Filming top executives at Southwest Airlines; designing T-shirts for hundreds of Employees to wear; and even dressing up in costumes for special events. These are just a few things NoLimits Interns are able to do during their time at Southwest Airlines. With such great hands-on experience, it’s not an easy internship to come by. Current Interns (including myself!), and a Southwest Recruiter are here to offer some helpful advice.
There are certain things an applicant can do to soar above the rest. Luke Stone, a Southwest Airlines Recruiter, says one thing the Recruitment Team looks for in a candidate is that he or she has done their research on the Company.
“I want someone who has actually heard of us and wants to be here,” Luke says.
The team looks for someone who knows about Southwest’s past and has a Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-LUVing Attitude. The recruiters seek these attributes in candidates all throughout the application process. While certain skills are required for positions, oftentimes they hire for attitude and train for skill.
If you are looking for an internship where you will get coffee and lunch for your boss, this is not the internship for you. Interns are treated just like Employees. All Interns are given projects they can take ownership of and are instrumental to the functioning of the team. This is one of the reasons why the internship program is harder to get into than Harvard Law!
Another thing the recruitment team looks for is passion from the application about what he or she is doing. He wants to know that candidates are really involved with their major and didn’t select it on a whim. He also recommends knowing the job description backward and forward. This will come in handy when the interviews start because applicants will be asked questions based on the description.
To give future applicants even more of a head start, several Interns share their advice for the application process because we understand what you are going through!
Top Tips
- Be able to laugh at yourself.
- Get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.
- Dress to impress.
- Be yourself; let your Warrior Spirit, Fun-LUVing Attitude and Servant’s Heart shine.
- Be sure to bring a pen and paper to the interview.
- Don’t forget to take a breath and remember to have fun.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- If you’re offered a cup of water before your interview, take it.
- Show the recruiters that you’re passionate about your degree.
- Print out a job description and know what you’re applying for.
- Don’t forget the HR representative in the room during the interview.
- Practice common interview questions.
- Remember the interviewers’ names so you can send them a nice thank-you note.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses.
- Give a firm handshake and keep eye contact.
- Show up early.
- Do your research on Southwest and the position that you’re applying for.
- Be confident and be yourself.
- Hit ‘em with a smile.
- Be unforgettable.
- Be nice and courteous to everyone you meet on your way to and from the interview.
- Be patient through the application process.
After all of these great tips, you should feel better prepared to conquer the application process. Hopefully one day you can join the ranks of the few that can call themselves Southwest Airlines Interns.
Our NoLimits Internship Team is currently accepting online applications for our Fall 2012 Intern positions. All internships are located at Headquarters in Dallas, and there’s a wide variety of Internships available. If you know any great college students who would LUV to intern at Southwest, please point them to www.southwest.com/careers to apply by April 2.
