Is a Career in Marketing for You? The Sky's the Limit at Southwest Airlines

An Interview by
Karol Johansen, Counselor Supervisor,
UCLA Career Center, of

Anastasia Albanese-O'Neill
District Marketing Manager for Southwest Airlines.

Anastasia Albanese-O'Neill earned her BA and MA from UCLA. She's the District Marketing Manager for Southwest Airlines and directs a team of 10 managers, specialists and representatives in the Southern California region. Anastasia has served as President of the UCLA Internship Association and has been an active participant in many employer events sponsored by the UCLA Career Center. Students interested in Southwest internships should inquire at the following e-mail address Anastasia.AlbaneseOneill@wnco.com .

Karol: How did you land in marketing at Southwest?

Anastasia: I graduated from UCLA in 1990 with a BA in Political Science with an International Relations specialization. I then went on the JET [Japan Exchange and Teaching] program and was an employee of the Japanese government for 2 years. I returned to UCLA for graduate school in 1992 and finished my MA in 1995. During my final year of graduate school, I worked for the LA Times as an editor for a column on Asia. This led to a position in PR with Danzas International, a freight forwarder. By chance, I interviewed with Southwest Airlines in 1996 and was offered the position of area manager. In 1997, I was promoted to district manager and have been here ever since.

Karol: What is the difference in your opinion between marketing, advertising and PR?

Anastasia: Marketing, broadly speaking, is communicating about your product/organization/cause to the public. It encompasses both advertising and PR, in my opinion. Advertising is marketing you pay for (TV, radio, print, direct mail) and PR is marketing you get for free (news stories, print articles, etc.) PR has an added element, and that is on the reactive side - or when things go wrong and you have to respond. Outside of PR and Advertising, marketing can include promotions, giveaways, speeches, interaction with customers, education and appreciation of your own employees, etc.

Karol: What are the responsibilities of your marketing reps?

Anastasia: My team here in Southern California is responsible for internet and meetings sales, local promotions, sports marketing (Lakers, Dodgers, Padres, Chargers), local PR and local spokesperson activities, public affairs, community relations and internal relations.

Karol: What skill set is important to be successful in marketing?

Anastasia: Interpersonal skills are critical because you are often in the public eye or working with others to accomplish your goals. In addition, I think marketing people need to be aware of what is going on in their market and industry, so keeping up on news and trends is important. Creativity, organization and public speaking skills are also useful.

Karol: Southwest has a rather unorthodox "non-corporate" reputation in the industry and there seems to be a major emphasis on balancing work and fun. What is the culture like at Southwest?

Anastasia: Southwest is definitely a unique corporate environment. Southwest remains very entrepreneurial, despite our size of over 35,000 employees. This is one of my favorite aspects of the Company, because it means that I have a lot of decision making power in my role and really feel like I am making an impact. We have a saying at Southwest, "I would rather have you beg for forgiveness than ask for permission." I have had to beg on occasion over the years, but the environment encourages me to be creative and take risks when appropriate.

Karol: What advice do you have to students who want to break into the airline or travel industry?

Anastasia: Be willing to start at the bottom and choose a company that is growing (for opportunities) and is stable financially. If you are geographically mobile, you will have more opportunities.

Karol: In closing, why do you think Southwest is consistently ranked one of the top 10 companies to work for in America?

Anastasia: Fun work environment, great leadership, excellent benefits, boundless opportunity for career development and growth and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Originally Published by the UCLA Career Center, 2002. Last edited version 4.4.03.