By: Emily Matthews

For college students just beginning the new semester, summer break might seem too far away to think about. The warm season might be on the back burner, but your plans for how to fill summer’s balmy days, and get ahead in your career, should be front and center. Whether you are thinking about working when you graduate or applying for master’s degree programs, a summer internship will boost your chances for success. It will also give you the chance to learn what kind of jobs you are (and aren’t) interested in pursuing. Check out the following interesting summer internship opportunities, and talk with professors and your university’s career center for more ideas.

DELOITTE
One of the world’s biggest accounting firms, Deloitte is a network of independent firms that offer auditing, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, and tax services. Their wide offering of summer internships allows students to get their feet wet in the world of accounting – and it’s a big world. There are internship openings all over the country and internationally as well.  Their Global Internship Program sends student interns to Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and Taiwan. Talk to your on-campus recruiter for more information.

NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration offers several summer internships and research opportunities for college students, in a range of subjects. From earth science, geology, geophysics, space science, to history, NASA welcomes applications from all fields of study. This summer, take a chance and see what you can learn from some of the country’s top investigators and researchers. But hurry – most deadlines are in late January and early February.

GOOGLE
Google is famous for innovations like 20% time and a delicious cafeteria for its employees. Get in on the fun by participating in a summer internship at the search engine’s headquarters. The Google Freshmen Engineering Practicum is a great way for rising sophomores to learn about Google culture and get hands-on engineering experience.

NIKE
Nike offers internships for rising seniors and graduate students at their world headquarters in Oregon as well as in locations around the world. They are looking for business, engineering, computer science, polymer science, design, apparel, and liberal arts students. For the design internship, applicants must submit samples. Check the website for openings through February.

PIXAR
Pixar, the studio behind Toy Story, hires summer interns every year in their film production, software development, and R&D divisions in Emeryville, California. Deadlines depend on the job, so start working on your application now for a chance to make movies this summer.

MTV
If your dream is to work in television, check out MTV Networks’ Internships. You could end up at Nickelodeon, Country Music Television, or MTV itself gaining real world experience that will boost your resume. Also look into their Summer Associate Program, for social media experts.

ESPN
Sports fans and media buffs will want to check out the ESPN’s ten-week summer internship opportunities in New York City and Bristol, Connecticut. Competitive pay and the invaluable experience will be your rewards.

Emily Matthews is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington.