Southwestern Company Internship Profile
- “This internship was life changing for me.”
- “This internship prepares you for real life challenges better than any part-time job or internship out there.”
- “I loved that I was rewarded for going above and beyond.”
- Respondents rated the challenge of internship projects a perfect 10.
Industries: Sales and Trading
Locations:
Number of Interns: 101 +, 2,800
Compensation/Benefits: Paid, Academic Credit, Commission; Academic credit is available. Perks: Seminars; Speaker Series
Length: 6 to 12 weeks, 12 weeks (Summer)
Responsibilities: Sales
Southwestern Company offers the Southwestern Advantage, a program through which college students gain entrepreneurial experience selling educational books and software. Interns work as independent contractors developing their own businesses over the course of the summer. Southwestern Advantage dates back to the 1800s, and today almost 3,000 students participate each year.
Through Southwestern Advantage, students earn money during summer months by launching their own retail business, buying books and software wholesale and selling them to families in their homes. Interns are trained in sales and running a business and also experience on-the-job training and shadow opportunities. Participants are then placed in communities other than their own, sometimes living with host families. They have autonomy to create their own schedules and sales strategies. Interns are not guaranteed a salary; instead, their profits are based on the success of their businesses. In addition to potential earnings, participants are also eligible for incentive trips.
Early June (Summer). Interns are selected based on information sessions, follow-up meetings, and endorsements from parents.
Undergraduate, graduate, law, MBA, and PhD students are welcome to apply.
