(MONEY Magazine) – Summer's almost here, and you're afraid your high school or college kid is going to waste it playing Nintendo 64 and munching on stale potato chips? Not to worry. Employment counselors say there's still time for him or her to find a summer job--even a paid internship. But your kid had better get off the couch fast. Three smart last-minute tips:

--Surf the net. The World Wide Web, natch, has become the latest way to turn up summer internships, travel and tourism jobs, and overseas opportunities. Sites such as the award-winning Cool Works (http://www.coolworks.com), Jobtrak (www.jobtrak.com) and Summer Jobs (www.summerjobs.com) post thousands of listings for everything from camp counselors to computer scientists. (You'll find advice about finding a job for you via the Net on page 29.)

--Design your own internship. College students whose financial-aid status makes them eligible for federal work/ study funds can often make prospective employers an offer they can't refuse: The government will pay as much as 75% of their summer salaries. State and local governments, charities, arts groups and small businesses are usually eager to hire work/study students, says Cornell University student employment director Dennis Chavez.

--Take a class on starting a business. High schoolers sometimes have a tough time finding a decent summer job, competing against low-skilled workers of all ages. So your teen might want to sign up for a program to let him or her become a boss and run a small business next summer. At some of its 190 branches, the economics instructional organization Junior Achievement offers free summer programs to help students learn how to manage mini-enterprises such as desktop publishing and video production. Call your local JA branch for information.

--Mari McQueen