Thought real interactions with real people. Was able to help people with financial planning and build my network.
What I wish was different
Training is a long process as well there was a lot of homework on top of course work at school.
Advice
Meet as many people as you can to build your foundation in your business by making connections everywhere you go.
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College Financial Representative
May 2018 • Lancaster, PA
What I liked
At the beginning of the internship they housed us in WCU and did training, after that we were sent out on our own to do the work. Essentially I am a independent business owner, I had all the resources around me I just had to ask for help when I needed it. I grew a lot professionally over the internship.
What I wish was different
Interview Process
Advice
During the interview process take the homework they give you seriously. It sets you up for the internship. It is also so important to do the activity that they are asking you to do, even if you decide to not do this long term, the internship will help you grow tremendously professionally.
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College Financial Representative
June - September 2018 • Milwaukee, WI
What I liked
I liked meeting with people and hearing about their financial needs. Listening to people share about their financial lives and look for guidance on where they can improve was very intriguing. On top of that, we then as a financial services firm would look deeper into the options to help them and their specific needs. I felt like it was a unique way to help people.
What I wish was different
One thing I wish would have been different is how we got our experience in the financial services field. I was excited to get experience in this field and see how it all went down. However, in order to get experience in this field we had to get our own clients. Meaning, if we did not have any clients our experience in the field was very minimal. How we got our clients was not pretty either. We had to call people we knew or got connected with through others, and ask them if they would like to hear more about what my team and I do and see if there was anything we could help them with. As you suspect, most people say no. Knowing that, you have to reach out to a lot of people in order to get a decent amount of experience in the field.
Advice
Be bold or be ready to get way out of your comfort zone. My biggest barrier was getting out of my comfort zone and getting on the phone to call people. I did not call as many people as other interns and therefore sometimes cost me some experience in the field. It can be scary to get on the phone and call someone you don't know, or even someone you do know, and try and get them to meet up with you and one of your co-workers to show them more of what you are doing to see if there is anyway you can help them. People can do very well in this type of job if they are bold and not afraid to do that. Even if you are afraid to do such thing, if you are able to fully break through that barrier it can be a great experience!
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Financial Representative Intern
June - August 2018 • Charleston, SC
What I liked
As a Financial Representative Intern at Northwestern Mutual, you work flexible hours, you are your own boss essentially. One thing I really liked while working this internship was the amount of time I spent meeting new people and potential clients. I was not stuck in the office all day, but instead out and about meeting new people and gathering leads.
What I wish was different
I wish I did not have to cold call as much as I did. I had never done this before so cold calling during this program was a good learning opportunity for me, but too much for me to consider a full time position.
Advice
This internship experience is all about how much work you put into it. If you put in little effort, you will receive little results.
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Associate Financial Representative
July 2018 • Columbus, OH
What I liked
I loved the networking opportunities this job has. It has also taught me confidence to work in a field that I am not comfortable with and has made me realize that a lot of my skills are transferable.
What I wish was different
Although I wish I had found a job within my field, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.
Advice
I would advise to branch out to companies/businesses that you may not have gone to school for. It has taught me confidence in interviews to be able to perform any job asked of me. Careers are a lifelong learning experience and it has benefited me so much to take a risk in a field that I was not educated on.
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College Financial Representative
May 2018 • Missoula, MT
What I liked
Very hands-on experience. I learned a lot about the insurance, finance industry.
What I wish was different
In the beginning I wish I had more guidance through the programming.
Advice
Be prepared to call every person you know and to meet with strangers. It really helps build social skills.
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Development Intern
July - August 2018 • Skokie, IL
What I liked
A really fun work environment, always with something going on in the office or food in the kitchen! I got to work on a project with other interns to bring the company to the digital age! Pretty cool.
What I wish was different
I had joined late in the season, and therefore didn't get much of an opportunity to meet other interns. but I hear NWM's internship community is great
Advice
Take advantage of the fun events!
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Financial Advisor Assistant and Marketing Associate
May - August 2018 • Watertown, SD
What I liked
I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and being able to work with fun people in an office. I also enjoyed the flexibility of the job, I was basically my own boss, and got to work as fast or slow as I wanted.
What I wish was different
I don't think I would've changed anything.
Advice
Enjoy the time you have during an internship, and take your time to learn new things. It goes by fast!
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Financial Representative
May 2018 • Greensboro, NC
What I liked
Creating my own schedule; freedom
What I wish was different
Didn’t like calling on friends and family
Advice
Get off to a fast start so you can make money. The prospect to client cycle can take 2 months.
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College Financial Representative
June 2018 • Janesville, WI
What I liked
I liked the freedom to make my own schedule and knowing what I do helps people.
What I wish was different
I wish that there would have been more training.
Advice
This is a great experience. You learn a lot about yourself as a person. This internship is a struggle but it is definitely worth it.
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College Financial Representative
May - September 2018 • Madison, WI
What I liked
the expierence in building different types of financial plans.
What I wish was different
Having a base pay.ie not 100% commission and a small stipend.
Advice
You will learn alot, but be ready to take full charge of your business.
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College Financial Representative
May - September 2018 • Middleton, WI
What I liked
I really enjoyed that we as interns had nearly the same experience as any full time rep has every single day. I had so many takeaways that I learned from the company in terms of investments and life insurance options. I also started saving money into a mutual fund as a result of working for this company. Northwestern is a very sophisticated company and they stand by their performance. Financial advisors are much like doctors, but in the financial industry. While people do not always want to talk about their finances, that is usually when you know they might need some help. there is always room for improvement, so in saying all of this,.. doctors take care of your health, financial advisors take care of your wealth. so make sure you stay religious to your yearly checkups with your doctor as well as your financial advisor.
What I wish was different
The pay was the only thing that was hard about it. The more you hustled, the better/more likely you were to have a monetary outcome, you just never knew how much it was. Commission-based pay is not necessarily my thing, I would rather be paid by salary as I like stability and a sense of security.
Advice
Make the most of it, do not second guess yourself. Most of all, be passionate about it, practice what you preach, that is how you will gain your clients trust. In terms of practicing what you preach, "pay yourself first", meaning make sure you have an attainable goal of saving a certain/set amount of money each month. That is important. Before we know it we will be retired and want to continue living the same lifestyle we did when we were still working.
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College Financial Representative
May - July 2018 • Phoenix, AZ
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
You need to be ready to learn a lot. It is a great experience but you will get out of it as much as you put in.
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College Financial Representative
June - August 2017 • Denver, CO
What I liked
No limit on how much you can make, all sales based
What I wish was different
Difficult to start out as you build your own network
Advice
Great for people looking to get into wealth management
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College Financial Representative
April - August 2018 • Logan, UT
What I liked
The Logan office does a great job on training and pushing their employees to achieve on their own. It’s quite flexible as far as time but what you put in is what you get out. Eric and Landon do a great job running the college program and are great resources to learn from.
What I wish was different
Really this job is all on you. If you work hard and don’t get discouraged you’ll see the rewards of your efforts.
Advice
It’s really all about whether the job fits you. Anyone can do it if they work hard enough but it’s not for everyone. The jobs gets you out of your comfort zone and pushes you to reach out to others.
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Tennis Coach
June - August 2018 • Liège, Liège
What I liked
love tennis so I loved teaching it to beginners and teach them everything I know about it.
What I wish was different
nothing the experience was really great. Just wished it could have lasted longer.
Advice
If you love what you do, teach it to other people.
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College Financial Representative
May 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I enjoyed the opportunities to meet new people and provide value to their lives.
What I wish was different
I wish I could have had more time there to create a bigger impact.
Advice
Be ready to put yourself out there and learn new things.
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Financial Representative
May - August 2018 • Provo, UT
What I liked
Flexible hours, great work environment, enjoyable and rewarding work.
What I wish was different
Advice
Work hard and you'll get out what you put into it
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Application Deveopment Intern
May 2017 • Franklin, WI
What I liked
Get to go on cool intern events and learn about more areas of the company. Felt like the work I did was meaningful.
What I wish was different
Work on technologies that weren't older than myself.
Advice
Overall you get a great internship experience. You learn about the company's culture, operations, and on the job tasks. I would ask as much questions as possible and see if it's a good fit for you.
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Support Services Intern
May 2018 • Milwaukee, WI
What I liked
The welcoming atmosphere and incredible opportunities provided for the interns, as well as the flexibility so that I could work with what I wanted to work with and get experience with.
What I wish was different
Nothing!
Advice
Dive in and make some friends, everyone is so welcoming at NM, and those connections will help drive your opportunities at the company.
