Not ready or able to snag a real job yet? Consider an internship. As jobs become more competitive, internships become more vital to job-seekers' résumés. They can give you valuable experience that will help you land employment later. They also provide a great opportunity to network, and interns many times are hired after their temporary gig ends.

Perhaps most importantly, internships can help you determine whether being a veterinarian/stockbroker/pharmacist is what you really want to do. Consider it a trial run for the real world.

Internships can vary widely. Some are paid, some aren't; some are full-time, some are part-time; some require you to make copies and serve coffee all day, while others offer hands-on experience in your profession of choice.

Here are some of the cooler internships around San Antonio: 

MCNAY ART MUSEUM
 
J.R. Bruce, 26, and Rebecca Norris, 37

Duties: Bruce, who has a master's degree in scenic design, works with the museum's Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts. He researches art, writes wall labels, catalogues objects and is organizing his own exhibit, set to open in July. Norris, who's working on her master's degree in art history, does research, helps set up exhibits, assesses the museum's Renaissance collection and helped organize the museum's annual print fair, among other responsibilities. Both interns are working on the museum's new podcast project.

Pay: $20,000 for 10 months of full-time work

Coolest part: “Getting to play with all this art,” Bruce said. “This is the art you see in textbooks.” For Norris, the best perk is “getting to hang out at the museum all the time.”

SAN ANTONIO SPURS
 
Daniel Casados, 24

Duties: As one of four marketing interns for the Spurs, Casados helps set up the promotions that take place on the court when the clock has stopped. He books contestants for the promotional games and singers to perform the national anthem. He also helps with off-site events with players and sponsors. He gets to see the games for free, but he's working through most of them.

Pay: $500 per month for 20 hours per week of work; he also gets college credit

Coolest part: “I like the energy in the building. I love sporting events. I couldn't ask for a better atmosphere,” said Casados, a senior at University of the Incarnate Word majoring in sports management.

KENS
 
Taylor Williams, 20

Duties: When Williams was the weekend intern for the “Eyewitness News” morning show on Saturdays and Sundays, she assisted the producer by working with guests, booking interviews, setting up camera angles and arranging props.

Pay: Minimum wage

Coolest part: Getting hired. Williams, a sophomore majoring in mass communications at Texas State University, took on extra duties during the week to learn the business from the inside out. KENS noticed. Now she's the associate producer for the “Eyewitness News” morning show during the week. “When I get to write stories and I get to hear my stories on television, it's the coolest thing,” she said.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor