time this summer. I’d love to be kept in the loop if there are more internship opportunities down the line, or if there are any full-time roles I can apply to.”
Even if the company doesn’t have any open roles right now, “there might be somebody else in their network they could connect you to,” Roffe says.
“People want to bring in new talent,” she continues, “so if you made a good impression, they want to continue to help you.”
Stay in touch
Many interns make the mistake of only contacting their former colleagues when they need a reference or referral, says Lisa-Monet Jefferson, an employee experience manager based in New York City. To build a lasting professional relationship, she recommends finding a balance between “reacting, reaching out and requests.”
Reacting could mean sending a a quick congratulatory message when a coworker wins an industry award, Jefferson says. Reaching out doesn’t have to be work-related: You could email your manager to let them know that you read a book they recommended.
Your colleague or manager is more likely to respond positively to a request — such as asking for a reference, an introduction or a referral — if you’ve consistently stayed in touch, Jefferson says.
Connecting on LinkedIn is also an easy way to stay in contact with former colleagues, according to Palomaki. “If they post content, leave a thoughtful comment or a like. If they get promoted, send them a quick note of congrats,” he says. “It’s such a simple way to maintain a relationship.”
Above all, “don’t be shy,” Roffe says. Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent.
After all, she says, “they were in your shoes once, too.”
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