It’s one thing to spend an entire semester studying abroad. It’s another to take off a semester at the University of Illinois to intern in another state — and senior Lauren Kraft has done both! I got the chance to talk with Lauren about her move to Dallas and the amazing experiences she has had as the Communication Intern for Southwest Airlines.
HC: How did you find out about the internship? What was the application process like?
I stumbled across the internship when I was searching for opportunities at public relations agencies. When the Southwest Airlines (SWA) position came up in my searches, it immediately caught my attention. I did some research and found out it was one of the most competitive internships in the country and decided to apply on a whim for the spring term, just to see what would happen.
I applied for four different positions that seemed to fit my background in Communication and about four weeks later, I found out I had earned a phone interview. A recruiter called me and we had a quick chat about my experience and why I wanted to work for SWA. At the end of the call, she offered me an in-person interview and a week later they flew me to Dallas. The interview turned out to be a lot of fun. I even saw Jake from The Bachelor interviewing for a pilot’s position! Two weeks after my in-person interview, I received an offer for a part-time position as a Communication Intern.
HC: How was the transition to Texas?
The transition to Texas was really easy. First, as a former study abroad participant, I have no trouble packing up and leaving for a semester. Second, the No Limits Internship Team at SWA really prepared us for the move. While they don’t provide housing, they connected us by Facebook to all the other interns and gave us housing recommendations. We all found two or three people to live with, signed a lease and prepared for the move. Even if you don’t know a soul in Dallas, you will instantly have 50 friends from all over the country who also don’t know anyone.
HC: What do you do at your internship?
As the Communication Intern, I get to do a lot of things. The communication department at SWA has recently converged to include internal, external, public relations and social media. I do a lot of writing for the internal and external blogs. I have written articles for our internal magazine, LUVLines, and in June I have an article coming out in Spirit magazine — the one that’s on the planes! I also do a lot of event planning for new city openings and even get to participate in making some of our awesome YouTube videos. As far as media relations go, my large project for the semester is to create a media training PowerPoint, teaching executives and leaders interview style and social media use.
HC: What are some of the things you’ve learned so far?
I’ve learned so much at SWA that I’m not even sure where to start. The first and most important thing I’ve learned is that corporate public relations and communications do NOT have to be boring, stuffy or stiff. SWA is the best at having fun and I truly enjoy going to work every day. Second, I’ve learned that having an internship is like a three-month job interview. You’ve got to be on your game every day and every contact you make is valuable. I’m not able to apply for jobs after my internship because I have one more semester left, but I know I will stay in touch with my contacts at Southwest for future guidance and, of course, as friends.
HC: I saw that you’ve been traveling. Where have you gone to since the internship?
The best part of my job is the free flights! The other interns and I go somewhere different every weekend. By the end of May, my travels will have included a rodeo and the world’s largest honky-tonk in Fort Worth, the Riverwalk in San Antonio, top of the Space Needle in Seattle, a Yoko Ono concert in Austin, dinner in St. Louis, opening a new city in South Carolina, the casinos in Las Vegas, the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and the beaches of San Diego.
HC: What’s next for you?
Unfortunately, the internship is over at the end of April. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone! After this, I plan on spending the summer traveling and making money before finishing up my degree in the fall. Past that, I truly have no limits and plan on gaining more experience before going back to Southwest to stay. The company is one-of-a-kind and I absolutely want to spend my career there. The corporate culture is unmatched and I can’t wait to hopefully reunite with former interns and supervisors in the future!
HC: What advice would you give students looking to apply for summer internships?
My best advice would be to do your research. Read reviews online and make sure wherever you end up interning will give you real world experience that will strengthen your portfolio; never settle for getting the coffee. The one thing I wish I had known before coming to Southwest Airlines is how to ask for more work. If you have downtime or find you are finishing projects quickly, make sure you know what other supervisors are working on, introduce yourself and offer your help.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.