An Inside Look at the NM Internship
An internship can be a career defining experience, which is why at Northwestern Mutual we welcome over 200 interns every year. We are intentional in creating an experience where interns can develop new skills, industry knowledge and professional relationships that will serve them in all aspects of life. Five interns reflect on Northwestern Mutual’s internship program and what it means to them to be an intern.
On feeling valued as an intern and a professional
D’Angalo J. – Field Experience Intern
Northwestern Mutual does an excellent job of onboarding and instilling the value of the company by articulating, “this is what we do, this is what we want to be known for, and that employees are an important component to achieving that vision.” In my experience, that can be rare to find. I don’t feel like a number. I feel like a human here.
On career growth
Anna Z. – Real Estate Intern
Everyone is welcoming on my team and includes me in meetings that help expand my personal brand. To broaden my company understanding, my mentor even lets me Zoom in on calls that she regularly participates in. My mentor has given me the chance to meet other people in my department as well as learn more about my team. Not only do I get to learn from these opportunities, but my team also gives me the flexibility to do whatever I feel is necessary for my future career growth and success.
On working on real projects
Gabe W. – Actuarial Intern
I feel like the work I do here is valuable. It’s not like how intern job responsibilities are typically talked about like getting coffee or sorting files. While I’m doing “intern work,” it’s real, meaningful work.
On networking
Tommy D. – Strategic Communications Intern
Northwestern Mutual is not what I thought corporate life was going to be. Networking is a big part of the culture here and that’s reinforced by offering places on campus to connect, such as free lunches or Starbucks at the Milwaukee campus for coffee meetups. That is my favorite thing about Northwestern Mutual. Every person who I’ve met has been approachable, open and willing to help.
On the importance of a manager – intern relationship
Johanna M.B. – Human Resources Intern
I think the trust you build with your managers is important. It shows that they trust you for you and your growth. It means a lot to as an intern here to feel trusted to make my own decisions, branch out on my own while knowing there are people supporting me.
My managers remind me that we all are people, while we may make mistakes, we can always learn from them and become stronger employees. They care about the work I do, and they also care about me and who I am.
We’re a people-first culture at Northwestern Mutual and that includes supporting our interns and their career growth. Northwestern Mutual’s paid internship program is designed to identify high-caliber emerging talent and offer them opportunities to learn and grow in their chosen field.
We offer internship opportunities across a variety of career interests, including tech, business, underwriting and more. For more information, check out our NM Internships | Northwestern Mutual Careers page.