A day at SeaWorld to visit Shamu, scavenger hunts around the office, a 70's themed birthday party, celebrations every Friday, and endless amount of peanuts!  What more could a person ask of an internship?  How about challenging work, immediate acceptance into a work group, hands-on experience, and inspiration?  These are just a few of the things my fellow summer Interns and I have experienced while interning at Southwest Airlines.
 

As the job market becomes more and more competitive, the opportunity to add an internship to one's resume is invaluable.  I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to intern for a Company that I LUV and respect, learning more about what I would like to do in the future.   I am currently a business student at a Colorado university and have a strong interest in both internal and external Customer Service, and working in the Executive Office at Southwest has been the perfect opportunity for me to have hands-on experience in this field.  Everyday I am learning more and more about how to give exemplarily service to both Employees and Customers.  I am in awe of what I have observed while working for Southwest Airlines.  The amount of time and effort (and, of course, care and concern) this office and Company puts into to fulfilling its mission to all the People it serves is unprecedented.   There are times when I have questioned why certain things are done (thinking it couldn't be that important), but when I read the letters that Customers and Employees send describing the selfless actions of SWA Employees, I realize how important it is for everyone involved, and I then fully understand why they do everything they do.

Not only have I gained hands-on experience, but I also gained awesome memories and too many friends to count!  The 37 Interns participating in the program this summer are all unique and amazing in their own ways (hint, hint to any recruiter reading this blog)…just like every other Employee within the Company.  Not only do I have a great experience to add to my resume, but also almost 32,000 friends to add to my Christmas card list!  I hate to realize that this experience must come to an end.  I won't lie, thoughts of transferring to a Texas school have crossed my mind–just so I could become a permanent intern, but don't worry, Ma & Pa, I will be back in August to finish my degree.  
 

My experience at Southwest Airlines has made me even more excited about entering the "real world" and starting my career.  Six in the morning isn't that bad when everyday at work is FUN!  I have a feeling that my career at Southwest Airlines has only begun–thanks to their amazing internship program.  To any student out there debating on whether or not to apply – I say go for it!  Interning at Southwest Airlines could quite possibly be one of the best experiences of your life!

(As Herb has said, maybe there is a chance for world peace.  Here's a pic of Caitlin with another intern, Brian Claypool in Marketing, who is from arch-rival Colorado State.)

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming an intern at Southwest Airlines, please visit our Intern's page at southwest.com  for more information. 

By Caitlin Merrell, Executive Office Intern