Young professionals in Asheville, this one’s for you. If you’re wondering what to do this summer, or perhaps slipping into an existential crisis about the future of your career, may we humbly suggest applying for a summer internship?

An internship is single-handedly the best way to get direct job experience, make valuable professional connections + test the waters on an industry that interests you (before you commit to a full-time job or even a degree in that field). Fun fact: Editor Laura served as an AVLtoday intern back in 2018, and can personally attest that the experience helped kickstart her career in digital media.

Without further ado, here are 11 of Asheville’s coolest *paid* internships that may strike your fancy.

Archetype Brewing | Many Faces Brewing Intern | May 24-July 2021, $15 an hour | Rotate through different areas of brewery operations including brewing, sales, marketing, and taproom + event management, and produce a capstone project. Applications are due April 9 (today!).

Asheville Art Museum | Various positions | Summer, fall + spring | Internships are available most semesters in the communications, curatorial, development, education + visitor departments — and occasionally for special projects.

AVLtoday | Digital Media Intern | Summer, fall + spring | Is it biased for us to say this is the best internship in the world? Work with Laura and Brook to create this beautiful, informative daily newsletter. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Burial Beer Co. | Marketing Assistant Intern | May-August 2021, Part-Time | Love beer + creating content? Here’s your chance to work behind the scenes to facilitate photoshoots and create other promotional materials. 🍺

Biltmore Estate | Agriculture Intern | May-August 2021, Full-Time | Here’s your chance to learn how to operate farming equipment, cultivate crops + help take care of livestock on one of the most beautiful properties in the country. 🐐

Biltmore Farms | Hospitality Intern | 10 weeks | Immerse yourself in the world of hotel management + shadow the sales, marketing, revenue management, and human resources department of a world-class hospitality company.

Eliada | RISE Intern | 13 months, Residential | Gain valuable experience in the mental health field, living on campus + working with Eliada’s psychiatric residential treatment programs. Benefits like PTO, healthcare, and meals included.

First Citizens Bank | Banker Intern | Summer, Full-Time | Get like Mr. Krabs + learn how to manage money like it’s your day job. You’ll also have the chance to develop your own project and present it.

Foothills Conservancy of NC | Conservation Program Intern + Stewardship Intern | Summer 2021, 10 weeks | Part-Time, $15 an hour | These 2 positions will assist on a myriad of local conservation projects. Apply by April 16. 🏞️

Linamar | Engineering Intern | Summer 2021, Full-Time | Get hands-on experience with big time engineering projects that offer plenty of opportunities for advancement. ⚙️

Thermo Fisher Scientific | Material Planner Intern | Summer 2021, Full-Time | Work with the operations, supply chain, suppliers, engineering + finance department in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.