My name is Audrey Wilson, and I am a rising senior at Purdue University. I am from Fishers, and I have lived in Indiana my entire life, so working for an Indiana-based company just made sense for me.
This has been an amazing summer because of the experience I had during the Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance summer internship as the sales and marketing intern. I want to share my experience with students like me who may be interested in this program for their future summers.
How I spent my 2022 summer internship
Like many students, I found the process of finding the perfect summer internship daunting. I had never had an internship prior to this one, so I was unsure when to apply for summer internships, where to look, what to look for and how to network to get successful results, etc. I also found it challenging because throughout my almost four years at Purdue, I have changed majors five times, so it was no surprise to anyone who knew me that I could not decide what kind of internship I wanted to apply for.
My dad ultimately helped me find the summer internship position at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. He posted on his LinkedIn that I was looking for a summer internship position. A former coworker of my dad’s, Brad Loheide, manager of marketing and growth initiatives, reached out and mentioned the Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance summer internship program.
When I heard it was an insurance company, I was reluctant to apply. I knew nothing about insurance, and I couldn’t imagine a summer internship at an insurance company would be fun. Instead of writing it off, I put my hesitation aside and applied for several summer internship positions at the company. They got back to me within a week of submitting my application and scheduled multiple interviews with the hiring managers for the positions I applied for. They even looked at my resume and recommended me to managers whose positions I had not even applied for, which is how I found sales!
The interview process is what really got me interested. Everyone I spoke to was so nice and welcoming, whether we were chatting virtually, or I was in downtown Indianapolis at the corporate office. I found that with some other interviews for bigger national and well-known companies that the interviews felt rushed or it seemed like I was just applicant #123. With Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, everyone I spoke to took what I had to say into account, and we had great, meaningful conversations rather than an uptight interview. When I interviewed for the sales position, the flexibility of the program and the career path excited me more than any of the other positions I had interviewed for, both within this company and with other companies.
Although sales was never a career, I thought I would pursue it, I am so happy that I chose this position and company to spend my summer with because it has been the perfect fit! The summer internship program with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance is one I would recommend to everyone, because of the wonderful and unique experience I have had.
My favorite part about the program, aside from the real-life projects and experiences I get to have every day, is the involvement the interns are expected to have with our community. We went on field trips and traveled around the city together once a month for volunteer activities. When I heard about this during one of my interviews, I will admit I was not very excited. However, after our trips to SENSE Charter School and Gleaner’s Food Bank, I am grateful that we got these opportunities because it brought the interns closer together as a team, and it gave me real insight into the impact the company has on the community.
Another upside is that it is a paid summer internship. Of course I am happy to be getting a paycheck, but I am also grateful for the experiences I received this summer, which is what makes it all worthwhile in my opinion.
How long do summer internships last at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance?
The Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance summer internship program takes up a good chunk of the summer. I started in mid-May and worked until early August. I like this set up because it gave me a few weeks after the spring semester to do important things, like get my wisdom teeth out and relax before work started full force.
Finishing the internship, the first week of August was also a plus, because it gave me time to start getting ready to go back to school without having to worry about working full time on top of packing and finishing my summer classes. During the internship, I worked 40 hours a week. My schedule was flexible during the day, but I usually worked from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., but many interns choose to come in earlier, stay later, or whatever worked best for their schedule.
I’ve found that there can be a lot of flexibility with your schedule as long as you’re being responsible, using your time wisely and communicating with your manager or the individual you are reporting to. The internship is a hybrid internship, so many people also split up their week between working at the home office in Indianapolis and working from home.
When to apply for summer internships at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance?
The earlier you start looking for your internship, the better! Deadlines for applications depend on the job and the industry, but I would recommend beginning to look within the first month back to school. This is also a time when many career fairs are taking place. Career fairs are great opportunities to network and find job opportunities you didn’t already know about.
You can begin to apply for the Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance summer internship program in September. I applied to Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance in late October of 2021. Although the timeline feels early, it is nice to know that you are set for the following summer rather than rushing around looking for an internship. The internship market has also become more competitive, so give yourself a competitive advantage by being proactive and applying sooner rather than later.
The last, but most important, aspect for me when it came to choosing an internship was making sure I felt like I belonged. I was intimidated by sales because it was my impression that it is traditionally a male-dominated field. As a woman entering the job market for the first time, I was worried I wouldn’t be accepted or taken seriously. However, my experience could not have been further from that. Everyone I worked with at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance was so welcoming and accepting of my ideas and opinions. This has played a key role in why I loved the internship so much, and I could not be more thankful for the Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance family for this.