Supervisors! National Student Employment Week is coming up in the Spring 2025 Quarter, running from April 13th through the 19th. To show your appreciation to your student employee, we’ve created 15 simple ways that you can recognize their hard work and contributions to your office.
On a tight budget? No worries! The following ideas include cost-effective and no-cost options to acknowledge your hard working student employee!
No-Cost
- Use our Student Employee Recognition certificate templates to highlight the unique skills and contributions each team members brings!
- Write your student employee a LinkedIn Recommendation to validate their professional skills and career development.
- Nominate your student employee for a DU You Rock! Award to tell the DU community how your student employee is making a difference in your office!
- Encourage everyone in your office to sign an e-card or letter containing kind messages of appreciation for your student employee.
- During their paid time, support your student employee’s professional development through activities such as:
- Hosting a Professional Development Training (choose from our Student Employee Training Menu)
- Let them to attend a career or academic advising appointment
- Encourage them to attend a Career and Job Fair
- Be involved in their networking journey: advise them on how to have Professional Networking Conversation and help them set up an informational interview.
- Spotlight your student employee through a post on your Department or Office’s social media (make sure to tag us, @ducareerservices)!
- Decorate your office space with kind words and appreciation for your student employee (please send a picture of your creation to stuemp@du.edu)!
Cost-Effective
- Buy your student employee some office snacks or a personal mug!
- Find some backpack, laptop, or lanyard accessories, such as stickers and pins.
- Go to Beans Cafe and get your student employee their favorite drink!
- Create a goodie bag filled with their favorite treats, stationery, and/or self-care items.
- Buy your student employee some DU or Department/Office swag.
- Host a breakfast or lunch for your student employee.
Things to Consider
Before showing your appreciation to your student employee, make sure that your gift aligns with the Rewards & Recognition policies within the Supervisor Guide.
Continue building your professional relationship with your student employee through completing the Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire! Develop a better understanding of each others boundaries, feedback styles, and goals.
Remind yourself to nominate your star student employee for the Student Employee & Supervisor of the Year Awards in 2026, the best no-cost way to show your appreciation for your student employee. Nominating your student employee provides them the chance to get cash prize and various forms of recognition during National Student Employment Week!
