What is the hiring process at Southwest Airlines?

Application: Prospective employees are encouraged to explore the Southwest Airlines careers webpage and get information on Southwest Airlines' business, culture, and available jobs.

You are also encouraged to check out the "Why Southwest" content listed at the bottom of the careers page to get a better insight into life as a Southwest Airlines employee.

Once an opportunity of interest has been identified, prospects are encouraged to apply via Southwest Airlines' career page. You will be prompted to fill out an online application form. You can upload your resume to help fill out your candidate profile. You will also create a job seeker account where you can track your application status.

There may be pre-screening text messages or assessments that will be sent to you or you will be contacted by a member of the internal recruitment team regarding next steps.

Please note that a full COVID-19 vaccination may be a condition of employment depending on the role and location of the job. If you have concerns, please discuss this with a member of the internal recruitment team.

Interview: After you submit your application, it will be reviewed by a member of the internal recruitment team. If your skills seem to be a match for the role, you will be contacted to set up a phone interview.

During the phone interview, you will discuss the role in greater detail and get to ask any questions you have regarding the role and/or the company. If you are still interested and the recruitment team feels that you are a good fit, you will move on to the panel interview.

The panel interview usually takes place with the hiring manager and at least one team member who is currently working in the role you have applied for or is at a similar level. This interview tends to involve a lot of scenario-based questions in order to gauge your personality and experiences in past roles.

Sample interview questions include:

• "Tell us about a time that you made an important decision that turned out in hindsight to be a wrong decision. How did you handle that?"

• "What does good customer service mean to you?"

• "What is a misconception people have about you?"

• "What do you want to learn in this position?"

• "How do you stay positive if something bad happens?"

Offer and Onboarding: If you are selected for the role, a member of the internal recruitment team will contact you to review the offer letter details, benefits, and more information on your new career at Southwest Airlines. If you are not selected, you will receive communication from a member of the Southwest Airlines team.

Once you have accepted an offer, you will be asked to complete forms and start the pre-onboarding process. You will also be required to submit a drug test and background check. The internal recruitment team member will provide you with more detailed information on how to complete these steps.

Southwest Airlines outlines its tips for successfully going through the hiring process:

1. A cover letter is not required or preferred. Due to the large number of submissions received daily, only a resume is perfect.

2. After you apply, you should receive a confirmation email (please check your spam folders). If you have not received an email you can still check your status from your job seeker portal.

3. If you are being referred by a Southwest Airlines employee, ask them to submit a referral via a handwritten note, phone call, or email. Make sure they include details about how they know you, if you have worked with them in the past, and why you would be a fit for the position.