I wouldn’t be sitting here, writing this right now if I hadn’t gotten myself together in November and started the internship search. That’s right, it’s never too early to start thinking about next summer. Fall is the time to apply. Internships are a great opportunity to get out of the house, get into the professional world and find out how you might turn something you loves into a career. For all you non-seniors out there, there is always an additional perk: Internships look phenomenal on college apps!

So what are you waiting for? If you’re not sure where to start (like I was), or you don’t like any of the options under that handy job tab at the top of this page, and you’re a rising sophomore or junior enrolled in an Arlington public school, try PRIME. PRIME is an internship program based out of the Arlington Career Center which places worthy youth in internships in their field of interest. You have to apply in the fall and go through an interview process in order to be accepted into the program, but once you’re in, the PRIME coordinators work closely with their students and business people in the community to find the perfect internship for you based on what you love to do or see yourself doing in the future. Whether you want to be a zoologist, a doctor, a pilot, an architect or anything in between, you are guaranteed to be put in a position that will be worthwhile. 

I’ve only been working for a week now, but I’ve already been exposed to so many things I never thought I’d be interested in, and met great people who have taught me a lot. Who knew I’d ever get into blogging? If I hadn’t taken this opportunity, I might have been sitting at home, still clueless about what the future might hold for me in the big, bad, adult world. I highly recommend PRIME, and internships in general, to anyone who is looking for something interesting to fill their free summer days and maybe gain an edge in that competitive college search.