Inside a Business Internship at GreatAmerica

There are plenty of challenges to overcome when choosing an internship program that is right for you. You should be able to make a difference, own your happiness, make your path, and own your development in any internship or job experience. Let’s dive in to see if an internship in business is the path for you.  

Make a Difference

At GreatAmerica, what you do as an intern matters. Working on projects that bring real value to your team where you can also be part of the bigger picture provides an opportunity for growth. Stereotypical internships where you deliver or fetch coffee don’t provide you with valuable development, and don’t exist here. Your internship should expose you to real-world scenarios where you can apply your skills to projects you are passionate about. 

Trevor Feller, operations floater intern during the summer of 2022, describes his work, “I go through Salesforce looking at old cases for the Portfolio Services Group. I look for things that might have been missed or things we need to go back for. I’m also updating insurance codes in InfoLease.” All those tasks positively impact Trevor’s team. 

Trevor comments, “I feel valued because I’m given projects that are important. My team leaders express their gratitude for my work, and I appreciate that they trust me to do something that matters.” At GreatAmerica we want you to gain as much knowledge from an internship experience as possible which is why we encourage interns to work on real projects that have a real impact on the company. 

Carlyn Mann, account support advisor intern during the summer of 2022, says, “One project I’m working on is looking at the external and internal pain points for our customers. An internal pain point has to do with my role as an Account Service Advisor and an external pain point deals with the customer. The goal is to be able to become aware of these pain points and come up with a plan to address them.” When it comes to the value of her work, Carlyn says, “I’m able to help my team by being able to grab cases from the queue and reducing their workload. I’ve been able to learn how to send forms to people and I’ve emailed a few dealers.” In a business internship role, you’re able to do work that matters, and you’re exposed to ample learning opportunities.

Own Your Happiness

The work environment you’re in directly affects your happiness. Working in an environment you don’t enjoy doesn’t benefit anyone; choose to be somewhere you can look forward to coming to each day.     

When going through the internship search process you can get a good idea of what the company is like and what kind of experience it will be. However, there can still be pleasant surprises. Trevor says, “A pleasant surprise during my internship was how nice people are. They're always willing to help no matter what position they are in the company.” GreatAmerica has 10 principles that are included in our core values. One of those principles is to build enduring relationships and to be committed to mutual success  

When surrounded by supportive people, you learn and grow. Carlyn comments, “I had a good idea of what this internship would look like, but I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming everyone is. Everyone here cares about you and wants your experience to be good no matter the duration of time that you’re here. I’ve been impressed with how kind people are. They want you to grow and get better at what you’re doing.” Find an environment where you can take ownership of your happiness during your internship experience.

Make Your Path

An internship is one of the first steps on your path to success. It’s an opportunity to grow and to decide what you like and don’t like. 

Trevor says, “My goal is to work for a company that has good people and culture. I want to be able to move up within the company and share similar values.” It’s good to have goals when it comes to your career and where you want to be. A common piece of advice to interns and anyone searching for a job is to research the company and figure out whether you’re a good fit.

There are a few different ways you can determine if you’re a good fit: 

1. Go to the company website and look at their core values and decide if they align with your personal values 
2. Look at the company's mission and vision 
3. Use resources like Glassdoor and LinkedIn to see reviews of the company from employees 
4. If able, reach out to previous interns to learn about their personal experience 

When it came to choosing an internship, Carlyn says, “The two most important things for me when looking for an internship were mentorship and professional experience. On the first day we were each assigned a mentor to walk around with and I’ve worked with mine ever since.” Whatever your goals are, it’s important to choose an opportunity that allows you to grow in the direction you want. 

Own Your Development

Your growth and development are up to you. Put yourself in situations where you can flourish and surround yourself with leaders who support you. It’s harder to develop if you don’t put yourself into an environment that focuses on personal and professional growth.   

Trevor shares, “When looking for an internship I was specifically looking for professional experience in an office setting. A lot of internships are remote now and I knew I wanted to be in-person." While there is flexibility for doing remote work as needed, the in-person experience is valuable to students who want to get a feel for the corporate culture. Trevor adds, “I’ve learned a lot about communication through working with my team. All my projects are team based and that’s been helpful in improving my communication skills.” Our teams have a genuine interest in the success of each intern and motivate them to challenge themselves every day. You can flourish in this kind of environment and be one step closer to reaching your goals.  

Is a Business Internship right for you?

Make a difference, own your happiness, make your path and own your development in a business internship. If you’re looking for these qualities in an internship and are interested in business internships, visit GreatAmerica's careers page and browse our open opportunities.