State Farm's nine recent MDC hires pose with human-resources recruiting liaison, Priscila Garcia. Back row (from left to right): Valerio Cerron, Jason Remy, Viviana Cobas, Jose del Valle, Gloricel Ortiz, Chris Garcia and Nery Saenz. Front row (left to right): Yashira Alejandro, Priscila Garcia (State Farm recruiter) and Argemis Colome.

State Farm continues two-decade trend of hiring MDC students

State Farm, one of the nation's largest insurance providers, has hired nearly 80 MDC students and alumni in the Miami area during the past 20 years. The company has interviewed more than 40 students and alumni since the 2006 launch of the MDC Student Employment and Internship Opportunities Online Site. 

Within the last year alone, nine MDC students were hired in the claims department of State Farm’s Miami-Dade Operations Center. Chris Garcia is one such student.

Garcia, a 28-year-old history major, is working on his associate degree part time while working full time as a claims service assistant, a position he started in July. "The fact that I am going to MDC gave me an edge over other applicants," said Garcia. "I learned how to set and meet goals in the classroom and have been able to bring these skills to the job."

Married with two children, Garcia hopes to graduate from MDC by spring 2010. He has also set his mind on upward mobility at State Farm, with the goal of becoming a processor by the middle of next year and then a claims representative, which requires a four-year degree. He would eventually like to try out jobs in different departments, such as the Special Investigation Unit.

"The main reason I came to State Farm is because they don't want you to stagnate," said Garcia. "I like the fact that they promote their employees; and everywhere you look at State Farm, there’s another opportunity for growth.”

Viviana Cobas, a 21-year-old social work major, was also hired by State Farm this year as a claims service assistant. Before securing a job at State Farm, Cobas worked as a student assistant at MDC. Part of her training as a student assistant involved attending a customer-service workshop, which she said helped prepare her for her current position.

"At this workshop, I learned to present myself in an interview, learned phone etiquette when speaking with customers, and how to behave professionally in the workplace. I also learned how to build a successful résumé," Cobas said.

In addition to workshop training, Cobas said that her professors have been instrumental in preparing her for "real-world" employment. "One of my sociology professors [Teresita Pedraza] is very realistic in her presentation of classroom material. Every subject we discuss in class is related to real life; so, in a way, her lectures are about society today, the way people react to certain things. This has prepared me to be an open-minded person and also to be very patient in the workplace, which helps me provide excellent customer service."

According to Priscila Garcia, human-resources recruiting liaison, candidates with diverse backgrounds, like MDC students, are especially attractive to State Farm. "MDC offers students a great educational background. When a job candidate is studying at MDC, it gives me the impression that they are developing themselves to compete for better positions in the job market."

Priscila Garcia said that she hired Cobras and Garcia because they were professional and knowledgeable about State Farm. She looks for candidates with excellent listening, communication and adaptability skills, which are key to customer-service positions. “I think that everything we look for, MDC students have, and they're coming here with those skills.” 

When asked about the online site, the human-resources recruiting liaison said, “It’s easy to use and I like the feature that allows me to accumulate résumés and go back and review them.” 

State Farm is currently hiring claims service assistants, claims processors and claims representatives. To apply for these positions, and nearly 200 additional opportunities in a variety of industries, log on to the MDC Student Employment and Internship Opportunities Online Site.

For more information about State Farm, visit www.statefarm.com.