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Internships carry tremendous amounts of value. They provide opportunities to immerse ourselves in a career we might pursue and grow within, and we acknowledge the hard work and fresh perspective that interns bring to BlueCross.

At BlueCross, our BlueBridge internship program offers opportunities for those interested in communications, data engineering, financial reporting and human resources, to name a few. Our hiring and recruiting schedule aligns with most higher education semester schedules.

As a corporate communications intern at BlueCross, I’ve experienced growth from day one. While a classroom teaches valuable concepts, a workplace provides an opportunity to apply those concepts to real-world tasks.

In my year-long communications internship at BlueCross, I’ve received hands-on mentoring writing articles, conducting interviews, pitching media and giving professional presentations. As a recent graduate from Lee University, these experiences will serve me well in my career and as I pursue a graduate degree.

One of my favorite parts of this job is getting to speak to employees, asking them questions about their lives and in turn, getting to share their stories. It gives BlueCross a face, showing our members we’re not just a health insurer; our people are also those we serve.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sydney Walter, a current EIT intern and part of the BlueSky Institute, and Ali Zink, a former finance intern and current payroll specialist, about their experiences at BlueCross.

Marie: What compelled you to apply for a BlueCross internship?

Sydney: My application process was a little different. I had an interest in pursuing tech as a career, so I applied to the BlueSky Institute because they offered fully funded degrees [in 27 months]. When I was accepted this past year, they had internship rotations integrated within. I’m not only free of debt, but I have an internship where I’m getting hands-on experience  — which is extremely valuable.

Ali: Before my interest in finance, I worked in health care as a respiratory therapist. But I decided to go back to school. I knew that learning finance could in some way benefit me in my personal life as well. My dad knew a couple of people that worked at BlueCross and loved it, and it compelled me to want to join the team. Having a health background did help me to understand what BlueCross is trying to achieve and the challenges we may face.

Marie: What were some memorable projects you have worked on as interns?

Sydney: During my first rotation, I got to work on the BlueCross websites. It takes a certain level of trust from my team to know that I’ll be able to do it right, and I really appreciated that they saw that in me.

Ali: I assisted a co-worker when she was given a project that was too heavy to manage alone. She was so appreciative, and I’ll always remember her reaction.

Marie: How would you describe the level of responsibility you’re given?

Sydney: There are many moments where I feel like I’m given a fair amount of responsibility. I’ve learned to use software systems I wasn’t familiar with. There’s a lot of responsibility to get all the processes right and make sure to ask the right person before I change something. I like that I’m prepared to see the different ways that things intertwine without necessarily being committed to one exact team. So, it’s been great to get that insight into a corporate company, and how the tech side of things work together.

Ali: They put a lot of trust and faith in us. I enjoyed how valued I felt during my internship. Soon after it ended, I joined the company in a full-time position as a payroll specialist. I’m two months into my position, and I’m working with a great team. I’m trying to absorb all the knowledge that I can.

Marie: What did you learn about transitioning into a bigger workforce? For me, what I’ve learned in school feels more applicable. The PR classes clicked because I’ve had real-life opportunities to understand how a company could handle certain situations.

Sydney: Within the internship experience, you have somebody who’s mentoring you constantly, and if you’re asking the right questions, you’ll catch on to what the proper procedures are. I’m still working on it, but before the internship, I needed growth in my communication skills. Thankfully, I had the right people tell me, “Hey, don’t say this or do say this.”

Ali: You learn to operate in the real world, not just in books. School can only teach you so much, but you learn real-life principles and work ethics when you’re on the job in a corporate environment. I’ve never worked in a corporate environment before BlueCross. I’ve been in health care since I was 18, so it was different for me, but I’ve enjoyed it so far.

Marie: What have you each learned about yourselves from this experience? My takeaway is it’s OK to slow down. During my internship, I’ve found being patient in one’s writing, re-reading and editing can carry so much value.

Sydney: It’s taught me what I want to do long term. Before BlueSky, I had a lot of interests: being a pilot, botany and so on. But once I started interning at BlueCross, I realized, “These are the people I want to work with and everything surrounding this is something that I could see myself doing for a long time.” 

Ali: I’ve learned to value myself and value my skills. Take pride in where I work and don’t settle for how a workplace is going to treat you. At BlueCross, I’ve felt respected and treated the way employees should be.

Marie: What advice would you give to those who haven’t considered internship opportunities at BlueCross?

Sydney: One of my favorite things about my internship is how welcoming people are. I haven’t met a single person at BlueCross who makes me feel like I’m not welcomed or has an off-putting personality. It’s the culture of BlueCross that stood out most to me.

Ali: The culture, the people, everything about them. That’s what sold me and had me disregard other job opportunities while I was still in my internship.

The BlueBridge program gives both students and new graduates an opportunity to jumpstart their careers. BlueCross interns are trusted with meaningful and necessary projects and responsibilities that make an impact on both our members and employees. Through employee mentorship, hands-on experience and industry connections, interns leave with tools to use in the professional world.