Employer's Guide to Agency Internships

EMPLOYER’S GUIDE TO AGENCY INTERNSHIPS

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

EMPLOYER’S GUIDE TO AGENCY INTERNSHIPS Introduction....................................................................................................................3 What is an internship? .................................................................................................3 Types of internships Internships for credit .................................................................................................3 Paid and unpaid internships .....................................................................................3 Internship duration ....................................................................................................3 Benefits of internships For students ..............................................................................................................4 For employers ...........................................................................................................4 For academic institutions ..........................................................................................4 Implications and strategies for insurance agencies Who do you want? ....................................................................................................5 Where do you find them? .........................................................................................5 The Hiring Process .......................................................................................................7 Legal considerations Compensation ..........................................................................................................7 Workers’ compensation & unemployment insurance ................................................8 Employment practices liability and indemnification ..................................................8 Putting an Intern to Work .............................................................................................9 Intern Checklist for Employers .................................................................................10 Sample Internship Listing Form ................................................................................11 Sample Job Descriptions Overview .................................................................................................................12 New Business Development Assistant ...................................................................12 Administrative Assistant ..........................................................................................12 Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations/Communications Coordinator ...................13 Accounting Assistant ..............................................................................................13 Web Developer .......................................................................................................13 Technology Coordinator ..........................................................................................13 Sample Intern Interview Form ...................................................................................14 Sample Intern Interview Evaluation Sheet ...............................................................15 Sample Offer Letter ....................................................................................................16 Sample Internship Agreement ...................................................................................17 Sample Intern Orientation Overview .................................................................................................................20 Introduction to agency intern mentor ......................................................................20 Introduction to staff .................................................................................................20 Overview of insurance industry ..............................................................................20 Overview of agency operations ..............................................................................20 Sample Intern Projects ..............................................................................................21 Sample Weekly Intern Assignments .........................................................................23 Sample Student Intern Evaluation ............................................................................26 10 Concerns of Interns ..............................................................................................27 Resources ...................................................................................................................29 Sample Employee Internship Program Checklist ...................................................30

INTRODUCTION

Staffing issues continue to be a major challenge for independent agencies.

One way to address these issues is to develop a quality internship program.

Internships can be a source of low-cost, temporary labor and a recruiting tool for permanent employees. The purpose of this guide is to familiarize you with internship programs and provide a framework for creating your own program.

WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP?

Internships, also called cooperative education programs or work-study programs, were originally developed to enable students to finance their education by participating in professional programs. The growth of these programs occurred first in the field of education, where practice teaching is required for certification. In addition to providing a source of income, internships provided the student with the opportunity to experience preprofessional positions while still in school. Today, internship programs are available on over 1,000 college campuses. The number of programs continues to grow as universities, students, and employers recognize the benefits of a meaningful internship.

TYPES OF INTERNSHIPS

Internships come in many forms. An internship can be merely an external work experience facilitated by the academic institution’s placement service or a carefully planned and monitored work experience in which the intern has intentional learning goals. Internships can be part of the academic institution’s curriculum or an individual student’s learning plan.

Internships for credit Internships may or may not carry academic credit. Internships for credit can be expected to come with a greater degree of structure and accountability on the part of the student, institution, and employer.

For example, the employer may be required to complete an evaluation of the student’s progress and performance.

Paid and unpaid internships While internships can be paid or unpaid, in most cases, students do expect to get paid as part of the internship. Recent surveys done by Zippia reflect pay levels ranging from $10 to $21 per hour, with $15 per hour being the most common.

Internship duration Internships are generally one-time experiences for students.

Internships last from one month to one year, with a semester most typical.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

BENEFITS OF INTERNSHIPS

Participation in internships offers a number of advantages for students, employers, and the educational institution.

For students: • Opportunity to assess career possibilities.

• Opportunity to preview a future fit with a particular company.

• Opportunity to develop job-related skills and train under both academic and practitioner supervision.

• Enhancement of employment opportunities.

• Enrichment of classroom instruction experience.

• Opportunity to earn money.

• Opportunity to earn academic credit.

• Opportunity to acquire training in the latest technology.

For employers: • Aids in recruiting and selecting future full-time employees.

• Reduces the cost of recruiting and selecting full-time employees.

• Provides a source for temporary employees.

• Provides benefits from an injection of new ideas from students and academicians and the opportunity to stay current in a particular field.

• Increases the profile of the organization in the community and at the educational institution.

• Provides an opportunity to influence the structure of a university’s curriculum.

• Experimentation with new positions or functions without having to make long-term commitments.

• Leads to student-to-student referrals to help attract more applicants to future internships.

For academic institutions: • Provides a new avenue to assess student and academic quality.

• Provides a new channel for applying management theory.

• Creates a source of practitioner input into curriculum development.

• Provides a source of employment opportunities for students.

• Contributes to the recruitment of qualified students.

• Provides exposure to the business community, which can lead to increased corporate donations.

• Delivers education that reduces classroom crowding when space is at a premium.

While the advantages of internships to all participants are plentiful, successful programs require considerable commitment by all, as well. Students must be committed to providing a quality contribution to the employer’s operation. Employers must be committed to providing meaningful work experience, quality mentoring, and adequate feedback to the educational institution and the faculty sponsor.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

IMPLICATIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR INSURANCE AGENCIES The first step in considering an internship is to identify the needs of the agency.

What the agency wants to gain from such a resource will largely dictate the most suitable program type. For instance, if the primary goal is to secure a steady flow of potential permanent candidates and the agency has the management time to provide adequate mentoring, an internship that is fully developed and structured at a major university might be appropriate to fully leverage the relationship between the agency and the institution. On the other hand, if the agency simply needs temporary help for project-oriented tasks or lacks sufficient management time to administer a formal program, a university placement service or informal relationship with an academic department might be enough. An Intern Checklist for Employers is included on page 10.

WHO DO YOU WANT? Once the needs are identified, a job description must be drafted that includes job duties and qualifications desired, such as specific major, computer skills, class level, etc. The job description should also have a description of the application procedure, the pay range (if it’s a paid internship), and the duration of the internship. The description should also indicate citizenship requirements.

A Sample Internship Listing Form is on page 11, and Sample Job Descriptions are on pages 12 and 13.

WHERE DO YOU FIND THEM? Once the agency has determined what it hopes to gain from an internship, the next step is to contact local institutions about the availability of internship programs. The search should begin the semester before the intern is needed.

Institutional offerings run the gamut from simple placement services to highly structured, formal programs. Furthermore, programs offered within an institution may vary by department. Searching a university’s website will usually indicate the level of sophistication and identify contacts.

Agencies can tap into other academic disciplines to find qualified candidates.

Some fields of study with relevance to agency operations include general business, management, marketing, accounting, finance, advertising/public relations, computer science, and communications. Many times, students from these disciplines have not decided on a professional career and, after some exposure, may find the insurance industry attractive. The availability of these non-insurance-specific disciplines makes an added case for using interns for project-oriented tasks, such as marketing initiatives or technology tasks.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

Schools, agencies, and carriers can also work together to develop a shared internship program. If a school also has a carrier in the area, work with that carrier, allowing students to intern or job shadow as appropriate. This intern sharing can work if your region has a government office nearby.

Several colleges and universities in Florida have partnered with FAIA. A list of their contact information is below:

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COLLEGE

CONTACT NAME

PHONE NUMBER

EMAIL

Broward College

Fortin JeanPierre

954-201-7547

fjeanpie@broward.edu

Daytona State College

Max Nagiel

386-506-3829

max.nagiel@daytonastate.edu

Florida SouthWestern State College

Jennifer Baker William Van Glabek Lisa Dick

239-489-9292 239-432-7384 239-489-9311

jennifer.baker@fsw.edu william.vanglabek@fsw.edu lisa.dick@fsw.edu

Florida State University

Patty Born Paul Schriefer Eileen Nyce Chuck Nyce

850-644-7884 850-645-1008 850-645-8388 850-544-8762

pborn@business.fsu.edu pschriefer@fsu.edu rmi-center@business.fsu.edu cnyce@business.fsu.edu

Palm Beach State College

Jose Ortiz

561-868-3764

ortizj@palmbeachstate.edu

Polk State College

Maria Lehoczky

863-669-2896

mlehoczky@polk.edu

Santa Fe College

Rimjhim BanerjeeBatist

352-395-5936

rimjhim.banerjee@sfcollege.edu

Seminole State College

George Bernard

407-708-2436

bernardg@seminolestate.edu

St. Johns State College

John Etienne

904-808-7400

johnetienne@sjrstate.edu

St. Petersburg College

John Duff Marta Przyborowski

727-341-7176

State College of Florida SarasotaManatee

Joe DiMartino

941-752-5669

dimartj@scf.edu

Tallahassee Community College

Everett Montgomery

850-201-8328

everett.montgomery@tcc.fl.edu

University of South Florida

Kristi Hoskinson

941-359-4462

khoskinson2@usf.edu

727-341-7973

duff.john@spcollege.edu przyborowski.marta@spcollege.edu

FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

THE HIRING PROCESS If possible, interview two or three students who fit the profile that you are looking for. If distance is a problem, consider a phone or Zoom interview.

When interviewing students for an internship position, follow the same rules you would as if you were hiring a permanent employee. Consider the job description you have completed and determine if the prospect will be able to do that job. Look for a good personality fit with your current organization.

The Sample Intern Interview Form on page 14 is a form you can use in the interview process, so you ask the same questions to each candidate. The Sample Intern Interview Evaluation Form on page 15 provides a way to score each candidate.

Do discuss pay. Recent surveys done by Zippia reflect pay levels ranging from $10 to $21 per hour, with $15 per hour being the most common.

Some pay for sales made by licensed students. Most students are pretty resourceful about finding a place to stay for the summer, but they may need some assistance in this area.

Do discuss the type of work that you expect the intern to perform. You may wish to have a Sample Weekly Intern Assignment schedule on page 23 to show the intern.

Be sure and let the prospects know when he or she will hear from you. It is a good idea to make an offer as soon as you make a decision. The best prospects go early. If the student wants to take some additional time to decide, set a mutually acceptable date. A Sample Offer Letter is on page 16.

When hiring an intern, it is important that all parties (university, student, and employer) understand the expectations and responsibilities of the program.

A Sample Internship Agreement is on page 17.

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS Major areas of concern for employers are compensation laws, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and employment practice laws and liability. It’s also important to note what a non-licensed employee can and cannot do at your agency. This FAIA Education Library article outlines what duties a non-licensed employee or intern can and cannot legally do.

Compensation The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require interns to be paid, provided they qualify as trainees. The following six criteria determine trainee status:

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

(a) the student cannot displace a regular employee; (b) the student is not guaranteed a job at the end of the intern period; (c) both the student and the employer know that the student is not entitled to wages during the internship; (d) the student must receive training from the employer; (e) the training must be similar to training provided by a vocational school; and (f) the training must benefit primarily the student. To avoid classifying an unpaid intern as an employee, the employer should document the personal growth objectives of the internship and clearly communicate them to the student and the institution. In the case of a paid internship, the pay should be at least minimum wage and comparable to the pay of others doing similar work.

Workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance Whether paid or unpaid, the intern should be covered by workers’ compensation, and many institutions will require proof of coverage.

For unpaid interns, it would be advisable to add a voluntary workers’ compensation endorsement. Interns are not eligible for unemployment benefits after the internship is over.

Employment practices liability and indemnification agreements In most cases, the institution will require the employer to assume liability for interns. The student may also be accorded additional institutional protections and processes, especially for issues of liability, confidentiality, and harassment. Generally, the same Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) standards that apply to full-time employees will apply to interns. Internship sites must be equal opportunity employers and cannot practice “unlawful discrimination.” The reasonable accommodation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act will also apply.

PUTTING AN INTERN TO WORK The most important step to a successful internship is to appoint one person to serve as the mentor for the intern. This may be the person who will be directly supervising the intern, but it does not have to be. It should be someone who likes to teach and is familiar with your organization.

The intern needs someone they can go to for help. The mentor is also responsible for being the liaison to the educational institution and for completing the evaluation at the end of the semester.

An intern’s orientation should be treated the same as any other new employee. A Sample Intern Orientation is on page 20, which you can use if your agency does not already have one. Sample Intern Projects and Sample Weekly Intern Assignments are on pages 23-25 and should be a part of the orientation process.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

Periodic evaluations, both of the intern and by the intern, are an important part of a successful internship. This allows for continuous improvement of the intern’s work and the agency’s intern program. A Sample Intern Evaluation form is on page 26.

On page 27, “10 Concerns of Interns,” is feedback from past interns that may help you better prepare for a successful internship program. To help offer interns a tangible takeaway, you may want to consider having a requirement for unlicensed prospective interns to register for 4-40 training. Most local colleges/universities provide online training for the 4-40 that is very affordable.

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1.

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EASY TIPS TO ENHANCE AN RMI STUDENT’S INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Connect them with the Young Agents Council. The FAIA Young Agents Council (YAC) is a professional development program for people new to the insurance industry. A student in an RMI program can join FAIA’s Young Agents Council free of charge and, as part of their membership, students will get information on YAC events, which are a great way for students to connect with other professionals.

2.

Remember, education comes first. A student’s priority should be their education. That means it’s imperative that you work around their schedule and empower them to speak up when there are conflicts between school and their internship.

3.

Help them find a niche. The wider the variety of roles you expose the intern to, the more likely it is that they find the path that sparks their interest and opens possibilities for them to grow in this industry.

FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

INTERN CHECKLIST FOR EMPLOYERS

■ Identify your agency’s needs.

■ Draft an intern job description.

■ Outline the intern’s job duties.

■ Specify the qualifications desired, including major.

■ Include any citizenship requirements, if any.

■ Define your agency’s application procedure.

■ Set a compensation rate, if any.

■ Specify the duration of the internship.

■ Appoint a mentor (could appoint a mentor for a group of interns).

■ Recruit an intern.

■ Review the legal considerations.

■ Review and approve the internship agreement.

■ Address workers’ compensation issues.

■ Conduct an appropriate employment practices orientation.

■ Conduct an intern orientation.

■ Conduct periodic evaluations of the intern at least monthly.

■ Get an evaluation of the intern’s experience at the end of the internship.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

INTERNSHIP LISTING FORM Date Company/Agency Address Telephone number

Fax number

Email

Website

Contact person How to apply

Number of openings

Internship title Circle One:

Paid

Unpaid

(If paid, list hourly wage;

)

Days and hours Circle all that apply:

U.S. Only

F-1 Visa

Permanent Resident

Description:

Qualifications (i.e. preferred major(s), preferred class level, required skills, etc.:

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

JOB DESCRIPTIONS Overview The purpose of these brief job descriptions is to provide examples of the kind of work that could be provided by an intern. These examples are intended to relate to a variety of academic disciplines without requiring a great deal of industry-specific expertise. If grooming a permanent employee is not an objective of the program, these jobs could be filled and continued by a succession of interns. Or an intern could be used on a project basis to develop a competency that was not already refined in the agency. The actual development of job descriptions for use with internships should incorporate all employment practice compliance wording used for the agency’s other job descriptions.

New Business Development Assistant Assists the marketing manager and/or sales manager in developing and implementing business development initiatives. Activities include conducting marketing research via telephone to prospects for identification of decision makers, incumbent information, preferred contact avenues, etc. Assists in the identification of prospects by reviewing appropriate media and other sources and pre-qualifies against agency criteria. Maintains and updates prospect database. Implements or assists in the development of the contact management process, including preapproach correspondence, appointment confirmation, and post-appointment correspondence. Prepares new business reports as needed and assigned by the marketing/sales manager. Updates prospect pipelines. Attends community functions as an agency representative.

(Academic disciplines to conside include undecided business majors, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, communications, advertising, public relations.)

Administrative Assistant Perform a variety of miscellaneous duties to conserve the time of the CEO or other designated managers.Prepares and/or types of memos, letters, and reports from rough draft or dictation; uses a desktop computer with advanced word processing and spreadsheet capabilities; screens telephone calls; schedules appointments; maintains files and manuals; compiles information and prepares in the final format as directed; answers client inquiries and directs to appropriate party for handling. (Academic disciplines to consider include undecided business majors, management, entrepreneurship, organizational development, human resources, public relations.)

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations/Communications Coordinator Assists in the development and/or implementation of the agency marketing plan. Reviews all promotional copies and assists in the revision and development of promotional copies, including public relations announcements, and website. Coordinates the placement of advertising. Reviews other documents for consistency and clarity of style. Contributes to the development of enhanced written and oral communication skills of staff. Attends civic and professional meetings and events to represent the agency. (Academic disciplines to consider include journalism, english, public relations, marketing, communications.)

Accounting Assistant Under direct supervision, assists the Accounting Department with a variety of tasks, including the posting of accounts, reconciliations, account verification, payables, and receivables. (Academic disciplines to consider: accounting, finance.)

Web Developer Designs, maintains, and updates the agency’s website using tools such as Visual Interdev, JavaScript, VBScript, HTML, XML, ActiveX, ASP, SQL, C, C++, or other languages. Develops web-enabling applications to increase functionality and make the site more user-friendly for both internal and external visitors. (Academic disciplines to consider: computer science, information systems.)

Technology Coordinator Installs, operates, and maintains agency network. Troubleshoots to diagnose and resolve hardware and software problems affecting performance. Provides users with technical support for network and PC issues. Updates hardware and software components as required. Consults with management on emerging technology. (Academic disciplines to consider: computer science, information systems.)

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

INTERVIEW FORM Name

Date

When is your anticipated graduation date?

What is your professional goal upon graduation?

Is there a particular part of the state or country that you want to live in after graduation?

Is there an area where you do not want to live?

Why did you pick your current major?

What motivated you to apply for this position?

What was the most interesting part of any job or volunteer work that you have had in the past?

What was the most boring part of any job that you have had?

What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses?

Describe an experience when you had to work in a group.

What went well? What were the main challenges?

Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict or deal with an upset customer. How did you handle the situation?

Would you consider sales as a profession?

What do you know about our company?

This internship is a temporary position; however, ideally, we are l ooking to develop a long-term relationship with an intern. We plan on providing some education and training to you in the hope that you will consider a career position with us after graduation. Is that something that interests you?

What questions do you have about us?

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE INTERN INTERVIEW

EVALUATION SHEET Note: If possible, it is better if this is completed independently by two or more people.

Rate 1-10 (with 10 being the highest) Overall dress and demeanor Ability to communicate Organization of thought Social skills Interest in sales Suitability to our company Comments:

Action to take: Make an offer.

Do a second interview or phone call.

Send a letter thanking them for their time and wishing them well.

Other:

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE INTERN INTERVIEW

OFFER LETTER

We are excited about you joining our team. We hope that we can work together to make this internship an informative and rewarding experience.

The dates of the internship are from ______________ to _________________.

The pay will be $x.xx per hour. You will be working in our (blank) department doing (blank). There will be a final project/presentation during the last week of the internship.

(Optional paragraph for students without any prior classes or experience in insurance.)

We will be sending you a short book called “Intro to Insurance 101.” You should read this book prior to starting the internship. This will help you understand the basics of our business and insurance terminology.

We strongly encourage you to: • Ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question. It is much more efficient to ask questions rather than make mistakes.

• Your mentor for this internship will be (insert name and position).

Take an active role in establishing communication with him/her.

• Be outgoing. Meet and greet people with warmth, enthusiasm, and sincerity.

• Share your ideas and suggestions. We expect to learn as much from you as you expect to learn from us.

• Don’t be disappointed if we are not able to implement all your ideas.

The entire agency is committed to making this a rewarding experience for all of us.

Sincerely,

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

INTERNSHIP AGREEMENT (Note: This agreement is intended as an example of what you might see from the academic institution. The agreement will be provided by the institution, and the content will vary considerably from institution to institution. If you are entering an informal internship program with a student, this agreement could be modified to be a two-party agreement.)

This Agreement is entered into this __________________day of _______________, 202___between __________________________________________(the University), _____________________________________________________(the Student), and _______________________________________________(the Experience Provider) located at __________________________________________________________.

1. INTERINSTITUTIONAL APPLICATION: In order to facilitate internship opportunities among the educational institutions, this Internship Agreement is intended to govern the relationship between the Experience Provider and each educational institution with respect to student interns from any of the educational institutions involved in an internship arrangement with the Experience Provider.

2. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS: 2.1 An internship is a cooperative program between the educational institutions and approved Experience Providers. The Experience Providers provide supervision, facilities, and instruction that help students acquire the skills and knowledge needed in their chosen field of study or occupation.

2.2 This agreement is for the period agreed upon between the Experience Provider and the applicable educational institution.

2.3 This agreement may be terminated by an educational institution or the Experience Provider for good and sufficient cause by providing reasonable advance written notice to the other.

2.4 The educational institutions and the Experience Provider agree to indemnify each other from any claims or liability, including reasonable attorney fees, due to their respective negligent acts or omissions arising from the performance of this Agreement and to have in effect applicable insurance coverage to adequately underwrite this promise of indemnity.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

3. THE STUDENT AGREES TO: 3.1 Comply with the Experience Provider’s policies and procedures.

3.2 Comply with the applicable educational institution’s dress and grooming standards and honor code.

3.3 Enroll as an academic internship student and perform the duties indicated unless released by the applicable educational institution and the Experience Provider.

3.4 Report serious problems, including safety and personnel problems, to the Internship Coordinator of the applicable educational institution and the Experience Provider.

3.5 Maintain personal health insurance or student health insurance.

3.6 Execute a separate Student Internship Agreement with _____________ ______________________________ (the University), agreeing to abide by the terms of this Agreement and to perform additional duties as outlined in the Student Internship Agreement.

4. THE EXPERIENCE PROVIDER AGREES TO: 4.1 Designate an individual who will serve as the liaison between the educational 17 institutions and the student.

4.2 Involve the student for the entire period of the internship as agreed unless this agreement is terminated for cause (See 2.3 above.)

4.3 Give the student the opportunity to perform a variety of tasks to acquire and practice various skills.

4.4 Orient the student to the Experience Provider’s rules, policies, procedures, methods, and operations.

4.5 Evaluate the student’s performance and notify the applicable educational institution’s Internship Coordinator or Internship Office immediately, preferably by phone, of any cause of dissatisfaction with or of misconduct on the part of the student.

4.6 If applicable, pay the student the agreed-upon rate of compensation for the term of the internship.

4.7 Provide workers’ compensation and/or other employment benefits to the student to the extent required by law.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

4.8 Accept the primary responsibility for supervision and control of the student at the internship site.

5. EDUCATION INSTITUTION AGREES TO: 5.1 Designate an Internship Coordinator for each intern.

5.2 Ensure the Internship Coordinator contacts the student and Experience Provider, discusses the student’s progress, and advises relative to the program of study.

5.3 Ensure the Internship Coordinator strives to promote harmony and cooperation between the Experience Provider, the student, and the educational institution.

5.4 Provide liability insurance for the student to cover damage or harm caused by the student in the amount of $1,000,000 per student, per occurrence, $3,000,000 in the aggregate, when this agreement is signed and returned to the University Academic Internship Office.

6. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this agreement.

The Experience Provider: By

Date

The University: By

Date

The Student: By

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

INTERN ORIENTATION Overview The depth of orientation may depend on whether there is a possibility of making the intern a permanent employee in the future. Obviously, if the intern is being hired for a particular project, some elements of the orientation process could be omitted. Either way, making an honest, positive impression on your intern concerning the industry and the agency business is worthwhile.

• Introduction to agency intern mentor • Introduction to staff ─ Provide a venue for introducing the intern to agency staff, preferably in small groups. Help prepare the intern to share personal information— academic goals, professional aspirations, and what he/she hopes to gain from the experience and from your staff.

• Overview of the insurance industry ─ Read the American Institute text: “Introduction to Property and Casualty Insurance.” ─ Provide a copy of the insurance dictionary.

• Overview of agency operations ─ Review agency history. ─ Review vision, mission, values, etc. ─ Describe agency management and ownership. ─ Provide an overview of the organizational structure or organizational chart. ─ Describe staff roles, functions, and relationships. ─ Explain supplier relationships: carriers and vendors. ─ Describe community involvement. ─ Provide an overview of the client base. ─ Review the agency marketing plan and strategic objectives. ─ Review the employee manual.

• Ask interns to introduce themselves, including information about what they know about the job, the industry, and/or the agency. (e.g., What RMI courses have you completed?)

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

INTERN PROJECTS It is not necessary to have a particular project or presentation, but we have found that this is very helpful. It provides the intern with a sense of accomplishment and gives them something to add to their resume. It gives the agency a chance to complete those tasks that have been just waiting for someone to have some time to do. The project will usually be a supplement to their other agency assignments.

• Review the agency’s website from a consumer’s point of view and provide a list of recommendations. (They could compare it to some competitors such as Progressive, GEICO, or State Farm.)

• Create or redo the agency brochure.

• Develop a marketing plan for a specific segment or product.

• Develop and/or participate in a community involvement project.

• Develop a matrix of the agencies’ major carriers’ guidelines and programs available.

• Design a customer survey for the agency. (This could be part of an E&O prevention plan.)

• Do all or some of the agency E&O self-audits. (See the book, “A Practical Guide to Agency E&O Risk Management” from Swiss Re.) • Conduct market research on a market segment that you wish to expand.

Update or develop a prospect list.

• Assist in the development of a client contact system.

• Design a marketing program for “lost” accounts.

• Assist the Accounting Department in developing new reports, such as comparing the agency to industry benchmarks.

• Provide users with technical support for your IT system. Provide ideas to management on emerging technology and how they might relate to the agency.

• Create a theoretical financial planning project that consists of what your projected insurance financials will be like over your life span.

• Submit a three-minute speech on your choice of major, and why or how the internship was helpful in decision making.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

• Create a PowerPoint reflecting on the internship. Address your mission, pros, cons, what you got from it, and how you will use it in your future career.

• Write an essay on a topic that you would like to discuss. It can be specific to a department within the workplace, your major, or career. ─ Sample Topics: ► Women in insurance ► Wind and flood coverage in Florida and solutions for it ► Catastrophic events affecting the industry ► Inflation ► Data analytics implemented in the insurance industry ► The affect of drones/solar panels/electric cars on the industry ► How insurance relates to other industries ► Creating innovation within the industry (e.g., an app) ► The role of insurance in minimizing business risk ► The role of insurance companies in economic development ► Present a scenario for cars, houses, and businesses, and recommend what type of insurance coverage/policies this individual or business would need ► Interview an insurance industry professional of your choice (e.g., a commissioner,owner of agency/company, etc.)

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

WEEKLY INTERN ASSIGNMENTS This should be considered as a rough guide, and you should adapt it to fit your agency. Interns can use any “downtime” to study, and it is probably a good idea to allow for some time to study the licensing materials. In addition to getting ready to take the exam, they serve as a good basic review of insurance.

WEEK ONE: • Agency Orientation. (What RMI courses have you completed?)

• Observe Personal Lines CSR handle customer requests.

• Review agency standards of customer service. (If you do not have a formal written set of standards, this may be a good project for the intern.)

• Sit with the receptionist to observe how incoming calls and visits are handled.

• Take a 4-40 training class to get licensed.

WEEK TWO: • Observe and learn how to handle Personal Lines customer requests, including: ─ Auto Endorsement Requests ─ Homeowner Endorsement Requests ─ Loss payees ─ Mortgagee ─ Cancellation requests ─ Claims • Read a summary of the activity for an agency account for the last three years from the agency management system. Be able to explain this in plain English.

WEEK THREE: • Continue to work on handling Personal Lines customer requests.

• Observe how the agency handles Excess and Surplus lines, including: ─ Need for using

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

─ Process and how it is different from “standard” agency business ─ Legal requirements in Florida WEEK FOUR: • Observe how a Personal Lines Producer handles requests for quotes.

• Note: ─ How did the producer gather the necessary information? ─ How is the proposal created and presented to the prospect?

(Phone only, email, regular mail) ─ What kind of follow-up was made to the prospect?

WEEK FIVE: • Take one online class from FAIA. • Do a home inspection, photo, and diagram. (If the agency uses an outside source for this, consider having the intern accompany the inspector to some property prospects.)

• Meet with the agency mentor and do a mid-term evaluation. Set goals for the second half of the internship.

• Initiate a conversation with the employer for mid-term completion of internship evaluations and/or surveys for academic credit.

WEEK SIX: • Assist the producer in preparing quotes and proposals for all companies and all types of personal lines coverages.

• Review requirements for binding with all companies.

• Identify the Personal Lines target market for the agency.

• Make a chart of standard companies represented, including products and their target markets.

• Obtain the current Best’s ratings (www.ambest.com) for all companies represented by the agency,including excess and surplus lines markets that are frequently used.

WEEK SEVEN: • Read current FAIA blogs and summarize.

• Observe and learn how to handle Commercial Lines customer requests, including: ─ Auto Endorsement Requests ─ Property and Casualty Endorsement Requests ─ Loss payees

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

─ Mortgagee ─ Cancellation requests ─ Claims WEEK EIGHT: • Observe how a Commercial Lines producer handles requests for quotes.

• Note: ─ How did the producer gather the necessary information? ─ How is the proposal created and presented to the prospect?

(Phone only, email, regular mail) ─ What kind of follow-up was made to the prospect?

WEEK NINE: • Assist the producer in preparing quotes and proposals for all companies and all types of Commercial Lines Coverage.

• Review requirements for binding with all companies.

• Identify the Commercial Lines target market for the agency.

• Make a chart of standard companies represented, including products and their target markets.

• Obtain the current Best’s ratings (www.ambest.com) for all companies represented by the agency, including excess and surplus lines markets that are frequently used.

WEEK TEN: • Have the intern present (if any) their project to several agency employees.

• Complete the final evaluation and review with the intern before sending it to the school.

• Ask the intern to evaluate their internship and give suggestions on how to improve the process.

• Ask the intern for their suggestions on how the agency could better market their personal lines products, with particular attention to marketing to the 20s market.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE

STUDENT INTERN EVALUATION Intern Name Semester:

Fall

Spring

Summer

20

Business Name: Supervisor Name: Business Phone: Please rate the student intern in each of the following categories.

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES

EXCELLENT

GOOD

FAIR

POOR

N/A

Collaborates well with supervisor Collaborates well with team members Collaborates well with clients Communicates well Seeks new knowledge Shows initiative Manages time well Produces accurate reports/records Demonstrates adequate knowledge Is punctual Is dependable Accepts constructive criticism Demonstrates enthusiasm Dresses professionally

I certify that _________________________ (student intern name) has completed ______ internship hours.

Supervisor Signature

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Supervisor Phone

Date

FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

10 1.

2.

3.

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CONCERNS of INTERNS (Compiled by Michael True, Director, Internship Center, Messiah College, Grantham, PA)

Give us real work! It can’t be said too many times that interns want to work and learn. An internship can help you get a job done that you couldn’t otherwise, right? If you’ve brought on an intern as a recruitment tool, then how will you be able to assess their abilities?

It just makes sense to utilize your interns well.

Do what you say and say what you do! Be honest with your interns about what they can expect during their internship. If the job requires stuffing envelopes, then make that clear. But if you tell the intern they will be researching a project, and they spend 90 percent of their time doing “grunt” work, then bad feelings will develop.

Honesty doesn’t cost you anything, and it will make interns feel that much more respected.

We like feedback! Remember that interns are students, and they may not have the business skills and experiences that you take for granted. If your intern makes an oversight, just pull him or her aside and explain how the situation should be handled in the future.

FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

4.

5.

We want to be included too! Is there a staff meeting they can attend? Can they quietly tag along to that next project meeting?

Headed to lunch with a couple of people from the office? Please include them in the daily life of your workplace. After all, if you provide a little more perspective on the intern’s work, the product will be that much better. (Intern takes minutes from those meetings.)

Please explain. When you assign work, make sure you give a detailed explanation. While the work may seem trivial and obvious to you, it may not be obvious to someone who’s never done it before. Patience and a few extra minutes in the beginning can pay off later when your intern can proc\duce good work independently. (Direct intern to agency or company handbook to research employer.)

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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I want a mentor! Make sure that interns have a mentor or supervisor to provide guidance. Make it someone who likes to teach, and the experience will be even better.

A minute of your time. The best mentor in the world is useless if he or she can’t or won’t spend the necessary time mentoring.

As newcomers, interns may not speak up if they’re feeling ignored, so the burden of making sure they’re okay is on the mentor. If the busiest person in the office wants to be the designated mentor, he or she should schedule regular times to meet with the intern.

Be prepared! That wonderful day has arrived, and the intern goes to start their internship only to learn that no one knew they were coming, and there is no place for them to work.

Um…I need a chair. It is amazing how many employers hire an intern and don’t think about the fact that they will need a desk, chair, phone, and a computer to do the task assigned. It is not fun, and not efficient to move an intern from desk to desk as people are out one day to the next. If you want to get a job done, you need to supply the intern with the tools to do the job.

Show me the money (as best you can). While each intern is different, and each industry has its own personality, remember that interns have expenses. Your organization may not be able to pay much, but anything can help. Maybe you can help pay for their parking, take them to lunch every so often, or develop some other creative way to assist them.

FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

RESOURCES Students - Conduct an Internship (investprogram.org) Students - Insurance Careers to Go Toolkit (investprogram.org)

Brantley Risk & Insurance Center (Appalachian State University) Florida State University Risk Management and Insurance University of South Florida Risk Management and Insurance St Johns River State College

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE EMPLOYER INTERNSHIP

PROGRAM CHECKLIST DEFINE YOUR INTERN’S ROLE ■ We clearly defined the expectations for our intern(s).

■ We considered how the intern(s) fit into our organization’s mission, vision, and goals.

ORGANIZATION NEED & INFRASTRUCTURE ■ We assessed the current needs of our organization and how the intern(s) will meet those needs (i.e., real work assignments and projects).

■ We created at least three learning objectives for the intern(s).

■ We identified a supervisor who has educational and/or professional expertise in the area in which the intern(s) is working.

■ We ensured the supervisor will guide, mentor, and give routine feedback to the intern.

INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION AND RECRUITMENT ■ We have written an internship description that includes the following: Start/ end date, work description, learning objectives, type of work setup (including remote work options), types of support from the team, pay rate (e.g., $14-18/ hr.), minimum skills, preferred skills, and a summary of our organization.

■ We have outlined a comprehensive recruitment strategy, which includes advertising to students at all three USF campuses via Handshake. (https://usfsm.joinhandshake.com) ORIENTATION AND ONBOARDING ■ We designed an orientation and onboarding program for our intern(s).

RETAINMENT AND EXECUTION ■ The supervisor will schedule periodic (e.g., weekly) one-to-one meetings with the intern(s).

■ The supervisor will conduct midpoint and final performance reviews.

Continued...

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships

SAMPLE EMPLOYER INTERNSHIP

PROGRAM CHECKLIST

Continued

USF RMI Internship Best Practices and Aspirational Goals Build Your Brand Through Exceptional Service to Students RAISE AWARENESS OF RMI CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ■ We have designed the internship to include a rotational program (or interviews or shadow days) to expose the intern to a variety of RMI career paths (e.g., corporate risk management, agent/broker, sales, underwriter, risk control). Aspirational goal: Our internship includes a rotation with one or more partner organizations.

■ We have targeted our recruitment strategy towards interns with the skills our organization demands. Our internship highlights how these skills translate into valuable career paths within the RMI industry.

PREPARE FOR RMI CAREER ■ We have designed the internship to include career development activities (e.g., networking, industry conferences, mentorships, etc.).

■ We have designed the internship to include job-specific training to help the intern engage their role in a more substantive manner.

■ We have designed the internship to conclude with a student presentation (e.g., reflection related to learning objectives, critical assessment of project work, recommendations to enhance operations, etc.).

■ We have designed the internship to include (time to study and support to take) a professional designation exam.

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FAIA | Employer’s Guide to Agency Internships