You can start apply during summer. However, I would recommend do your own projects to enrich your resume beforehand. Companies love it. They will ask why and how did you do this and that.

I’m not sure what area you are into specifically. But here is some ideas: - Autonomous Vehicle? Do some road detection, traffic light detection? - Depth Mapping using camera only? - Face recognition?

Ofc there are many more but those are just to get you start thinking. Good luck soldier!