Entering its third cycle of recruitment this September, the Sun Life Financial Group Benefits Account Executive Development Program (AEDP) is quickly proving that recent graduates have what it takes to launch meaningful, young careers in insurance.

Your end goal: receive the training, skills, and mentorship needed to help launch and fast-track into a career as an account executive in only 12 to 30 months. 

As an AEDP participant, you’ll work in the Group Benefits division of Sun Life—which provides group insurance coverage for anyone from small businesses to large corporations. In your first year, you’ll be in the underwriting department working as an underwriter, where you’ll be trained how to manage risk and provide accurate pricing quotations for Group Benefits cases.

If you’re a commerce or business student, just about to start your final year of post-secondary, Sun Life is recruiting their next batch of insurance hopefuls from the Ontario, Quebec, and Western regions of Canada in the early fall.

To help you decide if a fast-track to this exciting role is right for you, we spoke with three current AEDP participants at Sun Life to help answer your questions about the program.

What does the program offer to me?

Ultimately, AEDP gives you the opportunity to accelerate your career right after graduation. But aside from landing the account executive title faster than your peers, AEDP participants find value through mentorship.

“In underwriting, the mentorship they have is great and it’s a really great team environment. I was assigned with a trainer who taught me the ins and outs of underwriting,” says James Guest, AEDP participant based in Toronto, and commerce graduate from the University of Guelph.

But the mentorship doesn’t stop at the training level. Guest adds that another unique perk is the regular face-to-face interaction with senior leaders.

“Monthly I’ll meet with our regional vice-president and we’ll sit down, catch up, talk about next steps, and what I can be doing. There are a lot of people watching over me which is nice.”

How does underwriting relate to the end goal of becoming an account executive?

“I’ve definitely learned that I can’t do the account executive role fresh or green without the underwriting knowledge,” says Guest. “This has given me an area to learn and make mistakes.”

As an account executive, for instance, “If I’m out with an advisor and they ask me questions about why something would be priced a certain way, I’ll have that knowledge,” he explains.

Why insurance?

When you hear about insurance, the first thought that typically comes to mind is car or life insurance, says Channing Wang, AEDP Calgary participant and University of Victoria commerce graduate, who speaks from his own experience. “Once you’re in insurance that’s really not the fact. You look at how broad the industry is.”

In Group Benefits at Sun Life, you’ll be exposed to an array of company-wide coverage plans including dental, health, disability, health and wellness, and mental health products and services, plus many more.

“People don’t know just how intricate insurance actually is,” explains Wang. “There are people here who do all sorts of things and the roles are diversified.”

As a member of Sun Life’s Group Benefits AEDP team, you’ll be behind-the-scenes learning and determining the best Group Benefits pricing and modifications for your clients. Then later, as you transition to an account executive, you’ll have a client-facing role where you’ll have the opportunity to show off your entrepreneurial side. You’ll work on selling to an existing book of advisors—cold calls and door-knocking aren’t required. Here, you’ll be responsible for business development: bringing in new business, renewals, and growing existing business.

“I didn’t know if insurance was going to interest me before but now that I started, it interests me more and more,” says Alexandrine Belanger, AEDP Montreal participant and commerce graduate from McGill University. “This program just reaffirms that it’s the right industry for me.”

Why should I apply?

AEDP is unique compared to any entry-level job or training program elsewhere. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the insurance industry, develop financial knowledge in underwriting, connect regularly with senior leaders and, ultimately, transition to become an account executive.

Wang says that without the training and knowledge he’s gained from AEDP so far, his early career today would be less organized.

“With the program, I know what I’m working towards, and know my aim versus any other things I would have gone into,” he explains. “In another position, I may be given menial tasks or forced to stay in a certain position for a while.”

What do I need to apply?

“For this role, you definitely have to love people, be self-disciplined, and have a knack for numbers to a certain degree,” says Guest. “If this appeals to you, then it’s is definitely a great opportunity—one that other companies don’t offer. I think this accelerated program is a great way to launch your career.”

Motivation and the willingness to put forth extra time and effort are qualities AEDP hopefuls should have, according to Belanger. “Just because we’re in a program where you know you’ll be transitioning, it doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. If you’re not doing well and you don’t put forth the effort, you might not get the position.”

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