From Intern to Change Management Coordinator: Kristina Neesam’s Journey in the Insurance Industry

   Most experiences in your life start and end with a story. Whether positive or negative, the story helps convey the experience in detail and enables others to relate. This is especially true for insurance, where you will be hard-pressed to find a person who knew they wanted to work in insurance! I am no different. This is the story of how I entered the insurance industry. While I was about to enter my senior year of college, I learned that one of my requirements to graduate was to have an internship. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my degree after I graduated, but I knew that I needed to find an internship. I reached out to my older sister, letting her know of my requirements, and luckily, her company (a worker’s compensation insurance company) was looking for interns for the summer. As a 21-year-old, I had no clue what my sister did, but I was open to it. After all, she worked there, so it couldn’t be that bad, right? I applied, went through the interview process, and eventually was offered the internship opportunity.

   I had very little knowledge of the insurance industry, and honestly, I thought it was probably going to be boring. In the back of my mind, I knew that it fulfilled my college requirement, and I had a free place to live for the summer with my sister. As many say, you do not seek out an insurance career, but it ultimately just falls into your lap or someone you know influences you. I was no different.

  Throughout that summer of the internship, I learned about claims, loss control, underwriting, the mailroom – you name it, I was open to learning about it. This summer experience helped me determine if I wanted to continue in the insurance industry and what I wanted to do after college graduation. After the summer was complete, and I went back to college, I knew that I wanted to go back and work full-time for the organization. I went back during winter break and helped, again learning something new with medical billing.

   The people and the opportunity to learn a variety of things were something I looked forward to. When I graduated, I was lucky enough to accept a position in the state filing area. I was learning more about the law and regulations of worker’s compensation, but I did not want to stop there.

   I saw the work being done by the claims representatives day in and day out. They were there for individuals during some of their darkest days. They were there to help injured workers get back to full capacity and get back to doing a job that they love. I wanted to be a part of that, so I moved into a claims representative role. I felt that I could make a difference and help injured workers when they were hurt at work. I handled smaller laceration claims all the way up to catastrophic claims for about seven years. I enjoyed working with the people, but I knew it was time for a new challenge.

   Next up on the career path was to join the Client Relations/Account Management team. I was able to work with the largest accounts the organization had. I built relationships and was able to listen to what the large account needs were and help make that happen. I worked with a variety of different departments that were involved with the account, including claims, loss control, underwriting, agents, etc. After being in that role for about six years, I decided it was time to learn more about the corporate side of the industry.

   I had the opportunity in 2022 to move to the Business Readiness/Change Management team. With this new position, I have been able to learn more about the different departments within the parent company, meet new team members, and be involved in projects. Change can be a challenge for some, but having someone from change management involved in the project team can help ensure people are ready, willing, and able to adapt to the changes coming. People are important, vital parts of making an organization successful. Without the team buy-in on a project, it will be hard for them to adopt the changes.

   As I have learned throughout my years in insurance, it is really important to get involved. Join that project team, lead a group to ensure the success of the organization, provide feedback, attend seminars – you will be amazed at what you learn. In 2023, I joined RISE’s Mentorship program. I have been matched with some industry experts who have both provided me with their knowledge and shared their stories of how they got involved in insurance. Listen to the stories that people are willing to share; it will help build that connection. It may also spark an interest in what you can see yourself doing next. Learning is growing, and there is always an opportunity for growth.

   What is your story and how did you get involved in insurance? If you have not shared your story with someone, I encourage you to do so. You never know who you are going to influence and/or help determine their next step in their career. If you are a young adult considering the insurance industry, I highly recommend job shadowing, asking questions, talking with those in the industry, or reaching out. We are friendly insurance professionals always looking to see the next person succeed.