The night of August 6th I will be taking a flight across the country to start a traveling road show that will go through Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Winnipeg and Chicago.  A little time off for some R & R is definately in order.

After that I will start getting ready for my final year at the University of Washington.  It is terrifying how fast these last three years have gone. 

The $20,000 question on most peoples’ minds here in Seattle is what are my plans for after college?  In a perfect world I would love to come work at Gallagher.  I love what I do and the people I work with.  I feel ready to get out into the world and start selling.  Everyone is now a potential prospect in my mind and I feel incredibly well-prepared to succeed.  However, I obviously have to respect the capacities and willingness of my company to bring me in.

I hope all of you first-year interns had as great of an experience I have.  Best of luck to everyone.

Sincerely,

Rick Farmer

Seattle, WA

The final two week of my internship have begun and the whole summer is starting to head towards a close.  I have learned a lot here at Gallagher and I have definitely received all the office experience that I was looking for going into summer.  After the internship is over I will take a little time to go camping and then start my road trip across the country from California to Connecticut for school.  Should be a long but fun journey with lots of stops in between to visit friends and visit their various schools. 

One last item of business to take care of before I head on my roadtrip is the Insurance League Softball Playoffs with the Gallgher team, so far we are 5 and 2 and looking to make a strong run in the playoffs.

-Brendan, San Francisco

After this internship ends, my immediate future will be spent on the beach.  After a week of rest and relaxation I will be coming back to LA where the start of water polo and classes await me.

My time here has exposed me to a wonderful office and a fun industry.  I have liked working here a great deal and have learned more then I could have ever imagined.   This school year will have some hard but exciting classes and will also offer the flexibility to take classes I want to take.   It will be my last water polo season playing at the collegiate level which is equally hard to believe.  Having to work full-time has really prodded me to make sure I enjoy my last year in school and I really look forward to it.  But it is equally satisfying to know that I found a great place to work while interning this summer.

-Greg in LA

The idea of contemplating what exactly I will be doing after completing the internship program is daunting, scary, and exciting. No doubt this program allowed me to gain valuable skill sets that can be applied to a varying fields and sectors. The analytical and technical skills are essential in almost any industry. These tools, coupled with the communicating and consulting aspects, allow me to become a valuable asset in not only the job market, but also in graduate school work.

 Having recently completed my undergraduate degree at UCLA, several options are available for me to pursue. Of these, two primarily protrude: law school and employment. Law school has always been a path of interest for me; however, having worked for a law firm for a year and a half and experiencing the culture, the life-work balance is not encouraging. If the employment track is chosen, whether it be an opportunity with Gallagher or elsewhere, higher education (such as an MBA) some time in the future is almost a certainty.

Regardless of the path taken, I’m confident in my abilities, and more so now than ever before, which is attributable to the Gallagher Summer Associate Program.

 Thanks,

 Ari in Los Angeles

A successful producer in my office is Rodney B. Rodney makes his quota every year, he has been to 3 award conferences, and has been in the top 20 in GBS, several times. He credits his success to working in a good office, which is generous and focused on cross selling.

His advice on how to be a successful producer is:
- Honesty
- Humility
- Confidence
- Be comfortable with your self.
- Strong work ethic (show up to work prepared and focused)

Rodney is easy going, he does not believe in a hard sale, he takes a consultative approach. He is comfortable in leadership roles and enjoys mentoring and helping people.

Vladimir GBS Los Angeles

Semper Fi

After the internship, I plan on working as a producer with GBS here at the Fresno branch.  I know this is the company I want to be with, and the profession I want to immerse myself in.  Although it is not finalized yet, it looks as though my wish will come true.  Before the internship, I already knew I wanted to work here.  My experiences during the internship have confirmed that this is where I want to make my home (by that, I don’t mean sleeping under my desk, I just mean that this is where I want to establish a career). 

-Paul in Fresno