Lindsay Leuthold

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship.

I learned about the internship opportunity through a fellow member of Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) the RMI business fraternity. I completed an online application through the WSIA website including two short essay questions, submitting my resume and transcript, and answering questions. After submitting the application the intern committee selects candidates for an online interview. This interview consists of you and two interviewers (typically one broker and one underwriter). The interview is scheduled for one hour. Once the interview was completed, I connected with my interviewers on LinkedIn and sent them a thank you email. After this the waiting game began, I received an email congratulating me on my selection as an intern about two weeks after my interview.

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

The application for my particular internship opened in the middle of August. I would say I began working on the application and essays at the beginning of September. I took several weeks to tweak my resume, have my essays reviewed, and perfect my application. The application closed in the middle of October. I finally submitted my application a week or so before the deadline once I felt that I had completed it to my satisfaction. When I was notified that I was selected for an interview, I began preparing for this interview. This included working through all the "typical" interview questions, familiarizing myself with my resume, preparing questions of my own, and working through experiences to tell. The turnaround time between being selected for an interview and actually interviewing was very quick so I made sure the time I spent preparing was intentional.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your internship, what were they? How did they support your application process?

One of the Career Center services that I used to support me through my application process was the Professional Clothing Closet. I wanted a blazer to wear for my virtual interview but did not want to spend any money. I made an appointment at the clothing closet and was able to find a super cute yellow blazer that fit me like a glove. I felt so confident when I looked my best during the interview. I wear the blazer frequently for work events or conferences and always get compliments on it! Another Career Center service that I have used in the past is the resume review session. When I was a freshman and began drafting my resume, I attended multiple resume review sessions to figure out how to create the perfect resume. The tips I received through these sessions I still use to this day when I edit my resume. The Career Center also makes frequent appearances in my College of Business classes/events where I always take their advice whether it be on resumes or business etiquette. The Career Center also hosted the interviews for the Risk Management/Insurance Department's Insurance Days. I scheduled multiple interviews with employers at this event that I used as practice interviews for my WSIA interview. I know the Career Center offers mock interviews as preparation for the real thing. I have not personally used this service but I treated my interviews at Insurance Days as this mock interview.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

I am not tasked with daily responsibilities or duties during my experimental learning opportunity. WSIA and the host companies I have been placed with take this experience to broaden my perspective of the insurance industry and expose me to all sides of the business, and the bottom line is for me to learn. I appreciate this approach to an internship as it allows me to explore various avenues that I find to be interesting. My responsibilities may include things such as preparing questions and performing background research on certain individuals or agencies before I have meetings with them. When I am given mini projects, I have the responsibility to complete the task promptly and more importantly to ask questions when things catch my attention or do not make sense to me.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

Since my internship is split between an Excess and Surplus (E&S) lines carrier and broker, the two halves of my internship were completely different. This was one of the many reasons the WSIA internship was so attractive to me! A typical day on the job looks different from day to day which is why the E&S business is so appealing. At my carrier, some days include meetings with various people in the company where they talked about their role in the company and answered my questions. On other days I worked on mini projects where I organized and analyzed claims data or reviewed referrals and loss runs. At my broker, I split my time between the personal and commercial lines team. I usually spend my days shadowing the producers as they quote new businesses or manage renewals. They typically will let me "drive" once I have watched them perform the task a few times. They also take me on agency visits where I get to see their interaction with the agents and how they manage these relationships.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

One of the major takeaways from my experience was the importance of having a mentor. I have always had mentors throughout my college career but this experience has shown the need to have more than one for different phases of life. WSIA provides each of its interns with a mentor in the business who does not work for either of the companies they will be placed with for the summer. This mentor allows me to have someone to refer all my questions and concerns to without fear of it influencing my work day. It has also given me an outlet to express any of my opinions or ask for advice. I know this relationship I have formed over this summer is one that I will have for a long time. This has prepared me for the next step after graduation as it has solidified the importance of having mentors to help guide you through your career. Another major takeaway from my experience is the importance of simply asking. Whether it be something you are unclear on or something you want to know more about. There is no such thing as a stupid question. As an intern, the main goal of your summer or experience should be learning. You cannot learn without asking questions and being curious. This is so important for the success of your career and something I will carry with me after graduation.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

This internship has 100% helped me to clarify my career path. As an RMI major, I have chosen a niche industry but one that has opportunities and jobs for all sorts of people. This at times makes it a bit daunting to narrow down what part of the industry I truly want to pursue. Based on a prior internship with the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office (FSLSO) in Tallahassee, I knew Excess and Surplus lines was the direction I wanted to head. But from there I was unsure if I saw myself as an Underwriter or a Broker. This experience interning through WSIA, allows me to see both sides! In typical internships, you are limited to working with one company throughout the summer but that is one of the many draws to the WSIA internship. Through my experience with both companies, I have found clarity as I feel drawn to the carrier side of being an underwriter. I also was able to see the pros and cons of working for both a large global company and a small regional company. I will take the experiences I had with both companies with me as I continue through my career.