00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Tech Talk, a podcast featuring employees and leaders discussing all things tech at Mutual of Omaha. Join us to learn what tech professionals can gain from a career with us. Let's talk tech.
00:11 Brian Poppe: Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Tech Talk, a podcast sponsored by Mutual Omaha, where we talk about all thing’s technology. I am Brian Poppe, one of your hosts, former Chief Data Officer here at Mutual of Omaha but I currently manage one of the business units and I'm joined by.
00:28 Maura Ramsey: Hello everybody and welcome. I'm Maura Ramsey and I am an Agile Project Manager here at Mutual of Omaha. Brian, it's great to see you as always. What's been new in your world?
00:40 Brian Poppe: I got to go see the new building this week. So yeah, for listeners out there, Mutual Omaha is building a new, building in downtown Omaha. I got to go out and put on a hard hat and glasses and a high-res vest and go traipsing up and down the stairs that are not yet completed. So, it was kind of fun and maybe a little bit dangerous, but it was great to see and imagine, all the great work we'll be doing down there starting in 2026.
01:05 Maura Ramsey: A little thrilling experience, it sounds like.
01:08 Brian Poppe: Yeah, there was one opportunity there where, like, you lean kind of out over the edge and you're like, well, I'm like, it's been a while since I've got vertigo, and I've definitely got today.
01:17 Maura Ramsey: A little nervous of the heights, a little vertigo. Hopefully when I can see it, it will be a little more enclosed.
01:23 Brian Poppe: And, it will have windows rather than just an open air. Yeah.
01:26 Maura Ramsey: Not requiring a hard hat.
01:30 Brian Poppe: Yea, What about you? What's the winds of your week?
01:33 Maura Ramsey: The winds of my week. So, the big one this week, our team here finished our reporting cycle for the quarter. And we implemented a bunch of process improvements and automation for things like validation, those sorts of things. And it just went so smoothly. We were able to free up a lot of time to focus on more of the storytelling behind the data, those sorts of things. So, I'm ending this week feeling very accomplished, ready for the weekend. But that was a good win. I was proud of my team. We really executed well. Things are good!
02:05 Brian Poppe: Well, that's great. Hopefully, next time this comes around, you'll be able to just hit the button and then like sit back and watch the robot do all the work for you.
02:12 Maura Ramsey: Yes, it’s the little improvements where we're just getting better each time. But on another, even better note, we have a guest joining us here today, I/S Business Program Consultant Alicia Huntington. She's here to tell us a little bit about the I/S internship program that we have here at Mutual. Alicia, welcome to the podcast.
02:32 Alicia Huntington: Thanks for having me.
02:34 Brian Poppe: Yeah, we're glad you're here. But before we get started into some of the deep questions, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself? Your career at mutual? How did you get involved with the internship program? And then, we’ll see where to get to from there.
02:46 Alicia Huntington: Like, Maura mentioned, my name is Alicia Huntington, and I have been with Mutual of Omaha for ten years now, and a part of the I/T intern program for the last five years. My background is actually in finance and sales, and when I decided to make a career change, I took advantage of the career resources available here at Mutual of Omaha.
And through networking and exploring, opportunities within the company, I found my new path, in I/T. So, not a technical person, but have definitely enjoyed the last five years being in this organization. I truly enjoy being a part of the internship program and watching interns discover their passions and career paths. It's really rewarding to see them grow and find roles that really align with their interests and skills.
03:45 Maura Ramsey: I think I've mentioned this before in other podcasts, I love podcast episodes, but I love hearing the stories of people coming from one space into the I/T world. And not necessarily that super direct path, because it really just shows that it's a space for everybody. I came from a marketing background, so I, I'm one of those one of those people too.
But tell us a little bit more about the internship program. So how many interns do you typically bring on? What is the goal of the program? Those sorts of things.
04:15 Alicia Huntington: I would say throughout the year, we would typically see around 50 to 60 interns. During the summer. Starting in May, ending in August is when we have most of our interns here, around 30 will join us for our summer internship program. We offer a hands-on experience that allows students to develop their professional skills, while contributing to projects that directly impact the team's core responsibilities. We recruit interns for multiple areas within our I/T organization. And we really focus on aligning interns’ interests with the areas that are requesting, support.
So, for example, if an intern is interested in security, we really try to place them on a security team rather than an application development team. Right? Like we really want to ensure that they gain the most valuable and relevant experience during their time here. And like I mentioned, we offer our summer internships and some year-round internship opportunities, though those are really dependent on the performance of the summer interns and continued availability of positions. And then we have a goal of promoting 90% of our eligible graduating interns into full time roles.
So, it's really our primary hiring pool for entry level positions. So, it really creates job opportunities for our successful interns.
05:57 Brian Poppe: Well, it sounds like a lot of work for, an internship class of that size. And then turning 90% of them into full time associates, that’s a great track record. Well, that's probably enough about, like, the actual work experience. Tell me about all the other stuff that the interns get to do. Are they coming into the office? What are their experiences? Do they have what opportunities are coming their way?
06:17 Alicia Huntington: Yeah. So, we have a lot of opportunities for them to engage during the summer. So, our summer internship runs for 12 weeks. The program operates in a hybrid work environment. So, we are primarily remote, but we do have, opportunities for the interns to come into the home office here in Omaha. The program kicks off with an in-person event, to introduce the interns to the company and to their team so they have the opportunity to, not only network with other interns in I/T, but all interns throughout the entire organization.
And then throughout the summer, we have, ongoing opportunities to engage. We bring the interns back into the home office a few times. To really just further build those relationships with other interns and their team members and then, talking a little bit about the work. You know, they get real world work experience. They're assigned, you know, meaningful tasks throughout the summer that really, again, contribute directly to the team's projects.
07:30 Alicia Huntington: Interns are paired with a mentor who they meet with regularly for guidance and feedback. They have consistent check ins with their managers, to make sure that they are receiving the support for development throughout the program. And then again, opportunities to meet with our I/T leadership through various events and discussions. And then we host regularly scheduled lunch and learn sessions, to provide insights into different areas within our I/T organization. Professional development sessions and just overall promoting networking with leadership and their peers.
08:14 Maura Ramsey: That's incredible. I love how this program not only gives you the real-world work experience, but it also gives you the opportunity to really start growing and expanding your professional network, which is arguably just as important as your skill set. So, I think that really, really is telling of how high quality and what a great experience it is to be able to, participate in this program.
So, I think that's really cool. And obviously it's been very well thought out. And you and your team have done a really good job of making sure that these interns are getting the most out of this experience and really getting prepared for the real world. So that's super cool to hear.
One of the last questions that I did have for you, for those that are interested in applying for the internship program that may be listening, what advice do you have when going in for applying? When's a good time to do it? What are the skills or qualities that you're looking for when going through applications?
09:12 Alicia Huntington: So, we recruit in the fall for our summer internship. Our application typically is open throughout the month of September. So, I would recommend making sure and apply early if you are interested. We recruit students at various stages of their academic career. So, whether you are a freshman or nearing graduation there's typically or there's likely a role that fits your background and interests.
I would always encourage students, again, who are maybe early on in their career to go ahead and apply. You never know, what type of opportunities are out there!
Our application process, if someone applies for our internship program and we decide to move forward with the application, we only have one interview, and we base our decision on how well you align with the roles and your overall fit for the team off of that one interview. We don't do any additional coding exams or hacker rank really because we are looking for somebody who is, eager to learn, ask questions, provide feedback. You know, somebody who, stays actively engaged throughout the program. So, while we are looking for someone who has those strong foundational technical skills, it is really expressing that interest and just interest in learning. And just eager to be a part of a team.
10:50 Alicia Huntington: So, we do recruit for multiple roles, with a variety of backgrounds, including application development, business analyst, security, and data. So, there are multiple opportunities that are available.
And then I think you mentioned advice for somebody who is interviewing. I would advise anyone who is interviewing for their internship, whether it's a role at Mutual of Omaha or somewhere else, to really make sure to do your research, take the time to learn about the company that you're applying at. Understand, what their values are, the business and how you can contribute.
Make sure to come prepared and be ready to answer those behavioral based questions. You know, you're most likely going to be asked in any interview. Have those situations maybe thought out in the star method. Have examples of projects, past internships, experience, prepared, and then make sure to ask questions. Show that you’re actually interested in that company.
12:01 Alicia Huntington: You know, we are looking for people who are curious. So, I want to be asked questions during an interview and prepared students who are excited to contribute and to grow within our organization. You really can get that from an interview. So yeah, I would just say come prepared to show up.
12:20 Brian Poppe: Well, Alicia, thanks for your, leadership on the internship program. I know we've got a great program for folks that are looking for it. And if you are looking for an internship, we hope to see you in the applicant pool in the near future. So, on behalf of, Maura, myself, and Alicia, thank you for joining us today for another Tech Talk podcast.