I have been recruiting for the Insurance Industry for my entire working life in both the London market and NZ and I always ask the same question when I interviewHow did you get into the industry? The answer is frequently; I actually fell into it. It was by accident rather than design.It doesn’t matter whether the person I interview works in Broking, Risk Management, Underwriting, Claims, Marketing or IT the answer is the same. It appears to me that few people actually set out on their career journey with Insurance firmly in their sights. Why is this? I believe the profession fails to tell a strong story of why the industry is such a great place to work. When millennials think about insurance jobs, they often only see claims, customer service, and boring paperwork. They rarely see or hear about industry roles involving tech, data, research, design, or strategy. Millennials do have many wants and preferences around their careers. They want to grow their careers on their own terms, and some of their terms might be non-negotiable, but by showing them the non -linear career pathway’s they become more engaged.
The Insurance industry, your industry, is not dull, grey, and bureaucratic. It is dynamic and full of the most interesting, capable people. The world as we know it would not keep turning without Insurance. Getting people into Insurance is the challenge because once they are in, they rarely leave and it is only once they are in that they see the different levels of opportunity. Insurance is the invisible safety net that protects our personal lives, safeguards our health and well-being and protects businesses from liability, property damage and cyber threats. When you work in insurance, every day you contribute to making sure the world keeps on turning. Every day I talk to people who are looking at new career pathways. I challenge them to look closely at Insurance and see it as a career destination of choice. It rivals many of the more traditionally sought after industries in the financial services world. Gradually I am seeing a shift in perception, but it needs forward momentum. Millennials are not falling into the industry by accident.  They opt in when they see the opportunities, stability, values alignment and meaningful work it offers. The insurance sector today is a progressive hot bed for tech innovation, societal impact, diverse career pathways and fast track upwards mobility – all achievable when you are good! Let’s work together to get the word out.