Quick Facts
CNO Financial internship · at a glance
Roles open and close throughout the year. Check CNO Financial's careers portal for what is live today, and apply in the first week a role posts.
Before you applyWould your profile get you in?6 questions, under a minute. Compared with real interns who landed similar roles.Check my oddsAlso in this guide
Put real project work on your résumé, with the TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics Externship or the Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis and Private Company Valuation Externship.
Explore all externships →All quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | CNO Financial Workday board (also mirrored on careers.cnoinc.com); set a Workday job alert for "intern" |
| Application window (2027–28) | Summer 2027, partly open: 4 of 11 roles live on Oct 5, 2026 (the live four posted Aug 14 to Sep 23, 2026); 7 already closed. Summer 2028: expected to post early August to late September 2027 |
| Rolling? | No stated deadline, but a short window: most 2027 roles came down within about 3 to 8 weeks of posting |
| Eligibility | Rising juniors or seniors (graduating about Dec 2027 to June 2029); unrestricted US work authorization, no visa sponsorship; actuarial needs one passed SOA exam |
| Duration | May 17 to August 6, 2027; 40 hours a week for 10 to 12 weeks |
| Compensation | Paid. The live Worksite posting lists $21 to $23 an hour; the others say "competitive rates" without a figure |
| Return offers | Not published; the postings mention future full-time employment in the sponsorship clause |
| Locations | Remote from anywhere in the US for Actuarial, Tax and Worksite; Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate onsite in Carmel, IN; offices in Carmel and Chicago |
| # Programs | One summer intern program; 11 roles seen in the 2027 wave across actuarial, accounting and tax, investments, marketing, HR and IT |
Last updated: October 2026
CNO Financial's summer 2027 internships open and close fast. The Carmel, Indiana insurer behind Bankers Life, Colonial Penn and Washington National posted at least 11 summer 2027 intern roles between early August and late September 2026. On October 5, 2026 its Workday job board still listed four of them: Actuarial, Tax, Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate, and Worksite. The other seven had already come down. In plain words: you apply during 2026, you intern in summer 2027, and at CNO most of the doors have already shut.
The program runs May 17 to August 6, 2027, full time. Three of the four open roles can be done remotely from anywhere in the US on Central or Eastern hours. One thing to keep apart: Bankers Life's "financial professional" recruiting is a 100% commission agent job, not part of this paid internship program.
What Is a CNO Financial Internship?
A CNO Financial internship is a paid, full-time summer program at CNO Financial Group (NYSE: CNO), a Carmel, Indiana insurer selling life and health insurance, annuities and financial services to middle-income Americans. Interns work inside a department (actuarial, tax, investments at its 40|86 Advisors arm, or the Optavise worksite division) and join program events: Leader Talks, an insurance product and industry presentation series, one in-person week at a corporate office, a volunteering event and final presentations. CNO's postings describe more than 3.3 million policyholders and $38.3 billion in total assets. It's separate from Bankers Life agent recruiting, which its own careers site describes as 100% commission with unpaid training time.
When Do CNO Financial Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
CNO posts one summer wave a year. Summer 2027 roles went up between about August 3 and September 23, 2026, roughly 8 to 9.5 months before the May 17, 2027 start, and came down quickly: by October 5, seven of the 11 had been removed. The prior cycle looked the same. Summer 2026 actuarial, legal and reporting analyst postings were taken down between September 18 and October 10, 2025, according to job-board mirrors. So applications for summer 2028 are expected to post from early August to late September 2027, and they'll likely close within weeks.
Some summer 2027 tracks have already closed. Still open on October 5, 2026: Actuarial (remote), Tax (remote), Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate (onsite in Carmel) and Worksite (remote). Gone: HR, wellness, marketing, investment accounting, accounting operations, reporting analyst and AI IT.
The four live summer 2027 postings could come down any day. None states a deadline, and their siblings were pulled roughly 3 to 8 weeks after posting.
Interviews and offers for the summer 2027 roles. CNO doesn't publish its interview steps or offer timing.
Missed the 2027 roles? Pass an SOA exam or finish a project, and set a Workday alert. Applications for summer 2028 are expected to post from early August to late September 2027, based on the last two cycles, and to close within weeks.
The internship itself: 40 hours a week, mostly remote, with one in-person week at a corporate office and final presentations at the end. CNO doesn't publish a return-offer rate.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
CNO fits the short-window pattern, not a rolling one. No posting gives a closing date, yet seven of the 11 summer 2027 roles were already off the Workday board by October 5, 2026, roughly 3 to 8 weeks after they appeared. The removed roles return a "not found" from Workday's job API, while the four live ones return their full postings. Last year followed the same shape: summer 2026 roles were pulled between mid-September and mid-October 2025. If you see a CNO intern role, treat it as open for days to weeks, not months.
Which CNO Financial Internship Programs Should You Target?
CNO runs one summer program with roles posted by department. Here's where each 2027 role stood on October 5, 2026.
| Role | Status (Oct 5, 2026) | Location | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actuarial Intern | Open | Remote (US) | Valuation and pricing projections, actuarial software, one passed SOA exam |
| Tax Intern | Open | Remote (US) | Tax provision data, depreciation schedules, reconciliation |
| Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate Intern (40/86 Advisors) | Open | Onsite, Carmel, IN | Fundamental research, financial models, CRE analysis |
| Worksite Intern (Optavise) | Open | Remote (US) | Campaign briefs, segmentation, experiments, HubSpot or CRM a plus |
| Investment Accounting, Accounting Operations, Reporting Analyst | Closed | Carmel, IN or remote | Accounting, reporting, Excel |
| HR Programs, Wellness and People Focus, Marketing Brand Development, AI IT | Closed | Carmel, IN or remote | HR, marketing, AI and IT |
Search "intern" on the CNO Workday board; the career areas page lists internships and campus recruiting separately from telesales and agent careers.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
The four live summer 2027 postings share the same core requirements:
• Class year: a rising junior or rising senior, graduating about December 2027 to June 2029 (Worksite: December 2027 to June 2028).
• Major: actuarial science or math for Actuarial, accounting for Tax, finance or economics for Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate, and marketing, business or communications for Worksite.
• Exams: Actuarial needs at least one passed SOA exam; two or more is preferred.
• Work authorization: unrestricted US work authorization. CNO says it doesn't intend to sponsor visas for the role or for later full-time jobs.
• Location: remote roles need Central or Eastern time zone hours and work inside the US; the 40|86 role requires living within 60 miles of Carmel, Indiana.
Is There a GPA Cutoff at CNO Financial?
None of the four live 2027 postings names a GPA. Last cycle's actuarial posting, as mirrored on Built In, asked for a minimum 2.7, so a GPA near that line may still be screened. The firmer gates are the class-year window, the SOA exam for actuarial and US work authorization, which every live posting states.
Profile Match · Extern Data
Could You Get In at CNO Financial? Compare Your Profile
Based on 543 investment banking summer analysts at top investment banks from the classes of 2025 and 2026 (public LinkedIn profiles, aggregated). Six questions, under a minute.
Which summer are you applying for?
Recruiting timelines differ by class year, so we compare you with the right group.
Which group is your school closest to?
Firms recruit on campus in tiers. We match you against admits from schools like yours.
Is your major finance, economics, accounting or business?
Math and statistics count too. Major is not a hard filter, but it shifts how much your coursework has to prove.
How many internships, externships or research positions have you held so far?
Count anything with a real employer, mentor or principal investigator attached. Retail and food service do not count.
Has any of that experience been finance-related?
Banking, PE or VC, corporate finance, wealth management, equity research, accounting or consulting. Any size of firm counts.
Are you in a finance club, investment fund or case competition team?
Campus clubs are how most admits get their first deal and modelling reps.
Aggregated from public LinkedIn profiles of people who held the internship. No individual profile is shown. Read the full investment banking intern profile analysis and the cross-industry study of 2,500+ intern profiles.
What Skills Does CNO Financial Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
CNO's postings are short on tool lists and long on work habits. All four live 2027 postings prefer prior internship experience, and three ask about university clubs and balancing school with a part-time job. Actuarial adds valuation, projections, actuarial software and SOA exams. Tax and 40|86 add research, documentation and financial models. Worksite adds campaign analysis, segmentation and CRM experience.
What CNO Financial looks for in interns
Skills across 4 CNO Financial intern & analyst job descriptions · live US postings, October 5, 2026
Method: reading of the full text of all four CNO Financial summer 2027 intern postings live on its Workday board on October 5, 2026. Seven other 2027 postings had already been removed and couldn't be read, so the chart covers actuarial, tax, investment and marketing roles only.
How Is Demand for Actuarial Interns Moving Right Now?
Actuarial intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 43 in August
For CNO Financial applicants: CNO has one Actuarial Intern posting live, fully remote, and it asks for at least one passed SOA exam.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each CNO skill below maps to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to show before your interviews.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Health and insurance data analysis | Actuarial: "Improve actuarial projections for pricing and valuation" | TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics |
| Financial models for investment decisions | 40/86: "Build and maintain detailed financial models" | Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling |
| Accounting, tax and valuation work | Tax: quarterly tax provision support, workpapers and reconciliation | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis and Private Company Valuation |
| Customer insight and campaign analysis | Worksite: "Create campaign briefs" and "Define experiments" | Consumer Behavior Insights with Generous Brands |
The closest match is the investment role: the 40|86 posting asks for financial models used in investment decisions, which is the core of the Yinan Zhao project.
What Is the CNO Financial Application and Interview Process Like?
CNO doesn't publish its interview steps, and we found no dated first-hand account of the corporate intern interviews. What the postings do show:
1. Set an alert. Create a Workday job alert for "intern" so you see roles the week they post.
2. Apply on Workday. Each role is a separate posting; apply to every one you qualify for.
3. Check the gates first. Class year, US work authorization and, for actuarial, a passed SOA exam are stated as minimum requirements.
4. Interviews. Format isn't published. Prepare behavioral stories plus the technical basics of your track: exam material for actuarial, tax provision basics for tax, a short investment pitch for 40|86.
5. Offer. Timing isn't published; the program starts May 17, 2027.
Our behavioral interview guide shows how to build STAR stories for the behavioral round.
What People on Reddit Say
Reddit has little recent first-hand talk about CNO's corporate internship. Most threads are about Bankers Life's commission-based agent track, which is useful mainly as a warning about what isn't an internship.
A former intern from the Conseco years, before the company became CNO, remembered a pleasant but very corporate summer in which their group changed buildings several times.
A job seeker offered a Bankers Life "Wealth Management Trainee" role was quoted 50 to 80 thousand dollars; a reply said the job is commission-based only and works best for people who already have industry contacts.
New Bankers Life agents described solid sales training, while veterans warned of high turnover and low early earnings once the initial training period ends.
How Do You Stand Out for a CNO Financial Internship?
Three moves. First, be early. CNO's roles last weeks, not months, so a Workday alert matters more than a polished cover letter sent late. Second, clear the hard gates in advance. Actuarial applicants need a passed SOA exam before they apply, and every role wants rising juniors or seniors with US work authorization. Third, fill the "set you apart" lines. All four postings name prior internship experience, and three name club involvement and holding a part-time job during school. A finished project you can explain in your final-presentation style covers the first one. CNO publishes no applicant count, class size or conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
CNO competes for actuarial, finance and marketing students with other middle-market life, health and annuity insurers.
- AflacSupplemental health and worksite benefits, the closest product match to Washington National and OptaviseGuide →
- Mutual of OmahaMedicare supplement and life insurer with actuarial and finance internsGuide →
- Lincoln Financial GroupLife and annuity peer with a structured actuarial programGuide →
- F&G Annuities & LifeAnnuity-heavy life insurer recruiting finance and actuarial studentsGuide →
- Globe LifeMiddle-income life insurer with a large agent channel, the same commission trap to watch forGuide →
Our insurance internships summer 2027 guide compares calendars across life, health and property insurers.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 CNO Financial internship?
No. Summer 2026 has already run. The open door is summer 2027, and it's partly open: on October 5, 2026, four roles were live (Actuarial, Tax, Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate, and Worksite). Seven others, including HR, marketing, accounting and AI IT, had already closed. Apply to the live ones now.
When does the CNO Financial internship run?
The 2027 program runs May 17 to August 6, 2027, at 40 hours a week for 10 to 12 weeks. It includes Leader Talks, an insurance industry presentation series, one in-person week at a corporate office, a volunteering event and final presentations at the end of the summer.
How much do CNO Financial interns make?
The live Worksite posting lists $21 to $23 an hour. The Actuarial, Tax and Commercial Mortgage postings say the internship is paid "at competitive rates" with no figure. Last cycle's actuarial posting, mirrored on Built In, listed $25 to $27 an hour depending on location. Ignore the blank $0.00 pay field on the postings.
Is the CNO Financial internship remote?
Mostly. Actuarial, Tax and Worksite can be done from anywhere in the US on Central or Eastern time zone hours, with one in-person week at a corporate office. The Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate role at 40|86 Advisors is onsite in Carmel, Indiana, and requires living within 60 miles.
Is Bankers Life's agent recruiting part of the CNO internship?
No. Bankers Life recruits financial professionals whose pay its own careers site describes as 100% commission, with unpaid training time. Titles like "Wealth Management Trainee" belong to that agent track. CNO's paid summer intern program is posted separately on its Workday board.
Does CNO Financial sponsor visas for interns?
No. Every live 2027 posting requires unrestricted authorization to work in the United States and says CNO doesn't intend to sponsor work visas for the role or for future full-time jobs. All work must also be done from inside the US, including on the remote roles.
When should I apply for a summer 2028 CNO Financial internship?
Expect summer 2028 roles to post from about early August to late September 2027, based on the last two cycles. Set a Workday job alert for "intern" now and apply within the first week or two, because most 2027 roles came down within about 3 to 8 weeks.
What do CNO actuarial interns need?
A bachelor's program in actuarial science, math or a related field, rising junior or senior standing, and at least one passed SOA exam, with two or more preferred. Interns simplify valuation calculations, use actuarial software and improve pricing and valuation projections across life, health and annuity products.
Four CNO summer 2027 roles were still open on October 5, 2026, and they could close any day. Apply now, and build a project to talk about in parallel: a remote Externship gives you finished work to show in your interviews.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
