Tucker Thompson interned with State Farm insurance gaining experience in processing property and casualty claims.
How did you get your internship?
I didn’t start looking for internships until early December when I downloaded the Indeed app. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to find a business-related field. In Mid-December, my dad sent me a Indeed link for a summer internship at State Farm for Property and Casualty Claims. Although I knew little to nothing about insurance and claims, I applied a week before the deadline. I was fortunate enough to get an interview that was held on HireView, which is an online interview platform. It was a bit difficult to talk to answer questions without a live person listening, but the second interview was on Zoom with a Talent Acquisitions manager. After the Zoom interview, I had a call with HR and then received a call 2 weeks later where they offered me the position.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
I was a Claims Associate in the Auto department, so after a month of training I was working on real life claims in cases where there was a clear liability and only one moving vehicle. Throughout the summer, we were assigned different tasks such as processing new claims, AEBR (Auto Estimatic Bill Research), and responding to calls and emails related to claims. Doing a variety of tasks was super beneficial because I was able to see the entire claims process. I was also put into a team to work on a project prompt to find and solve internal and external issues across State Farm departments.
What were some of the most important skills you developed during your internship?
This internship gave me a wide range of transferable skills, but three of them stand out. First, adaptability was a huge part of the internship. We even had a motto for adaptability which was “be comfortable being uncomfortable.” Especially in the environment of taking calls, you had to quickly adapt to what the insured would say or request throughout the claim process. Collaboration was another critical skill I practiced when working in my team. Collaborating with everyone to hold meetings with different segments was difficult in the beginning, but came as second nature at the end of the summer. The last skill I want to note is communication. I communicated effectively in a face-to-face environment, on Zoom, phone, and email. I was also able to see how people in more advanced positions communicated with one another, so I tried to take some pointers from them to use in my own conversations.
What was the most meaningful part of your experience?
The most meaningful part of the internship for me was talking to the insured and or claimant, when something unexpected happened in their life. Many of the individuals I talked to would be very appreciative after I helped them, no matter how big or small. It was meaningful to me because it felt like I had a purpose in what I was doing. This made me realize that I would really like to do something that allows me to help other people when they are in difficult situations.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your internship?
The most challenging part of my internship was public speaking. This is something I always struggled with, but during the internship it was a huge part of my growth. We presented our internship project in front of 200+ people including some Vice Presidents of Operations. This was challenging for me to overcome but I knew it was something that I had to do. I was happy with how the presentation went, and although I have plenty of room for improvement, I took a huge step this summer.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
This internship experience influenced my plans for the future by confirming what I want to do after college. The insurance industry, particularly at State Farm, has so many different segments of their business that offer opportunities to grow. Insurance was never something that I thought I would want to do or enjoy but now it is something I want to do after college. This internship was for experience, but State Farm invests in their interns and I was fortunate enough to receive an offer for a full-time position after I graduate.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for and begin their internship?
Don’t be afraid to apply to a company that you are unfamiliar with or one that feels like a stretch. I never in a million years would have thought I’d intern at State Farm, but I landed the offer and actually enjoyed it. Also, get out of your comfort zone and try something new. I was able to have an internship each summer of my college career because it was such an influential opportunity that helped to launch my career. When beginning an internship, don’t overthink everything, the company you are going to work for knows you have little to no knowledge in the industry, so don’t be too hard on yourself.