Mark Carr turned his high school vocational technical training into a successful State Farm® career as an appraiser on the estimatics team in P&C Claims. Mark is a 23-year employee who began his automotive career installing windshields in a body shop. He worked his way up to a body tech position, foreman and then eventually as an auto estimator with State Farm.

Mark is telling his story of success to high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled, and service occupations – including auto collision repair.

As part of the State Farm^® support of SkillsUSA, Mark is sharing in the mission to prepare students for success in a non-traditional educational environment. Taking a pathway other than a customary four-year college degree, Mark says skills training can, “open doors for new opportunities and financial reward.”

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit national education association with a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, and citizenship and character development. It also provides training for career and technical education instructors to enhance their industry knowledge and teaching skills.

Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA, says, “State Farm has served as a strategic partner with SkillsUSA for 30 years. With the support of State Farm, SkillsUSA annually serves more than 20,000 career and technical education teachers, ensuring they have the most current technical skills and student engagement strategies to deliver the SkillsUSA mission on the local level.

“We appreciate State Farm for investing in these critical professionals who guide our students’ futures while helping to shape the future of our nation.”

For information on skilled and technical job opportunities at State Farm, please visit State Farm Careers.

In-office, hybrid (work from office 1 week/month), and work from home opportunities include positions based in or near one of our primary locations or working from home in select areas.

Before applying, interested job seekers may attend an online career fair and speak directly with a hiring manager or recruiter to learn more about opportunities, benefits, pay and culture. Registration links are available below. 

Job seekers interested in hybrid or in-office Claims, Customer Service, Sales, and Underwriting positions can register to attend the “New Year, New You in 2022 Career Fair.” Opportunities include full- and part-time positions. Insurance experience isn’t necessary.

New Career, New You in 2022 Career Fair

Thursday January 20, 2022

11:00 am – 3:00 pm CST

Primary job opportunity locations include:

• Bloomington, IL
• Richardson/Dallas, TX
• Tempe/Phoenix, AZ
• Dunwoody/Atlanta, GA

Job seekers interested in work from home Claims positions can register to attend the “State Farm Work from Home Opportunities Fair.” These include full and part-time positions that are remote/work from home.  Claim Specialist–Proximity positions seek candidates with relevant claims adjusting experience and/or a construction background.

State Farm Work from Home Opportunities Fair

January 27, 2022

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST

For work from home opportunities, interested applicants must live within 100 miles of select locations, including:

• Newark/Columbus, OH
• Winter Haven/Orlando, FL
• Concordville/Philadelphia, PA
• Murfreesboro/Nashville, TN
• Greeley/Boulder, CO
• Richardson/Dallas, TX
• Bloomington/Peoria, IL

Some of these positions serve customers through in-language claims teams. Bilingual employees are needed for Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Korean languages.

You can learn more about available job opportunities by searching StateFarm.com/careers.

Our story begins in 2016. Jackson, then a 15-year old sophomore at Bloomington High School, spotted a flyer from State Farm talking about an IT internship. It piqued his interest and he planned to apply when he met the age requirement at 16.

All in the family

“All I really knew about State Farm was that it was a good place to work; I’d heard my mom say that for as long as I can remember,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s mom, Natalie, has been with State Farm for 23 years and encouraged him to apply when he was in high school.

It was a great decision. Not only did Jackson gain experience in coding and IT work while in high school, he was also in a great position to start a new internship through the Research and Development Center (RDC) when he started at the University of Illinois.

A program that works

RDC is located on campus at U of I and matches students with internship opportunities at State Farm. Not only does this program help students gain real world experience, it also helps State Farm recruit top level students, like Jackson.

“The RDC recruits exclusively to the University of Illinois which houses the #6 Computer Engineering program in the country, so we get to meet some extraordinary students,” said Intern Coordinator Heather Park.

“I got the chance to work on all kinds of cool things at the RDC,” said Jackson. “Everybody there really takes an interest in what the interns want to learn, which is great.”

By the time he’d finished his first year, he told his mom he’d decided that he wanted to work for State Farm.

Making it official

Jackson’s internship will officially come to an end on Dec. 10, but his State Farm journey is just beginning. He’ll be starting as an official member of the State Farm family, working out of the Atlanta Hub.

“I’m really grateful,” said Jackson. “I’m grateful for State Farm for giving me these great opportunities, and I’m grateful to my mom for helping me out, as well.”

En Español

Freddy Rivera, a New York City native, finished two years at a university in Puerto Rico in 2000. He did well academically, but couldn’t find a good job and felt out of place.

“I grew up in New York City,” explains Freddy. “But my parents retired to Puerto Rico so I followed along.”

He realized he needed a new location and a career. With a lifelong respect of the military, Freddy enlisted in the Army. He went into combat three times, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Black Hawk mechanic and instructor.

He wanted to continue his Army career, but unfortunately Freddy had to medically retire in 2014 due to a traumatic brain injury and back injuries.

“I wanted to stay,” says Freddy. “It’s been difficult adjusting to civilian life. It’s very different and I was struggling.”

“After the Army, I was doing radio broadcasting and videos for local communities, but I was doing things the wrong way,” he continued. “I didn’t have a clue and desperately wanted to attend a school to learn the proper way, but they were all too expensive. So, I prayed, and got a miracle.”

One day, Freddy received an email from the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN), offering free media training for veterans and their family members. Freddy responded to the school that night.

“I needed to attend their classes,” Freddy says. “This was my opportunity to learn something to carry me into my next career.”

He was accepted into CPBN’s Veterans Vocational Training Program (VVTP), which is supported by State Farm. But there was a catch. The classes were in Connecticut and Freddy now lived in Virginia with his family.

“It was scary,” he explains. “I had no place to live near the school, but I wanted this course so badly.”

A week before the program began, Freddy contacted a cousin in Connecticut who he had never met, and asked for help. She offered to rent him a room.

“It was tough leaving my wife and kids, but I thought of it as a deployment,” he says.

“PBN’s service to veterans is like nothing I’ve seen before,” he shares. “The staff treats veterans and their families with respect and kindness. Plus, I met other veterans with stories and experiences similar to mine. It made me feel comfortable and I formed many lasting friendships.”

Freddy attended a second semester while renting an apartment two blocks from the school. He took advantage of every class offered, learning new programs, videoing, editing, radio broadcasting, photography, and more. He even toured TV stations.

“Once Freddy enrolled in the program, he sought out every opportunity for growth and learning, says CPBN Senior Vice President of Education Donna Sodipo. “As a result, he not only passed his Adobe Premier Pro certification exam, but took the time to mentor high school students through WNPR's ‘Radio Lab’ project. His enthusiasm was contagious. Freddy’s dedication and success are remarkable, and speaks to the potential that can be realized through the Veterans Vocational Training Program.”

“The atmosphere around the program is great and they teach in a style that was very helpful for me to learn given all of my service connected conditions,” says Freddy. “I often asked the same questions over and over, but they always responded with patience and understanding.”

Freddy is back living with his family in Virginia, but continues to look for more CPBN courses. He currently creates websites, small videos, and t-shirt and print design, but hopes to own his own radio station one day. His goal is to bring positive messaging to his community, focusing on religion, current news, and sports.

“My experience with CPBN has been unforgettable,” says Freddy. “There is now a part of Connecticut and CPBN in my heart. The entire staff is amazing and they made the adrenaline pump through my veins again.”

“Thank you, CPBN and State Farm, for greatly impacting veterans’ lives, as well as our communities.”

Fortunately for North Carolina State University students, a group of State Farm agents are here to help.

Sixteen agents from across the state started a new Career Development Center Sales Lab. The center will give students access to resources needed for real world experience in sales.

With agent donations and a company grant, NC State outfitted a new sales lab. The multi-functional space has high definition cameras, computers, software, and workplace furnishings. All of which are similar to a real life office setting.

The students can participate in recorded mock interviews and sales calls. They will be able to review and critique their performance to improve interview skills. They can also share their results with potential employers.

The agents mentor and coach students. This includes preparing for events like the National Collegiate Sales Competition.

“The ability of students to sell themselves and sell their ideas is something that never goes away,” shared Agent and volunteer Chad Richards. "Whether these students think of themselves in a traditional sales role or not."

The new sales lab will provide opportunities for students to think critically and solve complex problems. These skills can help with job recruitment after graduation.

“We believe in investing in education,” Agent Charles Oxendine shared. “So we are doing everything we can to grow this country, as well as grow State Farm.”