Conferences & Company Visits
The insurance program at the Katie School offers an excellent classroom education for students pursuing careers in insurance and financial services. This is complemented with outstanding experiences through on-campus opportunities to further develop our students through activities in the corporate sector.
The Katie School is unique in its engagement with the insurance industry. This means we have support from industry partners who provide scholarships, internships and jobs. Students also have unique opportunities to attend industry conferences and travel abroad with support from industry sponsors.
Conferences
The Katie School encourages students to attend industry conferences including:
- CPCU Annual Meeting
- IMUA Annual Meeting
- PLRB Conference
- Chicagoland Risk Forum
- RIMS Conference
- Extreme Risk Takers Symposium - Atlanta
- Extreme Risk Takers Symposium - Chicago
- WSIA Symposium
These opportunities allow students to network with industry professionals, attend educational sessions and visit with industry providers about the latest products and services.
The students hone their business and social etiquette skills during the various professional and social gatherings during the meetings. Additionally, student officers in the Gamma Iota Sigma insurance fraternity attend the fraternity's President's Conference and the Annual International Management Conference each year. There they are able to interact with peers studying insurance and risk management at universities around the country.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING CONFERENCES
- Chicagoland Risk Forum
- CPCU Annual Meeting
- IMUA Annual Meeting
- PLRB Conference
- REBEX Conference
- RIMS Conference
- Surplus Lines Insurance Symposium
- WSIA Symposium
Company Visits
Each year students visit Katie School Advisory Board Member Companies to learn more about career opportunities by job shadowing with industry professionals. The visit allows for a hands-on learning experience as well as insight into possible future careers.
Industry
The industry is an important component of the Katie School. Professionals from the Bloomington-Normal area and Chicagoland area coordinate company visits with the Katie School to allow students to job shadow and learn more about the industry in an out-of-the-classroom atmosphere.
Valuable knowledge is gained during these visits through an insight into specific roles, and a deeper look into how an insurance company operates internally allows for the student to benefit greatly. Some company visits in the past include Marsh, Chubb International, State Farm Insurance, Munich Re, Zurich Financial Services, and many more.
On-Campus Opportunities
Numerous industry professionals speak to classes and share experiences with students and faculty. Over 90 companies recruit students on-campus each year offering career and internship opportunities. Scholarships provided by companies and organizations are awarded to outstanding insurance majors and minors, with more than $100,000 awarded annually.
Additionally, representatives from Traveler's Insurance and State Farm Insurance coordinate with Gamma Iota Sigma to hold an all-day event in the College of Business early in the academic school year. The events include assistance to students interested in either company's internship or career programs, various presentations about industry topics, and networking opportunities.