{"id":7355,"date":"2016-08-31T08:00:53","date_gmt":"2016-08-31T12:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=7355"},"modified":"2018-08-22T09:56:31","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T13:56:31","slug":"intern-talk-how-to-maintain-relationships-formed-during-your-internship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2016\/08\/31\/intern-talk-how-to-maintain-relationships-formed-during-your-internship\/","title":{"rendered":"Intern Talk: How to Maintain Relationships Formed During Your Internship"},"content":{"rendered":"

The internship has ended, you\u2019re back on campus and classes have begun \u2014 now what? The transition can be a challenge, but it\u2019s crucial when it comes to bridging the gap between relationships formed during the internship and maintaining your network. <\/span><\/p>\n

I chatted with Lori Crabtree, senior communications specialist at Southwest Airlines, about the best ways to keep in touch with those you worked with and met during your internship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it be through Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social media sites, staying connected with former interns is much easier these days,\u201d she said. \u201cIt inherently keeps those who were high performers more top-of-mind and keeps the lines of communication open. These connections can lead to future work opportunities and further networking.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

To put those things into action, you should be thinking about the people you\u2019ve added to your network and what those relationships are like. There are multiple outlets and approaches, and they aren\u2019t one-size-fits all. <\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down the options: <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Facebook<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of pexels.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Social media is a blessing and a curse. However, when it comes to your closer relationships, it\u2019s a great tool for staying up-to-date with your network in a professional and personal way. <\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Facebook friend everyone you interacted with, but do friend those key people who know you best. Facebook is also a great place for them to keep up with any on-campus activities, major life events and blogs\/projects you\u2019re involved with (#humblebrags). Just be sure your page is appropriate for any colleague to find before you friend them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Twitter<\/b><\/p>\n

Twitter is a little friendlier \u2014 give them a follow and be an engaged follower. Read links or company news he or she might share and send a quick response. It only takes 140 characters to share your thoughts and say \u201chello.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

LinkedIn<\/b><\/p>\n

LinkedIn is a great platform for maintaining professional contacts. It\u2019s more personal than a generic human resources website profile and enables you to stay updated on your network\u2019s career moves and vice versa. This is where you can freely add anyone you worked and networked with throughout the summer. Make sure your page is updated with your role from the summer, so they are able to see your key takeaways and contributions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key tip: send a personalized note with each LinkedIn Connect invite you send. <\/span><\/p>\n

Email<\/b><\/p>\n

It seems elementary, but a quick email check-in every now and then does wonders. Don\u2019t reach out weekly \u2014 professionals are busy \u2014 but once or twice a semester is often enough to stay fresh in their minds and continue the relationship. <\/span><\/p>\n

Emails are traditional, but also enable you to show that <\/span>a)<\/b> you remember them and <\/span>b)<\/b> you\u2019re an active student. A \u201chappy holidays\u201d email or link to an interesting article is also a nice way to show you\u2019re thinking of them and the industry without begging them to hire you after graduation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Phone<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of pexels.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cDepending on the nature of the relationship, occasional phone calls are the best method to both hear and share updates, professional and personal, with former colleagues, interns or supervisor,\u201d Crabtree said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Calls are great when it comes to more mentor-like relationships where there are a lot of questions and ideas you have that otherwise would result in a long email. Always schedule these in advance via text or email so you aren\u2019t cutting into their schedule unannounced.<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit<\/b><\/p>\n

A more obvious \u2014 but oddly less-used \u2014 approach is to visit when possible. Whether it\u2019s coffee or a catch-up lunch with your old team, it\u2019s a nice, informal way to remind your network about your interpersonal skills and update them with stories from your semester and latest professional achievements. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about maintaining the relationships you have. Think carefully about how you will reach out and make sure that you <\/span>do. <\/span><\/i>Don\u2019t be afraid to make an excel sheet with different contacts that tracks how and when you reached out to your network. Better safe than sorry, right? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah Dougherty is the 2016\u20132017 vice president of career services and a senior at the University of Alabama. Follow her on Twitter <\/span><\/i>@sarahgdougherty<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The internship has ended, you\u2019re back on campus and classes have begun \u2014 now what? The transition can be a challenge, but it\u2019s crucial when it comes to bridging the gap between relationships formed during the internship and maintaining your network. I chatted with Lori Crabtree, senior communications specialist at Southwest Airlines, about the best ways to keep in touch […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2894],"tags":[33,213,1769,362,601],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7355"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7355"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7370,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7355\/revisions\/7370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}