Insurance may not even be on your radar as a sector with a career for you upon graduation from college or university, but it should be.
Why? Because insurance affects virtually everything you do in your life and business. It provides peace of mind for the people and things you value. And, because insurance is all around us, the insurance industry has a wide variety of careers that can match your education, interests and experience, with the flexibility to change directions along the way.
People are often surprised to learn that insurance has something to offer them with respect to their careers, says Trevor Buttrum, Career Connections program manager at the Insurance Institute of Canada. They may think it is boring, all about sales, or that their area of study has nothing to do with insurance. It's a lot of fun to help them make the connection between what they like to do, where they would like their career to take them, and a role in the insurance industry.
Insurance can offer a career path that blends stability, variety, flexibility, above-average advancement and a real sense of community. There is evidence in the Insurance Institute of Canada's most recent Demographic Research Study that insurance professionals tend to genuinely enjoy working in the property and casualty insurance industry. Eighty-nine per cent are either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, and many remain connected to the industry throughout their career; more than 25 per cent have been in the industry for over 20 years, (with very few in the same role, mind you!).
In fact, 37 per cent of the industry's workforce identify as a member of the 'Boomer' generation, with as many as 28 per cent retiring in the next 5–10 years. Though the industry has recruited significantly in the last few years, more is still needed to minimize the impacts of the retirements to come. This presents an interesting opportunity for those graduating over the next few years.
So, where might you fit into the insurance industry? Ask yourself, are you:
A people person? Brokers work with clients to create a strategy to protect their assets.
Insurance may not even be on your radar as a sector with a career for you upon graduation from college or university, but it should be.
Why? Because insurance affects virtually everything you do in your life and business. It provides peace of mind for the people and things you value. And, because insurance is all around us, the insurance industry has a wide variety of careers that can match your education, interests and experience, with the flexibility to change directions along the way.
“People are often surprised to learn that insurance has something to offer them with respect to their careers”, says Trevor Buttrum, Career Connections program manager at the Insurance Institute of Canada. “They may think it is boring, all about sales, or that their area of study has nothing to do with insurance. It’s a lot of fun to help them make the connection between what they like to do, where they would like their career to take them, and a role in the insurance industry.”
Insurance can offer a career path that blends stability, variety, flexibility, above-average advancement and a real sense of community. There is evidence in the Insurance Institute of Canada’s most recent Demographic Research Study that insurance professionals tend to genuinely enjoy working in the property and casualty insurance industry. Eighty-nine per cent are either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, and many remain connected to the industry throughout their career; more than 25 per cent have been in the industry for over 20 years, (with very few in the same role, mind you!).
In fact, 37 per cent of the industry’s workforce identify as a member of the ‘Boomer’ generation, with as many as 28 per cent retiring in the next 5–10 years. Though the industry has recruited significantly in the last few years, more is still needed to minimize the impacts of the retirements to come. This presents an interesting opportunity for those graduating over the next few years.
So, where might you fit into the insurance industry? Ask yourself, are you:
A people person? Brokers work with clients to create a strategy to protect their assets.
Gifted at math? You could thrive as an actuary.
Good at listening? As a claims professional, you'll help people who are coping with an accident, fire, or theft.
Strategic thinker? You could work as an underwriter and develop the products that keep people protected from unforeseen loss.
These are just a few examples of the roles the insurance industry has to offer. “We invite students to explore all nine roles we promote as a gateway to the sector,” says Buttrum. “There is even a quiz on the Career Connections website that can help them identify which roles might be a fit for them, as a starting point. Our suggestion is to keep an open mind to the possibilities.”
He also encourages students to “remember that the roles we tend to talk about most are the operational roles: loss adjuster, actuary, risk manager, etc. Insurance employers are also on the lookout for talent for their accounting, HR, administrative support, IT, and finance roles.”
Want to know more?
“We may be coming to your campus! Check out our events calendar to see when the Career Connections team will be in your are. Even if you can’t join us in person, definitely check out the Career Connections website. It’s full of information including career profiles, videos, information on insurance education, licensing, designations, and even a job site with links to over 150 insurance organizations across Canada. You can also connect through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Linked in.”
Insurance. It’s not what you think. It’s a whole lot more.
Photos: IuriiSokolov/Thinkstock