Claire Messina, a junior Marketing major, worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a Sales Intern last summer. As a member of Pi Sigma Epsilon, Claire had the opportunity to network with representatives from Liberty Mutual at a golf outing event hosted by the fraternity. She connected with one of the representatives at the event and through him, was introduced to a campus recruiter.
As a Sales Intern, Claire worked with sales representatives in the office, cold calling or following up with current customers. Prior to last summer, she did not have experience in sales, but fortunately, Liberty Mutual offered daily training sessions to all their interns nationwide. The company helped interns understand insurance better and taught them tips on how to improve sales skills. By the end of the summer, Claire helped to create a huge revenue for the branch.
Claire’s favorite part of her internship was the office environment. She described everyone as very upbeat, supportive, and fun. Being new to sales, Claire found it comforting to know everyone was willing help to her learn. The internship experience was very hands-on which helped her develop a variety of skills. Though sales may not be for her, Claire’s experience has taught her skills she can bring to any job in the future.
Looking for an internship is extremely stressful. Claire said she doubted herself in the process, but kept being persistent and following up. It took five months of networking, interviewing, and waiting before she was offered the internship. If you find an opportunity you like and think you will succeed in it, don’t give up! Employers like students that are really interested and serious about the position. You not only stand out to employers, but they will also know you are willing to put in the hard work to succeed.
Claire’s advice: “Starting an internship is scary, especially the first one. Just remember that they don’t expect you to be a professional from day one and they certainly don’t expect you to know exactly how to do everything. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! You’re there to learn as much as you can, so take advantage of it!”