How to get a risk management & insurance internship
Insurers and brokers recruit at fall career fairs and turn many interns into full-time hires. Actuarial roles screen for passed exams, so plan those first if that is your path.
1. Know when risk management & insurance internships recruit
- Freshman–sophomore yearHeaded for actuarial work? Pass Exam P early — actuarial internships screen for it. Join Gamma Iota Sigma.
- Junior fall (Sep–Oct)Insurers and brokers recruit at fall career fairs and the Gamma Iota Sigma conference.
- Junior springRemaining underwriting, claims and risk internships.
- Junior summerThe internship; insurers convert a large share of interns to full-time.
2. Build the skills employers check
- Excel
- Probability and statistics
- Analytical thinking
- Communication
- Attention to detail
- SQL or SAS for analytical roles
3. Take certifications in the right order
None is required, but each shows a skill. Start at the top: the first ones need no background.
- Risk management — The Open University · OpenLearn. Free · about 24 hours
- Understanding and managing risk — The Open University · OpenLearn. Free · about 20 hours
- SAS Skill Builder for Students — SAS. Free · about 30 hours
- AINS — Associate in Insurance — The Institutes. Paid · about 60 hours
- RIMS-CRMP — RIMS. Paid · about 80 hours
The Finder shows the whole path for risk management & insurance, three ways: fastest and free, balanced, and a stretch toward the most demanding credentials. See also every risk management & insurance certification.
4. Aim at the right roles
- Underwriting intern — Evaluates risks and helps price insurance policies.
- Actuarial intern — Uses statistics to price products and estimate future claims.
- Claims intern — Investigates and processes insurance claims.
- Risk analyst or broker intern — Analyzes business risk or helps clients choose coverage.
5. Use the words recruiters look for
Put the ones that are true for you on your resume, in your own sentences.
How to write a business internship resume
6. Practice the interview
- Behavioral interview questions, which every business interview asks
Tips for risk management & insurance internships
- If you are aiming for actuarial work, pass Exam P as early as you can; many actuarial internships ask for at least one passed exam.
- Join Gamma Iota Sigma, the risk and insurance student society; insurers recruit through it.
- Be ready to explain how an insurer makes money: premiums, claims, expenses and investment income.
Find risk management & insurance internships near you →
More on this major: risk management & insurance internships, with recent listings and the questions students ask.