Northwestern Mutual - Chicago Post-Graduate Program Opens Door to Career Opportunity.
As a full-time student and collegiate athlete Alex Jurich didn't have time to do an internship before graduating. Upon graduation from the University of Illinois at Chicago he was selected for a Northwestern Mutual - Chicago post-graduate program that opened the door to a career opportunity. Today, just two years later, he has built a foundation for a successful financial planning practice and recently was named to the firm's leadership team as a College Unit Captain.
"All too often collegiate athletes are meeting the rigorous demands of being a full-time student and athlete, leaving little time to participate in an internship," says Jeannie Andresen, Assistant Director of Campus Recruitment at Northwestern Mutual - Chicago. "They are coachable and have solid time management skills, but have little to no work experience," she adds.
Statistically, less than 9 percent of college athletes go professional, according to the National Collegiate Athletes Association leaving them with the reality of finding a career path as graduation approaches.
"I knew the internship program was top-rated and would provide an opportunity for real professional development with the leading Northwestern Mutual office," said Jurich. As a baseball player, the team-oriented corporate culture coupled with the individual aspect of the work where you are rewarded for reaching your individual goals also appealed to him.
Beyond collegiate athletes, the program also appeals to students who may have done several internships but have yet to find the kind of career that ignites their passions, adds Andresen.
The Northwestern Mutual - Chicago internship program provides the same hands-on training, mentoring opportunities and performance-based compensation as a full-time financial representative. Yet, the program gives interns the extra time to consider the career choice of a financial advisor while working in a real-world setting, she adds.
Northwestern Mutual expects one-third of the senior status college financial representatives will pursue full-time careers with the company after graduation. Many of the company's most successful financial representatives and more than half of the senior field management are former interns.
Whether a college student stays with us or moves on to another career we are committed to a learning process that helps them grow professionally and personally, adds Andresen. And company reports support that focus with some 98 percent of college representative alumni saying they found the program was instrumental or very helpful to their future careers.
About Northwestern Mutual - Chicago
Northwestern Mutual-Chicago is a leading Chicago-based financial planning firm providing expert guidance to help clients manage financial risk and achieve financial security. Ranked one of Chicago's Best Places to Work for six straight years, according to Crain's Chicago Business (2009-2014), Northwestern Mutual-Chicago (formerly the McTigue Financial Group) provides career and internship opportunities to individuals who are committed to growing a successful financial service practice. The network office is located at One North Wacker Drive in Chicago, and the Rosemont district office is located at 8600 W. Bryn Mawr. Further information can be found at http://rosemont.nm.com.
About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for nearly 160 years. Our financial representatives build relationships with clients through a distinctive planning approach that integrates risk management with wealth accumulation, preservation and distribution. With $238.5 billionin assets,& $27.9 billion in revenues and more than $1.6 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.3 million people who rely on us for insurance and investment solutions, including life, disability income and long-term care insurance; annuities; trust services; mutual funds; and investment advisory products and services. Northwestern Mutual is recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2016.