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The Freedom to LUV My Job

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Adventurer C
I am a prime example of the fact that Southwest Airlines gives its Employees the Freedom to move around the Company. I've been at Southwest for nearly seven years, during which time I've held three very different jobs. I started my career at Southwest as a Recruiter. While in the People Department, I interviewed candidates for open positions in Finance and Internal Audit here at Headquarters. I enjoyed meeting potential New Hires, and I loved being the first point of contact for the folks who were hired at Southwest. I can honestly say that the hardworking People in the People Department are some of the best folks with whom I've had the honor to work. Plus, one of the perks of being a Recruiter is that it's a terrific way to meet People. I still see familiar faces every day around Headquarters that I met during my Recruiting days. After nearly two years in Employment, I decided I was ready for a change and interviewed for the Compensation Analyst opening. The hiring Managers (and later two of my favorite bosses), Brent Wolfe and Michael Curtis, are true believers in the "hire for attitude and train for skill" mantra, and thankfully they decided to give me a shot. Although I did not have previous Compensation experience, they taught me the trade of evaluating job responsibilities; completing market surveys; and helping to administer Southwest's salary administration program. Needless to say, I learned a lot during my tenure in Compensation, and I grew to LOVE Excel spreadsheets! After over three years of analyzing and evaluating, it was once again time for me to "move my cheese." I had spent most of my career thus far in human resources, and was ready for a career change. One great thing about SWA is that you can change careers without changing companies! So…when fellow blogger Sunny Abercrombie posted an opening for a Culture Activities Rep, I thought I'd be crazy not to apply. Here I am, nearly two years later, and I still pinch myself when I come to work. Our Team's primary responsibility is to keep the Southwest Culture strong by planning Spirit Parties, Messages to the Field, and the Annual Awards Banquet. In addition, we support the Local and Corporate Culture Committees in their quests to enrich the SOUTHWEST SPIRIT in their departments at a local level. I'm happy to report that I feel like I've finally found my niche. I'd love to hear stories about other SWA job hoppers…where did you start your career? And where are you now?
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