As spring approaches, many Villanova students are beginning their search for a summer job or internship. While some students are lining up interviews with local companies, others are not sure where to begin.

“I don’t even know where to start in the world of internships,” says Ryan Mahoney, a freshman student in the business school. Others around campus have echoed Ryan’s statements. With so many internships out there, it can be hard to find the right one for you. Furthermore, finding one that is interesting and exciting is even more difficult.

The GoNova Web site is an effective tool for finding opportunities, but many of the openings are geared only toward students in the business and engineering schools. However, there are many unconventional and fun internship and job prospects waiting to be applied for by students of any school.

Some exciting internships for animal lovers can be found at www.aza.org, where one can apply for internships dealing with anything from butterflies to Web site programming. The internships found on AZA are located in a variety of places: Hawaii, Walt Disney World, Texas, Maryland and New York, just to name a few.

For those who would like to find a faith-based internship, many opportunities are available. However, many are difficult to find online. These internships are more easily found locally, such as at a local worship center or community center.

For people who want to work outdoors but not necessarily with animals, www.backdoorjobs.com provides numerous jobs and internships listed by state. These opportunities range from ranching and farming jobs to resort jobs.

Some unusual opportunities are also available for those who want to find an internship that allows them to work and have time for self-exploration. Places like the Esalen Institute, which is a 27-acre institute on the coast of California, offers a work-study program that allows one to work 32 hours per week. During off hours, individuals are assigned to groups, where they are able to self-explore with the aid of the different practices and approaches available at Esalen.

More information on Esalen and the 35-day work-study program can be found at www.esalen.org.

Another interesting self-exploration opportunity is available at the Omega Institute located in Rhinebeck, N.Y. The program at Omega is similar to the work-study program at Esalen. Members of the program perform rudimentary work during the day, and then have free reign to participate in classes ranging from yoga and belly dancing to astrology and Zen. Opportunities are available from April to October for a minimum of seven weeks. Members are given free food and housing as well as a stipend. More information on this opportunity can be found at Omega’s Web site, www.backdoorjobs.com/omega.html.

There are also internships available abroad. A great Web site to find internships abroad is www.internabroad.com. This site is mapped out well, allowing users to easily access information about internships in a variety of countries, from China to the Dominican Republic. Internships on the Web site deal with a range of fields, from business to health. The Web site also has opportunities for students who would like to study abroad or volunteer abroad during the summer.

There are just as many studying and volunteering activities available as there are internships. The Web site can also help you find transportation to the destination and local insurance. To top it all off, the Web site can help you find scholarship opportunities for the programs that cost money.

These examples are just a small taste of what one can find when looking for an interesting summer job or internship. The Internet is an invaluable resource for finding a fun opportunity. The key to finding an exciting summer internship is to apply early and often. Now is the time when many employers are looking to fill positions, so go out and find the perfect summer internship.