Today i had the opportunity to go to lunch with the p & c branch in Salt Lake City. I went with the other Salt Lake interns, the ones i had the opportunity to meet in Chicago. It was a great little reunion and so fun to see them and chat up about the old days in Itasca…Man, the memories. We had a fabulous lunch at the Hidden Valley Country Club nestled up by the wasatch mountains over looking salt lake valley. Then we went to their offices and took me around to meet everyone. Even though our offices are on the same team, (us being GBS and them being PandC) the lifestyle and environment is soooo different. Our office is tiny with about 7 employees, their office is larger and have around 20. It was nice to see the differences in the divisions. I miss all the interns I had the opportunity to meet in Itasca. I wish you all the best, and enjoy the rest of the summer!

- Libby

It’s hard to believe this internship is winding down as we head into our final days as GBS interns.  I feel as though I’ve been running 100 mph for the last 9 weeks so taking time to reflect on the experience is like a much needed breath of fresh air.  While I feel like I’ve been going, going, going, I never had the feeling I was running like a chicken without its head.  Sure, there have been challenging times when I felt completely out of my element; yet even through all those moments, I could see the purpose in everything that was required of me.  As I said in an earlier post, the one thing I wanted to gain most out of this internship was a much needed sense of direction. I wanted to discover my “niche” and uncover my hidden talents. Although I cannot say I wake up every morning feeling excited to learn about the difference between a PPO and HMO, the dynamic nature of the insurance industry excites me. There’s never a dull moment as there’s always something (or a deadline) to look forward to no matter what time of the year it is. While my main responsibilities center around insurance, I am still exposed to different industries through various clients in different niches. The experience also differs depending on the client’s personality, as I have learned from several client meetings. With a year round schedule and diverse clientele, I discovered insurance was much more interesting than I originally anticipated.

Looking forward, I’m not sure what to expect in the future.  As I head into my senior year of college, there’s a lot of uncertainty ahead of me. I may have diverted to a pint of Haagan Dasz ice cream one year ago to cope with the pressure, but I feel more comfortable with the “unknown” after this experience.  At this point, I plan to enjoy my last year as a student by making the most of my remaining courses and growing closer to my friends.  Oh and of course, I can’t forget to milk my parents for what they are worth before they cut me off. Once that happens, I guess I’ll get a job with Gallagher…  At least, I hope to.

“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.”

Brownie points to anyone who knows the author of that quote, without google-ing it.

-Sarah, LA GBS

It has been interesting working in the Fresno GBS office. The time has really flown by; it’s hard to believe it has almost been nine weeks. There has been so much to do and learn that there hasn’t been enough time to get it all done. Wish there was more time really, then I could finish everything I wanted to do. It has been a good experience working for Gallagher. Everything from the trip to Itasca to going to client meetings has been valuable training. This internship has truly changed my perspective on the insurance brokering business. Brokering is very competitive and fast paced. This is the type of job that could keep a person on their toes. It has struck my interest and I am considering starting work here and pursuing brokering as a potential career. Out of the different lessons I’ve learned while interning here, the most valuable one has to be how important it is to stay a student of the game. There is so much to learn in any career that it is important to make sure to always be absorbing knowledge when possible. I don’t know what will happen next, but whatever does happen, I am glad to of had the opportunity to work for the company.

- Hugh

…that’s referring to Gallagher (its pronounced juh juh juh jjjjeeee-UNIT)

To wrap things up from the internship could take a long time so here is the all-star list of events:

· Itasca- educational, fun, made new friends that I’m still in touch with.

· Prospect Meetings- got to add my input to the meetings and they were very helpful because there are things that we will be doing when trying to bring in new clients.

· Client Meetings- Now we got to see how consultants deal with existing clients and keep their relationships. Every client was different, I sat in meetings where the consultant and client were friends and others where it was strictly business.

· My favorite thing was just being in the office and doing the everyday activities. I enjoy being in this office and working with the people that are here. I’m not going to say I enjoy being inside all the time but I like the jokes, pranks, and help that is offered on a daily basis

I would come back if I got a full time offer. Because I graduated from school it wouldn’t make so much sense to wait until next summer for another internship!

My attitude going forward is hopefully I can work here in this office and do a great job at whatever I am doing. I will set some hard but achievable goals and want to reach them. This of course will only happen at Gallagher if I do work here full time.

-Mike

Our Day at Unum

We had the opportunity to tour Unum’s office in Glendale on Thursday July 31^st. This was arranged by John Reiter (a consultant in our office). The tour was led by Nadia and Brad Coons and lasted for about two hours. Nadia is in charge of administrative operations and Brad is in charge of the entire sales team. Unum had some of their sales trainees join us for the meeting as well.

The meeting started in their conference room where they explained exactly what Unum does and how they differentiate themselves from other companies. Unum is the largest disability insurance company in the Unites States. They have state of the art equipment and programs to help employees with disabilities get back to work and get things done with their injuries. Throughout the presentation they talked about the company and told us what makes them the best. Nadia explained the tools they have for various injuries. For example, if someone has a lower back injury and can’t sit down for long periods of time, he/she can use an adjustable desk that will rise up when he/she stands. With interesting products like these, Unum can provide the tools for injured employees so that they can work.

After the conference room presentation, we went to two other floors in the office and got to see some of the industry leading products. It was neat to actually see these things in person after hearing about them from Nadia. We also saw a project, though still in construction, that shows a prospect customer how Unum processes a live claim. Because Unum believes that their claim technology is the best, they want their prospects to see the technology instead of just hearing about it. Unum has also gone completely paperless, which has made them even more technical throughout the years.

Overall it was a very informational tour and I felt that we left knowing much more than when we came.

-GBS LA

My experience with this internship has been far richer than I could have possibly imagined. When I was interviewing it was clear that this internship was different, that it was special. Not too many internships have you interview with just about everyone on staff (when I was undergoing the interview process, I used to joke that there were probably a few janitors that I hadn’t met) and there are not many places that put you through an hour and a half personality test (which I failed, by the way) and the background check was so thorough that I actually learned things about myself. There are not many internships that make you jump through so many hoops; but this place is special. To me, this internship did not derive its value from the things that I have learned; but from the extraordinary experience I have had.

I do not mean to discount the things that I have learned. I came into this internship not knowing anything about insurance and now I feel as though I can have an insurance conversation with anyone and not come across as a complete imbecile (complete, of course, being the operative word). I have learned a lot about benefits and insurance; but the real value from this internship have been from the people who have gone out of their way to support and encourage me. I have felt like a real part of the Gallagher team and not just an intern. I experienced far more than I ever could have expected, and for that I am incredibly thankful.

- Evan