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While the September job loss report from last week may have been doom-and-gloom, but that doesn’t mean you should throw in the job-searching towel just yet. In fact, a great way to get a leg up on your competition is through a college internship, which is why that’s the focus of our Hot Jobs report this week. Believe it or not, a number of firms are already hiring the intern crew for next summer — and the competition is going to be red hot!

You can learn more about summer and semester-long internships from JobMonkey’s extensive section on college student internships or from my post about how to find a college internship.

1. Tax Intern, Weyerhaeuser,  Federal Way, Washington

One of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of wood products, Weyerhaeuser is currently seeking a tax intern for its Tax Department at Corporate Headquarters in Federal Way, WA. The position can be either part-time (20 hours/week) or full-time (40 hours/week) and will involve assisting in the preparation of Weyerhaeuser Company’s consolidated federal income tax return, and state income tax returns for Weyerhaeuser and subsidiaries. The ideal candidate will currently be enrolled in an accredited Bachelors of Accounting degree program, have excellent computer skills and strong problem-solving skills. Also important are organization, flexibility, teamwork and willingness to learn.

2. Finance Management Associate Intern Program, Bank of America Corp., Charlotte, North Carolina

The Bank of America annually selects thirty interns, with the aim or providing them the opportunity to expand their academic knowledge while developing technical skills, knowledge of the industry and familiarity with the corporate environment. Interns may be involved in on-going operations, financial and non-financial trends, financial analysis of business investments, internal planning, external reports for shareholders and regulatory authorities, and taxation issues. In conjunction with their job duties, interns will have the opportunity to participate in training sessions, networking events and community service opportunities. Eligible interns may be invited to join the Bank’s two-year associate development program. Qualified applicants should be pursuing a degree in Accounting or Finance and have strong academics, leadership skills and business acumen. This is a paid internship in Charlotte, North Carolina, which runs for two months starting in early June.

3. ConAgra Engineering Internship, ConAgra Foods, Council Bluffs, Iowa

The ConAgra Foods Corp is seeking an engineering intern to assist the Engineering Manager in a variety of assigned tasks including initiating improvement efforts, gathering and analyzing data, and identifying and resolving process and procedure issues. The ideal candidate will have completed at least two years of his or her Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering/Physical Science at an accredited college or university. One should also be involved in research groups or projects outside of class.

Didn’t find the internship or job of your dreams on our hot jobs lists this week? Be sure to check out the JobMonkey Job Center for hundreds of other listings in every imaginable field.

Good luck with your job search this week!

If you are interested in working for the Federal Government, we have recently expanded that section to include information about:

Health and Human Services jobs
IRS jobs
Federal Career Internship Programs
Drug Enforcement jobs
Environmental Protection Agency jobs

And don’t forget, if you are currently searching for a federal government job, you can search through hundreds of openings in Washington D.C. and around the country at the JobMonkey Federal Job Finder.

We also recently expanded our section on Reality TV jobs. Check out the inside scoop on landing a gig with one of these top rated programs:

Survivor Auditions
Amazing Race Auditions (my personal favorite of the reality TV line up!)
American Idol Auditions
So You Think You Can Dance Auditions
America’s Next Top Model Auditions
Top Chef Auditions
Biggest Loser Auditions
Project Runway Auditions

And finally, we added a brand new section for all you would-be day traders. It’s not a career field for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. But if you think you might have it in you, check out our section on Day Trading.

• Taking full advantage of your campus career services office

• Networking with professors and other on-campus professionals in your field

• Setting a quantitative goal for your job search — for example, five face-to-face networking meetings before the end of fall semester

• Joining a professional association in your field

In addition, I’d also add that if you have just a semester of school left, now is the perfect time to look for a college internship. And you can build up your resume (and your networking connections) by volunteering  over the summer and throughout your job search.

Hungry for more job tips on finding a job post-graduation? Check out this jobs for graduates blog post from last month, where a New York native contemplated moving to Boston and launching her job search there.

Dear JobMonkey,

Thanks,
Julie in New York

Dear Julie,

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation. What a wonderful accomplishment!

It sounds like you have a stress right now, which is being compounded by your student loan burden.

I am optimistic — and you should be, too — that you will find a job quickly. It sounds like you definitely have a can-do, will-do attitude, which is a huge plus. If for whatever reason you haven’t found a job by the end of your grace period on your loans, you do you can apply for a hardship deferral of payments, right? (You can find more information on repaying your student loans and student loan deferment at Financial Aid Finder.)

Now, as for your job search situation, you asked about moving before you land a job. In the current economy, local candidates have a decisive advantage, since few companies have the cash to splurge for relocation — especially for entry-level positions. If you are already in town, you increase your chances of getting called for an interview.

Do you have a professional network in Boston? If not, now is the time to start building one. Be in touch with all your contacts in New York, and ask them to help get you in touch with Bostonians. More than ever, networking is going to be key in landing a job.

You will also need a good personal network to help support you, emotionally and practically, during your job search. The need for support is always there, but especially when you are moving to a new city. Do you have friends or relatives (or your boyfriend?) with whom you can crash while you job search? If possible, bring a reserve of cash with you — ideally a few month’s worth of bare bone expenses — to help you stay afloat while you’re job searching.

Additionally, sign up with a temp agency or two when you get to town; hopefully you will be able to bring in some cash even while you look for your job.  If the job search lasts longer than your resources, consider taking a job in retail or at a restaurant. And don’t be worried that a job selling women’s blouses will deter from your career goals. Given the economic situation, potential employers will be more likely to hire someone who is enthusiastic about working… even if it’s not in their preferred field. Meanwhile, volunteering and interning are two great ways to make connections and keep your skill set fresh, even during a potentially protracted job search. (Here are some past blog posts on volunteering and college internships).

P.S. If you’re serious about getting a job in communications, you might want to have a look through JobMonkey’s section on Broadcasting Jobs.  You can also search through our Broadcasting Job Board, with openings in radio and TV.

Good luck to you in your move and your job search! Keep us updated when you find your new position.

If you are looking for a job, the Job Center is a great place to start.

Our listings feature opportunities from around the country and the world, with new gigs posted daily. Best of all, it’s a completely free service for job seekers! So come early, and come often!

This week, I’m focusing on college internships in honor of our newest resources: The Internship Job Board . We’ve got paid internships in every imaginable field. Many of these great opportunities are cross-posted on the regular job board, so be sure to check both sites if you are in the market for a summer or year-round internship.

1. Equity Research Services Technology Intern @ McGraw-Hill, New York, NY
Standard & Poor’s, the financial market division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is seeking an intern to assist with business system analysis in the Equity Research-Technology group. The intern will be response for:

* Documenting workflow diagrams of Equity Research Services
* Clarifying and explaining business requirements for software automation to team members

The ideal candidate will have excellent time management skills, conceptual business knowledge, and clear written and verbal communication skills. Candidates must be an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science or Engineering.

2. Business Administration Intern @ Boeing Company, Tukwila, Washington
The Boeing Company offers a full-time, paid internship to college students seeking hands-on experience in the large-scale financial operations of a major multinational company. Responsibilities may include:

* Assisting with the Skyline Financial Health index
* Preparing funding gap analysis
* Updating Financiers database
* Assisting in the planning of Boeing Capital Corporation events

The ideal intern candidate will have applied business knowledge, strong communication skills, progressive leadership experience and demonstrated financial acumen. Applicants must be MBA level students majoring in Finance.

3. Finance Intern Program, Bank of America Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina
Bank of America offers a paid, two-month student internship program aimed at helping business students to develop their practical, technical skills while advancing their intellectual understanding of financial principles. Interns will work with the Bank’s Finance group and the Finance Management Associate Program, taking responsibility for:

* Forecasting financial and non-financial trends
* Developing models of financial analysis
* Supporting internal planning and management accounting
* Preparing external reports for shareholders and regulatory authorities

In addition to their job responsibilities, interns will also have many opportunities to participate in networking and community service events. Performance evaluations will help interns gain better insight into their own professional development. Up to 30 interns are hired every year; ideal candidates have strong academics, demonstrated leadership experience and adroit relationship building skills.

• Use your youth to your advantage

Sure, new hires right out of college may be down by as much as 25% this year, but recent college graduates still have some things going for them: “Recent graduates tend to be more flexible than more-established workers. Without the burden of a mortgage, a spouse and children, many graduates are willing to take a less-than-perfect job that is located in a less-desirable city or may require significant travel or has a lower salary than an experienced hire would accept.”

• Be creative in your resume-writing

Focus on accomplishments, particularly in the realm of leadership experience. In fact, the article advises broadening the definition of “experience” beyond work and internships to include sports and volunteer activities.

• Network with gusto

In addition to networking in traditional ways such as attending industry conferences, WSJ also suggests reaching out in unconventional ways. Tap your parents’ friends (remember, you’re asking for advice, not a job), your alumni database, and even “cold” networking through social networking sites like LinkedIn.

The article also mentioned the value of internships, a topic we’ve covered extensively here on the JobMonkey blog. If you want to learn more about interning for credit (or for cash), check out the JobMonkey section on college student internships.

Now, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I "grew up," but since I was majoring in political science, I figured an internship on Capitol Hill would be a good place to start.

I looked up the Representative from my district, and those from the surrounding districts, too. I identified a half-dozen offices that I would like to intern at, and started pulling together all the necessary material.

First, I worked up a cover letter and resume, spotlighting any and all relevant experience. Then, I asked two professors to write letters of reference.  I asked them to write about my academic knowledge of the field, as well as my ability to grasp the practical applications of these concepts

I was delighted to be offered a spot in Representative Tim Penny’s internship program. (Rep. Penny was my local Congressman.) I was even more excited to learn that Rep. Penny was offering a paid stipend to one of his eight college interns — and I was being invited to compete for the spot. Now all I needed to do was land the gig. Another round of cover letters, writing samples and letters of recommendation were sent off to Washington. In May, I heard the good news: I was the winner of the paid internship.

My stipend was far from flush, but it was enough to cover my housing, food and transportation. I made the most of my monthly "pay check" by living in the dorms at one of Washington’s local universities (a great way to save money, wherever your internship is), cooking at least a few dinners a week in my dorm room microwave, and leaving my car at home in favor of D.C.’s extensive metro and bus system.

That internship with Congressman Penny was a fabulous experience. I learned a ton working for Rep. Penny’s amazing staff of Washington professionals. I also availed myself of all kinds of free lecture series for interns, where I got to hear from some of my political icons.

Since Washington is also home to the extensive and free Smithsonian museum system, I spent many of my weekends learning more about natural history, Renaissance period art and aeronautical engineering. By living in the dorms, I got to meet fascinating people from all over the world — my roommate was Jordanian royalty and my friend from across the hall hailed from Somalia. What we lacked in a common language we made up in a common goal: To learn more about the workings of America’s federal government…while having the time of our lives.

The fun didn’t end that summer. Being able to put Paid Congressional Intern on my resume was a huge boost when I graduated from college two years later. I had so enjoyed the D.C. experience that I decided to go back for more. I arrived in Washington on a Monday. By the following Friday I had landed a full-time job as a legislative assistance at a foreign policy advocacy group. I have no doubt that my internship was instrumental in that first job offer; in fact, during my interview, my soon-to-be boss let on that he, too, had once worked for Congressman Penny!

Whether you are a political junkie, a budding musician, an environmentalist, a journalist, a born salesman (or woman), or anything else, a college internship is an outstanding way to advance your career before you ever graduate from college.

Here are some tips to finding the right internship for you:

* Set up a meeting with your academic advisor and the counselors at your college career services office (some Career Planning Centers even have an internship coordinator). Ask them to help you narrow your search to a specific field or industry. They might also know about relevant internships and be able to help you write a stellar internship resume.

* Reflect on your strengths, skills and interest. While past work experience isn’t necessarily a requirement to land an internship, it can’t hurt. Consider your academic knowledge of a subject. Also think about any transferable skills you may have gleaned from work-study jobs, part-time work or summer employment.

* Assess your financial situation. If you can’t afford to work for free, then you’ll need to focus your search on paid internships.  Or consider a part-time internship, coupled with a part-time job. While going to Washington, Hollywood or Wall Street can be a fun adventure, it’s not necessary to travel far from home to have a great internship experience.

* Another option is to look for a for-credit internship. By interning during the school year, and earning college credit, you might be able to "afford" to work for free. Definitely be wary of an internship experience that offers you neither a stipend nor credit. And whatever you do, run the opposite direction from an internship that asks you to pay them.

* Plan to attend an internship fair. Here you can learn more about various internship (and summer job) opportunities — and maybe even interview for a few!

* Like with finding a full-time job, networking may be one of your best resources for landing an internship. Don’t worry if your parents aren’t rubbing elbows with your town’s elite; simply tell everyone you know that you’re looking for an internship opportunity in X field. Someone is bound to know someone else, and before you know it, you’ll be talking to the right people. Also contact your school’s alumni office. They should be able to put you in touch with alumni who work in the field you’re interested in pursuing.

Have you had a great internship experience? Tell us about it in the comments section.