Zimpleman College of Business
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Actuarial Science Internships & Careers

The Zimpleman College of Business offers many tools to help students find—and obtain—internships and jobs, including a dedicated career counselor within Zimpleman who can help with résumé-building and interviewing skills. Each fall, the Zimpleman College of Business hosts an actuarial science career fair that brings 40-50 companies to campus to conduct interviews for internships and full-time jobs. These companies recruit students for jobs in more than 20 states and internationally.  With access to so many opportunities, nearly all of our actuarial science majors—approximately 91 percent—complete at least one internship before graduation.

Drake’s hometown, Des Moines, is a hub of insurance and financial services industries and is home to companies such as Principal, Nationwide Insurance, and Farm Bureau Financial Services, all of which provide access to stellar internships throughout the year.

Internship Opportunities

Employers recruiting Zimpleman students during the past few years:

  • Allianz Life
  • Aetna
  • Aon
  • Athene
  • Cigna
  • Ernst & Young LLP
  • FBL Financial Group, Inc.
  • F&G Annuities & Life
  • Global Atlantic
  • Humana
  • Milliman, Inc.
  • Nationwide Insurance
  • Pacific Life
  • Principal
  • PwC
  • RGA Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.
  • Sammons Financial Group
  • Transamerica
  • The Travelers Company
  • United Health Group

Careers

As highly sought-after professionals, actuaries work in many fields, including finance, risk management, and insurance. The actuarial career ranks high for job satisfaction and compensation. CareerCast.com recently identified actuary as the No. 1 job in the United States, and CNNMoney named actuarial science as one of the top 15 most lucrative college degrees. Experienced actuarial fellows may earn $150,000 or more. According to CNN Money, starting salaries average around $45,000 and $50,000 a year for recently graduated actuaries. Information about traditional and non-traditional career paths can be found at the Society of Actuaries. Examples of non-traditional fields include enterprise risk management, investments, sales and marketing, and entrepreneurship. In addition to the professional staff in the Zimpleman College of Business Career Services Center, Handshake helps students and alumni advance their careers and find job openings.

Zimpleman actuarial science students have held internships and accepted full-time jobs at top companies such as:

  • Allianz Life
  • Allstate Insurance Company
  • Aon
  • Athene
  • Cigna
  • Coaching Actuaries
  • FBL Financial Group
  • F&G Annuities & Life
  • Global Atlantic
  • GuideOne Insurance
  • Hannover Reassurance Company of America
  • Humana
  • John Deere Financial
  • Liberty Mutual
  • Lincoln Financial Group
  • Milliman, Inc.
  • Mutual of Omaha
  • Nationwide Insurance
  • Northwest Mutual
  • Principal
  • Sammons Financial Group
  • SCOR Global Life Reinsurance
  • Securian Financial Group
  • State Farm Insurance Companies
  • Transamerica
  • The Travelers Company
  • USAA
  • Wellmark

In addition to the professional staff in the Zimpleman College of Business Career Services Center, Handshake helps students and alumni advance their careers and find job openings.