Question One

An Internship offers a student an opportunity to enhance his/her academic, career and personal development in a structured work environment. My internship would enable me to learn the following. First, I would like to learn about time management. Working in a fast paced professional environment would help me develop time management skills. Since every minute counts, becoming a master in time management would prepare me well for my career. I would be able to finish tasks on time and avoid the last minute rush. Also, time management will help me attending meetings or making phone calls. Second, the internship will help me learn how to communicate in a professional environment. During an internship, one gets an opportunity to attend seminars, meetings and other events where you interact with professionals and gain new connections. Therefore, meeting and interacting with a network of professional mentors, references and a variety of professionals in my field will enable me to strengthen my communication skills.

Third, the internship will offer me an opportunity to gain real world experience. I would be able to work in a professional environment and learn more about the career path I am pursuing. As an intern, I have a valuable opportunity to learn about my career from the inside and determine its effectiveness. I would be able to observe the working environment and compare it with my expectations in life. With a real world experience, I can explore different career options. Also, gaining real world experience will help me improve my resume. Most interviews require one to meet a minimum work experience; therefore, upon completion of this internship, I would have gained a professional experience that would strengthen my resume. Lastly, working in a professional environment offers me an opportunity to gain industry knowledge that I would not have learned anywhere else. New knowledge and valuable experience added to my resume would enhance my application for a job.

I would like to achieve the following goals during my internship period. First, my goal is to learn. I would like to learn about Al Raed Insurance Brokerage including the people working in the company. I want to learn ways I can contribute to the successfulness of my profession. Since there are limited opportunities to work in great companies, I want to gain knowledge that would lead to my long-term personal and professional goals. Gaining background knowledge of the company will help me in understanding the context of its operation. Second, my goal is to receive a full-time offer. The internship offers me a valuable opportunity to work in a company I have always desired. The best time I can use to evaluate my future prospect is once I complete my internship. Therefore, during my internship, I can write a journal about my work experience to serve as an outlet for my thoughts. With an understanding of meaningful work experiences, I can use the data points to evaluate the full-time opportunities offered.

My third goal is to network. Over the course of my internship, I want to meet and interact with established professionals in the field I am pursuing. My goal is to find a mentor and develop a lasting relationship to help me gain more out of my internship. Although I am an introvert, and interacting with many people may look like extra work, I will have to conceal my shyness and make contacts to save my career. Fourth, my goal is to get constructive feedback. Individuals apply for internships to learn and gain experience; however, asking for constructive feedback during an internship is significant in enhancing my skills and becoming more professional. Comments, recommendations, and critiques will make me more knowledgeable about my field. Receiving conflicting advice from different people is still valuable since they have different approaches to solving a problem.

My college education has shaped my understanding and preparation for this internship experience in four significant ways. First, my interaction with students and teachers on a daily basis has helped me understand the real world. I have been able to learn from experiences and reflected the scenarios on my own. Moreover, my interaction with students has introduced me diverse opinions and practices. I believe that with my ability to interact with people from different backgrounds and understand differences in our society, I can work well in a diverse working environment. Second, the college education has shaped my leadership skills. Before joining college, I never thought I could make a good leader. During my first year in college, I was involved in many leadership programs. Also, I was privileged to lead the various discussions and meetings, and I learned skills such as managing misunderstanding, building and maintaining trust, and communication. I am confident that in my internship, I will meet different leaders, and since I have experience as a leader, it would be easy for me to interact and exchange ideas.

Third, college education thought me how to deal with big and unattainable projects. I have learned to break big tasks into manageable tasks. When I was executing my class project, it seemed big and unattainable in the initial stages; however, with sound management skills, I completed them on time. In my internship, I will split the main tasks into their respective subtasks to allow for easy management and avoid lateness. Fourth, other than learning fundamentals, my college education has shaped my practical application of the information I studied in different classes. For instance, I played a critical role in my digital communication classes where I had the opportunity to gather and analyze best practice information regarding this industry. My competency in digital communication is sufficient to ensure that the company achieves its primary goals.

After securing my internship, my first two weeks were full of activities. I was busy most of the time, but I enjoyed my work. Moreover, I am glad that I had a diary to write my schedule and work experience. On my first day at work, I enjoyed orientation and training on computer software and other programs. Also, I was privileged to meet staff and learn how the organization works. My first project was to complete tasks on insurance management system software. During the same week, I was engaged in meetings with my supervisor to explain in greater details about the work and individuals involved. On the last day of my first week at work, it was fun since I spent the day meeting other trainees hired to develop their skills in workshop leading. The day started with an inspirational message from chairperson as he probed us to think about qualities of a successful leader. At lunch time, I ran back to the office to complete the tasks I had started since the client requested for earlier delivery.

My second week was also lively and busy. Since my supervisor was not around in almost the entire of the second week, I discovered the significance of being self-driven. In that period when my supervisor was not around, I developed an approach called self-teaching. I used my valuable knowledge I gained from college education to conduct independent research. Also, since my supervisor left me with a vast of tasks to complete, I ensured that I completed them before he got back. The advantage I had was that I had skills on task management; therefore, it was easy to break big tasks into manageable tasks.

Question Two

The organization I chose for my internship is Al Raed Insurance Brokerage. The organization was established in 2001 under the private ownership. This means that the company is owned by people who are not part of the government. The company has approximately 15 employees. Regarding the type of industry, Al Raed insurance brokerage falls under the insurance industry. The competitors in the industry include Oryx Insurance Services, Saudi Arabian Insurance Company, Bahrain National Insurance Company, Al-Wazzan Insurance Brokers and Gulf Securities Company WLL. Competition in the market reflects the unique regulatory environment of the insurance industry. Also, the competition portrays the unique characteristics of suppliers, buyers, and products in the insurance market. In Bahrain, mots organization has opted to go for mergers and acquisitions to survive in the competitive environment. In the case of Al Raed insurance brokerage, the company has sought consulting services to analyze new products and business models, and estimate costs. Moreover, Al Raed insurance brokerage has a competitive advantage over other insurance companies because the team understands the dynamics of insurance and reinsurance markets.

The goals and objective of the organization include the following. The first goal is to improve the position of the company in the insurance market. Second, the organization aims to deliver high-quality customer services to attract and retain profitable customers. Third, the organization focuses on creating and maintaining a professional, diverse and responsive team of insurance brokers. Fourth, Al Raed insurance brokerage aims to increase its growth in pension fund business, non-life, and life insurance compared to other insurance firms in the market. Regarding objectives to clients, the company has the following. The first objective is to exchange knowledge and expertise to understand the market and standards required to meet the expectation of the customers. The second objective is to carry out a nation-wide marketing campaign on pension fund business, non-life, and life insurance to increase customer awareness. With shareholders, the company’s objective is to ensure they achieve a long-term economic presence. Also, the company ensures that they guarantee continuity and growth to shareholders. Lastly, with employees, the company’s objective is to ensure they maintain a vitality of the work environment that would allow the employees to understand the significance of trust and teamwork.

The organization was formed to provide clients with insurance brokerage services. The company supports commercial casualty, property, transportation, professional liabilities and target programs. Besides, as an impartial third party, the firm does not directly associate with the business insurance providers of the client. Therefore, the role of the agents is to explore the market for potential customers. The services the organization offers include the following. First, the organization serves as a consultant to issues related to insurance requirements. The company has professional teams that provide clients with advice and revisions at policy renewal. Also, the agents explain premiums, terms, and conditions that the client might find difficult to understand. Brokers are always available to answer any critical question the customer may have.

Second, insurance brokers assess the individual needs of the client and obtain quotes. On the same note, they perform an insurance valuation and write a report depending on the item being insured. Third, the brokers ensure that they help the customer by suggesting the best cover that meets the needs of the customer. The significance of brokers is that they always compare different insurers and recommend the ones with best rates and conditions. Lastly, brokers always ensure the insurance company fairly handles the client’s claims. They support the client when processing the claim to ensure a speedy settlement.

The organization is good at providing a variety of insurance products. For instance, Al Raed insurance brokerage offers commercial casualty, property, transportation, professional liabilities insurance. They have connections with a wide selection of best companies, and once they have assessed the insurance needs of the customer, they explore the rates and conditions to ensure that the client gets the right coverage at a fair price. Additionally, the organization does well in attracting and retaining customers. Due to the flexibility of brokers, the company has been able to explore the market to capture customers. Most customers prefer to engage in a face-to-face communication with the broker; therefore, their flexibility has enabled the firm to cover a wide range of customers.

Another area the company does well is building and maintaining strong relationships with other firms. Maintaining a healthy relationship has helped the company to create a good image that appeals to customers. Also, the organization is good at protecting the privacy of customers. The code of ethics requires brokers to keep all confidential information discussed with customers. Due to the ability to protect the privacy of the client, the organization has gained trust and confidence from clients all over the country. Lastly, the organization does well in providing after-sale services. Brokers are always available to offer advice and assist the customers at every renewal of the cover. Besides, in the case of a conflict resolution, they are always available with their technical, legal and industry knowledge.

Conversely, Al Raed Insurance Brokerage has challenges in the following areas. First, the organization still depends on paper transactions in certain situations instead of moving all activities to digital solutions. Therefore, when selling their policies, collecting and sending payment requests, the whole operation seems outdated. The company is too slow to adapt to the dynamic technology. Another factor that has affected the adoption of technology is the availability of customers in the rural community thus making it hard for the company to adjust their operations to meet the needs of the customers. The second weakness of the organization is the lack of effective processes in handling accounting, daily operations of the company and marketing campaigns. This weakness has significantly affected the profitability of the organization.

Third, the existence of many insurance brokers has created a competitive environment for the firm. With more competitors, it means that the market is flooded with many product offerings and this has limited the growth of the company. The competition also includes banks and internet players who present a real threat to the company. For instance, in scenarios when there is an increase in insurance rates, most clients may prefer to move their policies to insurance agencies that offer better rates and conditions.

My role fits in other positions within the company because of my vast knowledge in managing tasks. When I first joined the company as an intern, I was assigned a task regarding insurance management system software. I was required to manage insurance claims of 200 clients. When I was in college, I used to compute tasks using Excel and spreadsheets. My proficiency in managing enormous tasks added an advantage, and I was able to handle the project with ease. I used my knowledge of creating a macro and accomplished the task in a few minutes. Without a macro approach, the work would have taken one more week. My success in managing enormous tasks made the managing team to promote me to the position of the head of interns. Moreover, my leadership qualities were also an added advantage. Within my two months of internship, we were able to execute many problems. Technology plays a significant role to ensure efficiency in the workplace, and I defined my role around the needs of the company.

Question Three

The things I learned about myself included the following. First, I learned that engaging in group work can be fun. I developed an interest in group work when I was in college, and I went into the internship with the same interest. The significance of an internship is that you always get the opportunity to work as a group. Some individuals may consider group work to be bothersome but learning to work with others is something I have appreciated and enjoyed. Second, I found out that breaks are the best. It is important for a person to have broken. I like to exercise and relax after a busy day because it helps me to break the monotony of the working environment.

Third, I learned that I did not fear strangers. I have met many strangers at school and work, and I cannot remember when I feared someone who came to talk to me. My understanding has always been that the strangers wanted to chat or had critical questions they wanted to ask. Fourth, I learned that there is so much that I had little knowledge of. Since my college and internship experience, I thought I knew a lot, but the society has a vast history and culture that would require me to study a lot to understand.

During my internship, I first acquired the skills on time management. I was assigned many tasks at work, and I had to develop a good time management skills to meet the deadline and ensure that the clients are not disappointed with my work. Second, I developed self-reliance skills. When I was an intern, my supervisor went for a field study for almost one week, and since I had tasks to complete, I had to demonstrate that I could work independently. Third, I acquired customer service and communication skills. A brokerage insurance company requires employees to engage in a face-to-face communication with customers. Therefore, our role was to ensure we delivered high-quality customer services. One could only deal with customer problems through effective communication skills.

Fourth, I acquired leadership and teamwork skills. The internship gave me the opportunity to build these skills because I was given a chance to be the head of interns. Also, I was involved in many discussions and meetings thus developing teamwork skills. Fifth, I acquired problem-solving skills. A workplace always has problems and new challenges. During my internship at the brokerage insurance company, I developed the ability to create solutions to problems and enhance my reasoning.

Al Raed Insurance Brokerage is a company that focuses on identifying the unique needs of the client from the outset. Regarding the type of business the company operates, I learned the following when I was there as an intern. First, I learned that the business works well under teamwork. Teamwork and collaborations help the company to accomplish its goals. In all meetings that I attended, the management always encouraged us to work as a team to achieve the company’s objectives. The target was to attract and retain customers. Second, I learned that the successfulness of the company was due to effective communication. Individuals in the company exhibited effective communication skills that enhanced a healthy relationship with customers. With customer satisfaction, the business will ways prosper.

Third, I learned that experience in the industry exceeds everything. The organization has been in operation for approximately 17 years, and most of the individuals who work there have a vast experience in the insurance industry. Moreover, the diversity in the organization in terms of education and technological know-how has enabled employees to their knowledge to the actual business. Fourth, I learned that the company adheres to ethics to ensure that they build a good reputation and retain customers. The company does not encourage unethical behaviors. Its prosperity has been due to honesty and trust of the brokers.

Regarding the company’s customers, I learned a lot, and I think the knowledge I obtained will help in my future endeavors. First, the company’s customers are demanding. The customers have a complex set of needs, and their purchasing power depends on other factors and not just the prices of insurance. When you meet them, they always demand the best. Moreover, they need a sales person with the ability to answer their questions fast. Second, most of the customers have knowledge of insurance because of the availability of technology. With the wealth of information, one is required to be conversant with insurance before engaging in any discussion with the clients.

Third, the customers always seek authenticity before any transaction. Due to the existence of many adverts on insurance, customers tend to pay less attention to the message being delivered. Most customers believe that the information on adverts is misleading; therefore, they prefer to value information from friends, families and trusted agents. Fourth, the customers are value conscious. The availability of technology has simplified the work of customers. Currently, customers can visit the internet and compare prices of the various insurance companies. The only way a company can attract and retain customers is by providing excellent services and right information.

I am happy to say that my internship enabled me to accomplish my goals. First, I achieved the goal to learn. When I was an intern, I learned about myself, the company and customers. The internship helped me to learn the operations of the business on both a day-to-day basis and a large scale. I learned that teamwork, experience, and ethics play a critical role in the growth of the business. With customers, I learned that businesses experience different customers because of how they relate to them and products and services they offer. Also, I learned new skills such as time management, interpersonal skills, and communication. Second, the internship enabled me to network. After my internship, I have been able to network in the real world. I believe that building a professional network is the key to a successful career. Additionally, internship serves as an exploration platform to gain knowledge of the industry you wish to be employed. Exploring was a valuable opportunity I found, and it enabled me to network well with mentors and other professionals.

Third, I have become more professional and developed skills through constructive feedback. The internship has allowed me to accept critiques, comments, and recommendations from experts and friends. Accepting different perspectives from individuals has enabled me to manage my projects. Moreover, with alternative perspectives, I have developed more knowledge about my field.

My overall rating of the internship experience is somewhat satisfied. I was pleased with most parts of my internship program. I would say that I enjoyed a lot because the organization had an environment conducive to employees. My coworkers were friendly, and whenever I requested for assistance, I was granted. The management was lenient; however, there was some strictness when it came to meeting deadlines and customer communication. This is because the organization values its customers highly and they will always give them the priority. I did not rate my internship experience as highly satisfied because certain aspects did not please me. For instance, I was not pleased with the constant conflicts I kept on experiencing in the organization. Although conflict is a problem in all organization, the one I experienced at Al Raed Insurance Brokerage was due to minor misunderstanding among employees. Also, I was not pleased with the leadership style of some senior employees.

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?