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Southwest Airlines Campus Reach

Campus Reach
Engage Inspire Launch

What is Campus Reach?

The No Limits Program has evolved to “Campus Reach!”

The Campus Reach program identifies and engages future Southwest Employees at an early age, hopefully inspiring an interest in a career in aviation! Campus Reach’s efforts include: high school internships and partnerships, a nationally-recognized college internship program, direct hiring opportunities for new college graduates, and an MBA internship to bring talented individuals into more strategic roles within the Company.


Campus Reach: Engage. Inspire. Launch

Questions About Campus Reach?

Email Us!

Campus Reach now offers an eight-week High School Internship Program in Dallas during the summer. Our hands-on program provides high school students with exposure to the corporate world, and emphasizes the importance of education and opportunities beyond a diploma or degree. We hope to see our high school interns return as college interns some day!

Dates:

  • Application Posting Dates: March 19th – March 26th
  • High School Internship Dates: June 11th – August 3rd

High School Internship Criteria:

  • Must be available to work part-time (20-30 hours/week) in Dallas
  • Must be currently enrolled in high school as a sophomore or junior level student
  • Must be at least 16 years of age as of June 11, 2018
  • Must be able to provide transportation to/from Southwest Airlines Headquarters
  • 3.0 or above cumulative GPA (preferred)
  • Classroom experience with Microsoft Office Suite
  • Ability to work on a team and individually
  • Involvement in extracurricular activities preferred
  • Quick learner, self-motivated, respectful, courteous, and able to work in a fast-paced environment

Opportunities Available:

The below Teams reflect 2017 opportunities, but stay tuned as we are looking forward to welcoming more Departments in upcoming years!

  • People-Campus Reach
  • People-Onboarding
  • People-Technology & Operations
  • Corporate Delivery & Technology
  • Corporate Facilities
  • Ground Operations
  • Supply Chain

We love that you’re interested in pursuing a high school internship with us! To get started, please be prepared to provide responses on the following:

  • Courses taken/GPA
  • Leadership/extracurricular activities
  • Prior job experience
  • Reason for applying  

This day long camp was designed as an opportunity to educate and inspire 3rd – 8th grade students about the aviation industry. This hands-on event is sure to excite youth about the potential careers in our industry! This year’s Aviation Day will be held at our TOPS Building in Dallas, TX on September 9, 2017 from 9am – 3pm CST. Applications will go live on Monday August 7. Sign up now. Applications will be open until August 18th, or until maximum capacity is reached.

For more information regarding Aviation Day please refer to our Aviation Day FAQ. In case you miss this year's sign-up window, please stay tuned for future Aviation Days!

Aviation Day brand mark with tagline 'let your dreams take flight

College interns at Southwest will not only get hands-on business experience in their particular field, they will also get to experience the famous Culture that makes Southwest Airlines home to some of the most highly sought after internships year after year.
 
In 2016, we had 378 Interns onboard with us from 104 different universities and 36 different states. These Interns were selected from over 38,000 resumes, so it’s definitely a competitive program!

           United States map              

Here’s what others have to say about Southwest and our Internships:

  • # 3 Best College Internship Programs
    Campus Grotto, 2015
  • Top 10 Communications Internships
    The Vault, 2014
  • “One of the Coolest Internships in America”
    The Street, 2014
  • Top 6 Internship Perks
    Hercampus.com, 2013
  • Featured Company
    Intern Insider, 2013

Read through our Internship FAQs

The Campus Reach MBA Internship Program is an 11-week program typically held during the summer* semester at Southwest headquarters in Dallas. Participants are students making progress toward an MBA or MS in Business or a related field, and will bring fresh perspectives to Southwest, while gaining practical, real-world experience in concepts straight from the pages of a textbook.

MBA Internship Criteria:

  • Progress towards an MBA or MS in Business or related field
  • Minimum of 2 years work experience preferred (full-time, part-time, or internship)


Potential areas of engagement include:

  • Financial Planning & Analysis
  • Strategic Planning & Implementation
  • Enterprise Workforce Planning
  • Labor Relations Strategy
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Operations Planning
  • Commercial Planning & Performance

*The MBA Internship Program may not be available every summer and individuals are welcomed to apply other Campus Reach Internships.

Associate Business Analyst

Associate Business Analysts (ABA) focus on internal and external Customer requirements, in which he/she conducts business analysis, process modeling, and redesign. From there, he/she will research and recommend alternative actions for problem resolution. In addition, our ABAs are given the opportunity to participate in systems and acceptance testing. Furthermore, ABAs engage in fiscal management and cost estimate development.

Preferred experience:

  • Majors include: Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or Information Systems or Related Major
  • 1 year analysis experience.
  • Prior analysis internships/capstone projects.
  • Leadership experience.

 

Associate Software Engineer

Undergraduate degree hires will enter the Southwest Airlines Technology Department as Associate Software Engineers (ASWE). Associate Software Engineers develop program code, analyze, design, test, document, and implement application systems in accordance with internal business requirements, and organizational standards.

Qualifications:

  • Great analytical skills
  • Excellent written & oral communication
  • Aptitude for learning emerging technologies

Majors:

  • Engineering/Computer Science
  • Information Systems
  • Information Technology
  • Business

 

Here’s what we look for in strong candidates:

  • The desire to Live and Work the Southwest Way
    • Living the Southwest Way means having a Warrior Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-LUVing Attitude! For students, a Warrior Spirit means having a strong GPA, some work experience, involvement in clubs and organizations, and Leadership experience. A Servant’s Heart is displayed through your involvement in volunteer work and community events, and in putting others before yourself. A Fun-LUVing attitude means not taking yourself too seriously, and having FUN even when you’re working hard
  • Commitment to Customer Service and Hospitality
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Self-motivation and energetic personality
  • Team-oriented quality
  • Flexibility to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
  • Ability to work well alone or with others

 
College Internship Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be fulltime college students as defined by your university (or taking the last of your required classes to graduate) to be eligible for our internships. Most of the positions also require that students are classified at a minimum of junior level (60+ hours), although some positions also allow sophomores to apply. Recent college graduates are eligible only for the semester immediately following graduation. (May graduates are eligible for Summer Internships).

All applicants must apply online during the application period, which is usually six months before the start of the internship, or up to six weeks before you graduate for those interested in full time opportunities upon graduation. A resume is all you need to apply, but you may be contacted for additional information in the future.

College Internships

Internship Semester

Internship Dates

Approximate Application Period

Spring

Jan. 22 - May 4, 2018

Apply Aug. 21 -
Sept. 22, 2017

Summer

May 21 - Aug. 10, 2018

Apply Oct. 23 -
Nov. 17, 2017

Fall

Sept. 4 - Dec. 7, 2018

Apply Feb. 12 -
Mar. 16, 2018

 


High School Internships

Internship Semester

Internship Dates

Approximate Application Period

Summer

June 11 - Aug. 3, 2018

Apply Mar. 19 -
Mar. 26, 2018


Associate Business Analyst

Start Date

Fall Posting
Dates

Spring Posting Dates

December

Sept. 25 - Oct. 2, 2017

Mar. 7 - Mar. 14, 2018

May

Sept. 25 - Oct. 2, 2017

Mar. 7 - Mar. 14, 2018

August

Sept. 25 - Oct. 2, 2017

Mar. 7 - Mar. 14, 2018

 

Please check our Job Listings for more information as dates can change.

We’re fortunate to receive hundreds of amazing applications, so the resume review process typically takes four-six weeks from the time the application period closes. Then, we can begin conducting interviews. We’ll reach out to you by phone or email for each position you apply for. We appreciate your patience while we make our selections.

Come Fly With Me  
College and MBA Interns, and full-time Employees, are eligible for free, unlimited space-available travel to any location to which Southwest flies. All travel is subject to seat availability, so flexibility is important.

Interns in the sky: every weekend our interns are exploring different destinations throughout the US
See where our interns have been.

Have FUN, Get Paid  
Not only do you get to have FUN and enjoy your work, you get paid as well! The payment amount will depend on the particular internship or position and its requirements.
 
Career Development
All High School Interns, College Interns, MBA Interns, and Full Time Employees have the unique opportunity to attend Career Development classes and events during the work day that will help you develop the skills that you need in order to succeed in the professional world. Events include:

  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator- Interns learn about psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.
  • Career Day-This workshop prepares Interns for applying and interviewing for fulltime positions.
  • Days in the Field-Take a closer look at other departments around our Headquarters to explore career opportunities outside your assigned internship area.

Love Where You Work
If you’re not already excited about what Southwest Airlines has to offer, we’ve got a couple more reasons. We have a casual dress code, and we host a variety of FUN Culture activities that allow you to mix and mingle with other Southwest Warriors. 

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Tips and Tricks to Landing a Campus Reach Internship.
Tips and Tricks to Landing a Campus Reach Internship.

Resume Tips: Our application system accepts resumes in PDF and Word format.

Visit our Career Site FAQs for a list of supported web browsers before you apply.

Tips on perfecting your resume for Southwest Internships:

  • Keep it to one page when possible.
  • Limit information from high school and don’t include excessive information that’s not current or relevant.
  • Be sure to highlight your strengths and skills, and give specific examples of when you’ve used them.
  • Show experience or relevant coursework on your resume so that it’s in line with the position for which you’re applying.

 

Interview Tips:

Are you nervous about your phone interview or in-person interview? Relax and read over these tips from our recruiters:

  • Save a copy of the job description when you apply, and review it before the interview.
  • Practice. Practice. Practice.  Come to the interview prepared.
  • Be concise with your answers and avoid rambling. Don't be afraid of silence while the recruiter is writing some notes.
  • Be yourself, don’t be afraid to let your personality show.
  • Do your research. Be knowledgeable about Southwest and the position for which you're applying.