Lauren Close
Risk Management Summer 2019
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Role
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there?
Summer 2019
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management and Insurance
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
During the internship, we were given a few major projects to work on. We also had smaller projects to work on based on the needs of everyone on the team.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I met with my mentor every other week during the internship. She was a recent Temple grad, so it was extremely helpful to hear her insights and advice about transitioning from Temple to working in the industry. It was also helpful to ask her questions about the company, projects I was working on, and hearing about her experience at the company since graduating.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes, they gave me a base knowledge of how the industry works and helped me better understand the tasks I was given.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Screening interview at the intern reception, followed by a formal interview on campus a few days later. The process was very quick.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I got to make benefits communications materials for a client, such as brochures and flyers. I had to make them visually appealing while also making sure they communicated important information about the client's benefits offerings. Through the project, I got to exercise both creativity and my knowledge of benefits offerings to effectively communicate to employees through the flyers and brochures.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
We had several lunches throughout the summer. There was also a softball league, and we attended several happy hours as well.
Describe the company's internship program.
I really enjoyed my time interning at the company. Everyone was very friendly and it was a fun environment. The work load fluctuated throughout the summer, but people on the team were always willing to provide us with work whenever we asked, so there was always something to do. Overall, it was a great experience.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
The internship definitely exceeded my expectations. I learned so much and worked with great people!
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
I did not take time off during the summer, but it would not have been an issue if I needed to as long as prior notice was given.
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there?
Summer 2019
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management and Insurance
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
During the internship, we were given a few major projects to work on. We also had smaller projects to work on based on the needs of everyone on the team.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I met with my mentor every other week during the internship. She was a recent Temple grad, so it was extremely helpful to hear her insights and advice about transitioning from Temple to working in the industry. It was also helpful to ask her questions about the company, projects I was working on, and hearing about her experience at the company since graduating.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes, they gave me a base knowledge of how the industry works and helped me better understand the tasks I was given.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Screening interview at the intern reception, followed by a formal interview on campus a few days later. The process was very quick.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I got to make benefits communications materials for a client, such as brochures and flyers. I had to make them visually appealing while also making sure they communicated important information about the client's benefits offerings. Through the project, I got to exercise both creativity and my knowledge of benefits offerings to effectively communicate to employees through the flyers and brochures.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
We had several lunches throughout the summer. There was also a softball league, and we attended several happy hours as well.
Describe the company's internship program.
I really enjoyed my time interning at the company. Everyone was very friendly and it was a fun environment. The work load fluctuated throughout the summer, but people on the team were always willing to provide us with work whenever we asked, so there was always something to do. Overall, it was a great experience.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
The internship definitely exceeded my expectations. I learned so much and worked with great people!
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
I did not take time off during the summer, but it would not have been an issue if I needed to as long as prior notice was given.
Christopher Riley
Risk Management Summer 2019
Video |
Role
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there? (ex: Summer 2018)
Summer 2019
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI - Benefits Track/MIS
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
At Graham, we had a few major projects given to us, with the rest coming at the needs of employees at the company. Projects varied in length, department, and subject matter.
Did you have a mentor? Yes If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
We went to three lunches, and since my mentor was a recent Temple grad, she was able to provide good insight into how transitioning from Temple to Graham was.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
RMI classes definitely helped with my internship, since they gave me a solid foundation of the industry and how different health/other benefit plans worked.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Hired through the intern reception, everyone involved was awesome.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I got to perform an audit in excel of a client's three benefit systems, in which there were inconsistencies amongst employees showing up as enrolled. I had to format the data, load it into a spreadsheet, then build a model to compare each employee across the systems. It was a really fun project.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
We had a few intern lunches, there was a softball league, and we got to attend both a client and intern happy hour.
Describe the company's internship program (atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
The office was a really fun place to work, everyone was very friendly and ready to give projects to the interns. Work load had its fluctuations, but on average, there was always work to do. I really enjoyed my time.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Interning at Graham exceeded my expectations. I had a great time.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
We were provided any time off we needed, but I never had the need to take any.
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there? (ex: Summer 2018)
Summer 2019
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI - Benefits Track/MIS
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
At Graham, we had a few major projects given to us, with the rest coming at the needs of employees at the company. Projects varied in length, department, and subject matter.
Did you have a mentor? Yes If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
We went to three lunches, and since my mentor was a recent Temple grad, she was able to provide good insight into how transitioning from Temple to Graham was.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
RMI classes definitely helped with my internship, since they gave me a solid foundation of the industry and how different health/other benefit plans worked.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Hired through the intern reception, everyone involved was awesome.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I got to perform an audit in excel of a client's three benefit systems, in which there were inconsistencies amongst employees showing up as enrolled. I had to format the data, load it into a spreadsheet, then build a model to compare each employee across the systems. It was a really fun project.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
We had a few intern lunches, there was a softball league, and we got to attend both a client and intern happy hour.
Describe the company's internship program (atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
The office was a really fun place to work, everyone was very friendly and ready to give projects to the interns. Work load had its fluctuations, but on average, there was always work to do. I really enjoyed my time.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Interning at Graham exceeded my expectations. I had a great time.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
We were provided any time off we needed, but I never had the need to take any.
Josh Forman
Risk Management Summer 2018
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Role
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there?
Summer 2018
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management and Insurance
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
Worked with a lot of great people who helped me learn about the industry and gave me exposure to many parts of the Benefits Brokerage world.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I had a formal mentor who I met with every other week who I could ask questions about projects I was working on or just general questions about the company or the industry. In general was very helpful throughout the summer in a lot of areas. Beyond that, everyone was very nice and would answer questions that I had, so it was a great environment.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Definitely. While there were obviously more technical things that were new to me, the overall knowledge I had from my RMI classes was a great help in preparing me for the internship. Even just knowing the acronyms and the general concepts made the more detailed things easier to understand.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Screening interview at the reception. Second round happened a couple days later on campus, and third round was at the Graham offices. One of the quicker companies in terms of picking next round candidates.
Were you assigned any special projects?
Had some on going projects that were more defined, but also got various projects from different people around the office that were real time, real world tasks that also helped me learn.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Softball team, Lunch and learns, Happy hours, sit in on vendor meetings.
Describe the company's internship program
The program has a free flowing feel in that there is some projects that are designed for interns, but also a good amount of impromptu projects that supplemented work load. Graham has a great atmosphere to work in, a great culture built on having fun but working hard and getting stuff done. Feedback throughout the process, not just at the end, so it was actionable during the internship, which was great.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
It was what I expected if not better. Got a sense of the culture through research and the interview process but being in the office really drove it home. Also the work and experience I got really helped me learn. My internship at Graham helped tie together a lot of the material I learned in the classroom and allowed me to connect it to the real world.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Never had to miss time other than being sick once, although this wasn't a problem. Make sure to give prior notice if I needed to miss time otherwise, as it is mostly up to your boss.
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there?
Summer 2018
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management and Insurance
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
Worked with a lot of great people who helped me learn about the industry and gave me exposure to many parts of the Benefits Brokerage world.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I had a formal mentor who I met with every other week who I could ask questions about projects I was working on or just general questions about the company or the industry. In general was very helpful throughout the summer in a lot of areas. Beyond that, everyone was very nice and would answer questions that I had, so it was a great environment.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Definitely. While there were obviously more technical things that were new to me, the overall knowledge I had from my RMI classes was a great help in preparing me for the internship. Even just knowing the acronyms and the general concepts made the more detailed things easier to understand.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Screening interview at the reception. Second round happened a couple days later on campus, and third round was at the Graham offices. One of the quicker companies in terms of picking next round candidates.
Were you assigned any special projects?
Had some on going projects that were more defined, but also got various projects from different people around the office that were real time, real world tasks that also helped me learn.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Softball team, Lunch and learns, Happy hours, sit in on vendor meetings.
Describe the company's internship program
The program has a free flowing feel in that there is some projects that are designed for interns, but also a good amount of impromptu projects that supplemented work load. Graham has a great atmosphere to work in, a great culture built on having fun but working hard and getting stuff done. Feedback throughout the process, not just at the end, so it was actionable during the internship, which was great.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
It was what I expected if not better. Got a sense of the culture through research and the interview process but being in the office really drove it home. Also the work and experience I got really helped me learn. My internship at Graham helped tie together a lot of the material I learned in the classroom and allowed me to connect it to the real world.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Never had to miss time other than being sick once, although this wasn't a problem. Make sure to give prior notice if I needed to miss time otherwise, as it is mostly up to your boss.
Larry Lewis
Risk Management Summer 2018
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Role
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management & Insurance, Human Resource Management
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
A busy but very enjoyable experience surrounded by hard working individuals.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I had a formal mentor as well as several informal mentors. They all helped whenever I had a question about something. They served as a resource when I would get stuck on an aspect of a project. Overall, they made the experience more enjoyable because it created a great support network and team environment.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
1st round screening interview was at the Intern Reception, 2nd round was on campus, Final round was at the Graham Company Building
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
There were several structured projects throughout the summer but there were also adhoc projects that ranged from production, underwriting, and analytical.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Lunch & Learns, Happy Hours, Softball, etc
Describe the company's internship program
Overall, the program is well developed. Great learning experience. Hands-on work. Team environment that is client service focused. Freedom to explore and go in depth on things you find interesting. Great feedback and support throughout.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Honestly, I had my expectations high before starting the internship. I can say that the internship exceeded those expectations.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
The Graham Company was very flexible with scheduling and time. That being said, deadlines were deadlines so you had to use your time accordingly which was a great real world experience.
Employee Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management & Insurance, Human Resource Management
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
A busy but very enjoyable experience surrounded by hard working individuals.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I had a formal mentor as well as several informal mentors. They all helped whenever I had a question about something. They served as a resource when I would get stuck on an aspect of a project. Overall, they made the experience more enjoyable because it created a great support network and team environment.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
1st round screening interview was at the Intern Reception, 2nd round was on campus, Final round was at the Graham Company Building
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
There were several structured projects throughout the summer but there were also adhoc projects that ranged from production, underwriting, and analytical.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Lunch & Learns, Happy Hours, Softball, etc
Describe the company's internship program
Overall, the program is well developed. Great learning experience. Hands-on work. Team environment that is client service focused. Freedom to explore and go in depth on things you find interesting. Great feedback and support throughout.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Honestly, I had my expectations high before starting the internship. I can say that the internship exceeded those expectations.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
The Graham Company was very flexible with scheduling and time. That being said, deadlines were deadlines so you had to use your time accordingly which was a great real world experience.
Kaylyn Welsh
Risk Management Summer 2018
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Role
Certificate of Insurance Processor
Location
Philadelphia, PA
When did you work there?
May 2018 - November 2018
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management and Insurance
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
• Reviewed client contracts to determine applicable coverages to be evidenced, accurately included all appropriate coverages and verbiage on Certificates of Insurance and issued over 1500 Certificates of Insurance to 32 clients over 5 months.
• Provided knowledge on account coverages and guidance to clients when necessary.
• Efficiently prepared accounts for renewal and issued renewed Certificates of Insurance to the appropriate Certificate Holders.
Did you have a mentor?
No
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
In most aspects - yes. In contracts we talked a lot about the importance of wording which was the basis of my job as a cert processor. Knowing what specific verbiage needs to be shown and what coverages each client has is extremely important in this role especially since I was reading at least 15-40 contract agreements daily to produce the Certificate Of Insurance (COI) to our clients. However, we never touched on COIs in my classes, so I didn't know what they were before getting to Graham. While there is a disclaimer on the COI that states the cert doesn't actually furnish any coverage, the verbiage that we use on it is imperative to the broker's success because if we say that the client has a certain coverage or endorsement that they actually do not, that can open up a D&O claim for the brokerage, which you don't want.
Were you assigned any special projects?
Yes, I worked on loss development models and updating the actual losses paid vs the projected losses estimated. I also developed a presentation on the importance of certificate wording that I presented to other employees including managers and executives.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
We had a lot of happy hours at the office, including First Friday and Beer Cart Thursday. We also had external happy hours to help with fundraising efforts and just for fun. We were always offered any left over food from events that were held, which was at least once a week, but often times more. I was also invited to attend a double header Phillies game against the Mets that one of the units got a box for in August, which was such a fun time. During the month of October is Graham's ESOP month, so we had several happy hours, company provided breakfasts, and were gifted nice backpacks with the Graham logo on it.
Describe the company's internship program.
My particular position was less of an internship as I was filling in for an employee that was taking a leave of absence, so I was doing the actual work load of a full time employee rather than doing the work of a temporary 2-3 month position. This experience was extremely beneficial to me and I feel that I learned more about the industry and the brokerage's operations because I was in the nitty gritty of the day to day business processes. Graham fosters a very family-oriented culture. Everyone says ""Good Morning"" to you as soon as they see you and when someone would see me that didn't know my face, they would take time to talk to me, get to know me and make sure I was enjoying my time at Graham. I also had the opportunity to eat lunch with Graham's CEO, Bill Graham, many times in the lunch room, which was really cool because not many people can say that their CEO is as visible and accessible as Bill was to me. I truly felt like I was working with my family and I loved being in the environment that Graham has built.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
When/if we needed off for doctor's appointments or vacations we were given that time off. However, this was primarily by your direct boss's discretion.
Certificate of Insurance Processor
Location
Philadelphia, PA
When did you work there?
May 2018 - November 2018
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
Risk Management and Insurance
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
• Reviewed client contracts to determine applicable coverages to be evidenced, accurately included all appropriate coverages and verbiage on Certificates of Insurance and issued over 1500 Certificates of Insurance to 32 clients over 5 months.
• Provided knowledge on account coverages and guidance to clients when necessary.
• Efficiently prepared accounts for renewal and issued renewed Certificates of Insurance to the appropriate Certificate Holders.
Did you have a mentor?
No
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
In most aspects - yes. In contracts we talked a lot about the importance of wording which was the basis of my job as a cert processor. Knowing what specific verbiage needs to be shown and what coverages each client has is extremely important in this role especially since I was reading at least 15-40 contract agreements daily to produce the Certificate Of Insurance (COI) to our clients. However, we never touched on COIs in my classes, so I didn't know what they were before getting to Graham. While there is a disclaimer on the COI that states the cert doesn't actually furnish any coverage, the verbiage that we use on it is imperative to the broker's success because if we say that the client has a certain coverage or endorsement that they actually do not, that can open up a D&O claim for the brokerage, which you don't want.
Were you assigned any special projects?
Yes, I worked on loss development models and updating the actual losses paid vs the projected losses estimated. I also developed a presentation on the importance of certificate wording that I presented to other employees including managers and executives.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
We had a lot of happy hours at the office, including First Friday and Beer Cart Thursday. We also had external happy hours to help with fundraising efforts and just for fun. We were always offered any left over food from events that were held, which was at least once a week, but often times more. I was also invited to attend a double header Phillies game against the Mets that one of the units got a box for in August, which was such a fun time. During the month of October is Graham's ESOP month, so we had several happy hours, company provided breakfasts, and were gifted nice backpacks with the Graham logo on it.
Describe the company's internship program.
My particular position was less of an internship as I was filling in for an employee that was taking a leave of absence, so I was doing the actual work load of a full time employee rather than doing the work of a temporary 2-3 month position. This experience was extremely beneficial to me and I feel that I learned more about the industry and the brokerage's operations because I was in the nitty gritty of the day to day business processes. Graham fosters a very family-oriented culture. Everyone says ""Good Morning"" to you as soon as they see you and when someone would see me that didn't know my face, they would take time to talk to me, get to know me and make sure I was enjoying my time at Graham. I also had the opportunity to eat lunch with Graham's CEO, Bill Graham, many times in the lunch room, which was really cool because not many people can say that their CEO is as visible and accessible as Bill was to me. I truly felt like I was working with my family and I loved being in the environment that Graham has built.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
When/if we needed off for doctor's appointments or vacations we were given that time off. However, this was primarily by your direct boss's discretion.
Paul Dorf
Risk Management Spring 2017
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Provide a General Description of the Internship. Include daily tasks completed, the company and its employees, and any other information.
I was given the opportunity to learn the different aspects of Graham's business from many different people. They were open to giving me projects in areas I had interest. Some projects were daily and some lasted over several days and weeks. Hours were Monday-Friday, 9-5.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I received tasks from many different people in the office. Everyone was willing to help me and answer any questions I had.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes. The terms and concepts from Dr. Drennan's Employee Benefits class made it easier to understand some of the work I was given. Articles from class also made me familiar with industry current events.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
I interviewed on campus following my initial contact at the career reception. I was offered the internship within a week after my interview.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
The main project I was assigned was collection and calculation of out client's PCORI fees. This ran over the course of months and involved communication with vendors.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay? (Internship Lunches, Housing, Sports Games, Happy Hours, etc.)
Both company and department Happy Hours. Also some lunches.
Describe the company's internship program(atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
The office was a laid-back, team environment. Everyone got their work done, but got along and had fun doing it. There was a clear open-door policy.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Yes. I took one week off for vacation and one additional personal day.
I was given the opportunity to learn the different aspects of Graham's business from many different people. They were open to giving me projects in areas I had interest. Some projects were daily and some lasted over several days and weeks. Hours were Monday-Friday, 9-5.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I received tasks from many different people in the office. Everyone was willing to help me and answer any questions I had.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes. The terms and concepts from Dr. Drennan's Employee Benefits class made it easier to understand some of the work I was given. Articles from class also made me familiar with industry current events.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
I interviewed on campus following my initial contact at the career reception. I was offered the internship within a week after my interview.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
The main project I was assigned was collection and calculation of out client's PCORI fees. This ran over the course of months and involved communication with vendors.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay? (Internship Lunches, Housing, Sports Games, Happy Hours, etc.)
Both company and department Happy Hours. Also some lunches.
Describe the company's internship program(atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
The office was a laid-back, team environment. Everyone got their work done, but got along and had fun doing it. There was a clear open-door policy.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Yes. I took one week off for vacation and one additional personal day.