Redial

Okay, college students of DC. It's that time again. You've just gotten settled into your fall internship, figured out how late you can sleep in to catch the latest possible bus to be on time to work, found the best lunch places and maybe memorized your office's phone number. So it's time to start looking for your spring internship. Update that resume, get some references in order and start a'looking. No time to waste, it's always stiff competition. This year more than ever, we're desperate to get the internship that will distinguish us from our peers when we become real people and enter the job market.

It's a tough cycle. I figure you have about a month and a half of security, where the internship and school have just started, and you can get into a nice routine before reality hits and I have to start trying to pull everything together for the next semester. There's no such thing as a short-term plan in this city. You do everything with your next move in mind. Which really kind of sucks, because you never feel completely comfortable in a place. You don't really relax, because you know you have about four months to make a good impression, network, and learn as much as you can before moving on. No pressure or anything. But on the other hand, variety is indeed the spice of life. There's never a dull moment, and you truly get to feel out your interests. If you're in a job, and after a week are like "Oh my goodness gracious, I don't want to spend my life doing this!" then never fear. It's only for a few months, and then you get to move onto the next thing. Conversely, if you find your dream job, then it makes the "What do I want to do after graduation?" question that much easier.

So go forth, ye Intern, with resume and with confidence. Waste not October, for come January, you'll need a job.