#phlysummer

On Wednesday, July 13th, 10 PHLY interns had the opportunity to attend the 2016 Next Gen Intern Forum that was held at the ARAMARK building in Center City.  It was a great networking opportunity in which we were able to meet seasoned professionals, go over insurance discipline topics, and meet leaders of the insurance industry! There were professionals from companies such as Munich Re, AIG, RCM&D, Aramark, Chubb, Willis Towers Watson, Marsh, and finally PHLY. It kicked off with lunch and two fantastic presenters, Julianne Shillington from PHLY and Aimee Jorfi from AON.  They presented on branding and networking. They talked about creating your personal brand, reputation management, and the importance of the 3 B’s of branding: be bold, be consistent, and be you.

Denise Hunter, from AIG, introduced a panel discussion with seasoned professionals which discussed “everything you wanted to ask but were too afraid to ask”! The professionals gave the interns great advice on a timeline of designations, work/life balance, and exceeding employer’s expectations. The event continued with insurance discipline speed dating. We had two people from either underwriting, claims, reinsurance, enterprise risk management, and actuarial science come to each of our tables to speak about their careers and opened the discussion to any questions. Finally, the event concluded with a happy hour networking event at the Field House which was fantastic because we all had a chance to network with other interns and have one on one conversations with the professionals that were kind enough to teach us what they have learned in the industry.

Throughout orientation, all associates listened to a variety of speakers present on numerous topics. Some of the speakers I really enjoyed listening to were from Gallaudet University. This University is a school for the deaf, and the professors must be fluent in ASL. We had Anjali Desao-Margolin, a Gallaudet employee, and Robert Shilling & Jeff Willoughby, both PHLY employees, host the training. Jeff Willoughby participated in the Summer Associates Program last year and is now a full time employee at PHLY! I specifically enjoyed learning about the deaf culture and how it is different from other cultures. I also really enjoyed learning about the facts and common myths that are present in the community. For example, a lot of people think the deaf can lip read most conversations, but they actually cannot! A lot of words when mouthed look very similar so there is no way to tell the difference. This seminar taught me so much about the deaf community, and I really enjoyed this experience!

As a marketing intern at the Bala Cynwyd office, my orientation at PHLY was a very unique experience. All of my friends and roommates have recently started their internships at various companies and have had different experiences with orientation. It is interesting for us to compare stories and experiences from our first couple of days. Across the board, PHLY has the most welcoming and interactive internship program. Some of my friends were simply shown to their desk on the first day and were hardly given an introduction. From the moment I walked into the Center Lobby at the Home Office, I felt important and welcomed. There were balloons everywhere, welcome posters, and name tags for all of the other interns. It was very easy to get to know the other interns with the fluid ice breaker games we played and a social breakfast. I immediately felt comfortable. Since then, we have had multiple training exercises and presentations from knowledgeable and experienced executives. I already feel that I have learned some lifelong lessons, both business and personal, from the wise words of some of PHLY’s finest and most tenure members. I was pleased to meet my manager and mentor, both of who are extremely down-to-earth and here to help. There is no intimidation and they make themselves very accessible to any questions or concerns I might have. I can’t wait to see what else the summer holds!

Hi! My name is Elizabeth and I am a Summer Associates working in the Compliance department at the home office in Bala Cynwyd.