2020 Interns: Working Remotely

Like many other activities, summer internships have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Farm Bureau Financial Services found a way to continue our intern program…virtually. Sara Deich, HR Intern Program Coordinator, explains, “Many of our interns are working from home this summer which is different than it has been in the past. We offer a variety of virtual activities for our interns. A few examples are panel discussions to help our interns learn about a variety of departments and coffee chats to help our interns get to know one another. We’ve found that technology has allowed us to provide the same opportunities for our interns to learn about the company and the industry, it just looks a bit different.”

In honor of National Intern Day, we sat down with three of our current interns and asked them to tell us a little bit more about their experience interning with Farm Bureau Financial Services.

Grace Telling, Human Resources Intern, Iowa  

A rising senior at Drake University majoring in business management and minoring in psychology, Grace hopes to pursue a career in human resources.  She says, “I enjoy getting to know other people and building relationships.” When asked what drew her to the opportunity with Farm Bureau, she says, “It was important for me to find a company with a collaborative environment that values everyone’s ideas. That’s exactly what I’ve found here at Farm Bureau.” Her internship in human resources has given her many opportunities, including the chance to help produce content for our Instagram page, where she posts about Farm Bureau’s culture and what people like most about working here.

Gabi Pilorin, Commercial Underwriting Intern, Arizona

Gabi is a student at Arizona State University majoring in business administration and minoring in technical entrepreneurship and management. She’ll begin her senior year this fall and says, “Through one of the Farm Bureau online intern events, I learned about data analytics and will be adding a certificate of business data analytics to my course load before graduation.” When asked how this internship opportunity has helped her learn, she says, “Many of my friends lost their internships due to COVID-19. I am glad I still got this opportunity and have been able to learn about risk, types of business, liability and about all the other departments outside of commercial underwriting, too.”

Chase Esienman, Business Center Claims Intern, Iowa

Chase is a Finance major at the University of Iowa and would like to work in the insurance industry after graduation, specifically as an appraiser or adjuster. Growing up on a family farm, Chase also enjoys the agriculture side of Farm Bureau Financial Services. Chase says, “This internship has helped give me a nice glimpse into the type of career that I want to pursue. My father works in insurance, too, and through him and this internship, I’ve learned so much and made some great connections with new people. While COVID-19 has made connecting with others different this year,” Chase says, “I often connect with coworkers and interns through email and on Microsoft Teams.”

Interested in getting a jumpstart to a career in insurance? Check out our internship opportunities. Or, if you have already interned with us, check out the current openings on our Career Center or join our Talent Network today.