Graduates and former interns are finding that their education opportunity is landing them solid jobs.
The State Farm Internship Program at the University of Texas at Dallas has now been offered for five years, having first launched in 2016. Graduates of the program are finding that their time as interns is proving to be highly valuable in landing full-time employment with the insurance giant.
The hands-on experience gained through the program opened doors with a Fortune 500 company.
The State Farm Internship Program offers dozens of students a chance every year to gain experience working in a well-known and recognized Fortune 500 company. Graduates of the partnership between the insurance company and the university have found their way into significant career paths. That said, this has also proved to be advantageous for the insurer itself, which has hired many of the former interns into a spectrum of full-time employment positions.
“Some of our most talented interns have come from UTD,” said State Farm technology analyst and intern coordinator Amanda Morgan. “Our organization embraces the intern program because we know the interns are going to be the future of this organization.”
The State Farm Internship Program is specifically aimed at undergrads interested in cybersecurity.
Undergraduate students focused on cybersecurity and software development are the primary target of the intern program. It connects these students with mentors and teams throughout the local insurance company offices. From there, the interns are assigned projects based on their experience level and their interests.
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Random Success Quotes to Remember ~ “I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself.” – Albert Einstein
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State Farm software developer Citlali Galera (BS ‘18) is a graduate of the intern program. She participated in its enterprise technology sector for nearly two years. During gap periods in which school was not in session, Galera worked full time at the Richardson, Texas State Farm offices. This provided her with considerable insight into her future life after graduation.
“My full-time stints helped me get to know different managers in different areas within the company,” said Galera. “And I got to see the work-life balance firsthand. The work was interesting and challenging, but I wasn’t expected to put in extremely long hours or work on the weekends.”
Insurance companies have been struggling to appeal to new generations of talent, who often fail to see the opportunities these giants have to offer a career path. 
Impressions of work in the insurance industry are frequently dated and dull. Among its many goals, the State Farm Internship Program is aiming to overcome those assumptions and show new generations the potential for exciting and rewarding careers with substantial growth potential.
