Summer is winding down and students are heading back to college campuses nationwide.

As students, faculty and staff at nearby colleges and universities prepare for a new semester, now is the perfect time to connect with them.

Reach out to those in your network and community to introduce them to the competitive full- and part-time opportunities in residential property management (RPM). Here are five simple ways that can help you recruit the next generation of leaders to our industry:

1 Share our new college outreach materials. The NAA Education Institute’s RPM Careers campaign has a new toolkit of materials tailored specifically to college students: RPMcareers.org/college-toolkit. Email digital copies to your contacts and bring print versions to career fairs!

2 Get to know campus career counselors. Set up meetings with career counselors at nearby colleges and universities to introduce yourself and to learn about opportunities to spread the word about RPM—then keep the conversation going by connecting with them on LinkedIn.

3 Speak to a class or student group. Hospitality, real estate, marketing or business classes; related student clubs; or local DECA chapters are all great places to talk about your RPM experience and the exciting career paths in our fast-growing industry. Invite students to connect with your company’s careers webpage and with the RPM Careers Facebook and LinkedIn pages. (See if there’s an RPM program near you.)

4 Staff a booth at a career fair, orientation expo or other event. Keep tabs on the event calendars at schools near you—and don’t forget to bring materials to give away!

5 Host a “welcome back” pool party or a midnight breakfast. If any of your company’s properties are home to college students or have students living nearby, invite them to a fun gathering with freebies! It’s a relaxing way to introduce students to the benefits of apartment living—and a career in RPM.

Have other great ideas to connect with college students? Let Sarah Levine know: [email protected].