It seems like it will never arrive, but summer will be here before you know it. And once it does arrive, many students are then left with extra time on their hands. One way to fill that time this summer is to get a job or internship.

Casey Fangmann, senior in industrial engineering, said he knows a thing or two about working during the summer. Fangmann has been an intern at the Cedar Rapids-based engineering company Rockwell Collins since the summer of his freshman year.

Fangmann got into contact with Rockwell Collins after visiting its booth at the spring career fair of his freshman year, which he recommends students to attend.

“One of the key aspects that you can do is take some time to do research into the companies you are really interested in and learn about what they do and how they operate,” Fangmann said. “That way, when you go to interview with them it will show the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in their company.”

Fangmann also had connection to the company through his parents, who were both employees there.

Even though some summer internships do not pay, they are great ways to gain experience for your future career.

“One of the most important benefits I’ve gotten from working with Rockwell is it helped me find a fit in terms of what I wanted to do for a career,” Fangmann said.

As a freshman, Fangmann was a computer engineering major, but after his internship at Rockwell Collins, he decided that was not what he was interested in. He changed his major to electrical engineering, returned to Rockwell Collins his sophomore year, and once again realized that was not a fit for him — ultimately he ended up in industrial engineering.

Fangmann said he plans to return to Rockwell Collins this summer as an intern as a member of their global sustainability team.

They key to getting a summer job or internship is to start preparing early.

“If you haven’t started already, it’s definitely something that you want to get started on,” said Taren Reker, program coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Career Services.

A tip Reker gives students is to let people, such as parents or friends, know you are on the lookout for a job.

“A lot of people actually find their jobs through the people they know rather than just randomly applying to things online,” she said.

Sites like LinkedIn and Twitter can also be a unique way to look for a job.

“I’ve actually had quite a few people come in who found their internships on Twitter,” Reker said.

Following and tweeting companies and organizations on Twitter about possible employment can highlight your innovative and creative abilities. However, Reker did give a warning about creating profiles on these sites.

“You want to keep those very professional, because you never know who’s going to be looking at them,” she said.

The economy’s effect on businesses is one of the worries students face when looking for a temporary summer job, but Reker said that it is not as bad as some may think. With a variety of recruiters coming to campus and hundreds of employers attending the career fair, there are still many great opportunities out there for students to gain much needed experience or to just put a little extra cash in their pockets.