Southwest Airlines' NoLimits Internship Program

A number of students in the College of Media & Communication have taken advantage of an airline’s internship program, and five of them have used the internships as a takeoff runway for their careers.

Cody Hale, Adam Hernandez, Manuel Ramirez, Preston Redden and Megan Sprague all participated in Southwest Airlines’ NoLimits Internship program, which gave them a way to foster and strengthen the skills they had learned in the classroom through application with real-world experiences.

Cody Hale (BA Electronic Media and Communications, 2012, and MA Mass Communications, 2014), said he first interned in spring 2013 with the Flight Operations production team, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with pilots as they created training videos.

Hale said he enjoyed the experience so much that he reapplied for the program and was accepted for fall 2014. During his second internship, Hale worked with the Communications and Outreach department where his job revolved around covering news related to the company. He then began to work as a contractor for the airline in spring 2015.

Hale said, “Both internships gave me a wealth of experience in the industry and allowed me to work with individuals who not only knew how to take a concept and make it come to life through photo or video, but also were excellent teachers of their craft.”

Adam Hernandez (BA Advertising, 2012) interned for Southwest Airlines in spring 2013, and his internship led to a fulltime job with the airline.

Hernandez said, in addition to his advertising degree, he was able to use his experiences as a tutor at Texas Tech’s TECHniques Center to obtain an internship as a curriculum developer for the airline’s Inflight Scheduling training team.

“One of the greatest things about interning here is that you actually work,” Hernandez said. “Many departments rely heavily on the projects and assignments for which their interns are responsible. I loved every minute of it!”

Manuel Ramirez (MA Mass Communications, 2015) interned with Southwest Airlines in fall 2013. He said that after attending one of the on-campus information sessions and seeing how many Red Raiders worked for the company, he knew he was home.

Ramirez said he looked at his internship as a four-month job interview, and that at the end he was “lucky enough to be one of the three out of 85 interns to stay with the company.” He recently accepted a new position with the airline as a member of its Social Care Team.

Preston Redden (BA Journalism, 2012, and MA Mass Communications, 2015) interned with Southwest Airlines in spring 2015 as a technical writing intern, while pursuing a master’s in mass communications at Texas Tech. He said he was drawn to Southwest because it was a company with a great reputation, and he valued the opportunity to apply the techniques he learned in class.

“Everyone at Southwest Airlines has been friendly and goes out of his or her way to make sure interns feel welcome and that their work is appreciated,” Redden said. “I would definitely recommend that other Texas Tech students apply if they are looking to work for a company that is leading the way in the field of aviation.”

After starting work in CoMC on a master’s degree last fall, Megan Sprague (BA Public Relations, 2014) interned with Southwest Airlines in spring 2015 as a Commercial Communications intern.

Sprague said that during her internship she had the privilege of “getting to experience all things PR,” from preparing Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly for media appearances, to writing for the company’s website, to attending press conferences and planning launch parties.

“The NoLimits internship is one of the best programs in the country,” Sprague said. She explained that after reading “raving reviews” from previous interns, she knew it was where she wanted to be.

Sprague has positive sentiments regarding her time as an intern, and she said that not only is Southwest’s love for its employees “unparalleled,” but the “travel perks aren’t too shabby either.”

Sprague said, “I can’t recommend this internship highly enough. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a great opportunity to work with the best airline in the industry.”

Hale agreed that Southwest’s NoLimits internship program is one of a kind, and he attributes that to the fact that they are famous for not treating their interns like interns.

“We don’t get coffee or take out the trash, and we’re not often given menial tasks,” Hale said. “Interns feel like a part of their team because they are given duties that directly impact the functions of the company and provide excellent real-world experience.” mc

(Rachel Blevins is a sophomore journalism major from Mineral Wells, Texas.)