Career Opportunities in Insurance

Insurance is about delivering peace of mind. Being part of the insurance industry means you're there to protect people, communities and businesses when they are at their most vulnerable.

The sector offers a diverse range of employment opportunities, providing people of varying skills and talents with a host of exciting career prospects. From sales and marketing to risk management and underwriting, insurance is a multi-faceted industry – so whether you’re a strong communicator, an analytical thinker or a numbers person there is a role for you.

Working in the industry offers plenty of benefits, including:

• good work-life balance
• professional development
• diverse career opportunities
• a culture of life-long learning

You can take pride in a profession that plays a vital role in the community and promotes high ethical standards and business practices.

Earn As You Learn

Professional insurance qualifications are designed to fit your schedule, allowing you to study as you work. Online supports provide you with the flexibility to earn qualifications in a way that fits your budget and lifestyle.

Work experience, graduate development programmes and entry level training programmes are just some of the ways you can begin your career in insurance.

Internships/Work Experience

Internships are an excellent way for you to gain experience; they also allow you to discover if a career in insurance is for you. It is often the case that companies do not advertise internships or work experience opportunities, so speculative applications are essential.

Some qualities that employers seek in an intern include:

• A knowledge of the insurance industry
• Communication skills; insurance is a relationship business and the ability to network is important
• Professionalism
• Problem-solving
• An eye for detail

Specific skills and technical knowledge will vary depending on the type of role you want to apply for.

Graduate Programmes/Training Programmes

Some of the larger insurance companies offer graduate development programmes, which usually involve graduates working in various aspects of the business.

Career Guide

School leavers and graduates

Choosing a career can be tough – with such a vast range of options, it can be stressful, confusing and puts you under a lot of pressure. If you’re considering a career in insurance, this section will give you everything you need to know about getting started, the diversity of roles you can choose from and some great careers advice to make your decision a little easier.

Why insurance?

If you’re considering a career in insurance, this section will give you everything you need to know about getting started, the diversity of roles you can choose from and some great careers advice to make your decision a little easier. Insurance is a hugely important industry – it allows people, businesses and communities to take risks in the knowledge that they will be protected should something go wrong.

Opportunities exist for school leavers, graduates and undergraduates with scope for high earnings.

A career in insurance can offer you:

• Job satisfaction; being part of an industry dedicated to protecting people
• A great work/life balance
• The chance to develop in your career with further training and continuing professional development
• High earning potential
• The opportunity to travel
• A challenging work environment

Myths and misconceptions

There are some misconceptions surrounding a career in insurance, which means it may not rank at the top of your preferred career choice list. We’re going to dispel some of these myths to show just how much opportunity a career in insurance can offer.

“Insurance is boring.”

Unfortunately insurance has a reputation for being an unexciting career choice. Outdated perceptions of ‘old men in grey suits’ selling complicated insurance policies have plagued the industry, but in today’s ever-changing market, this perception couldn’t be further from the truth. Now is an exciting time to join the industry, with advancements in technology allowing for more interesting, dynamic and specialist roles, such as cyber risk, fraud prevention and data protection.

Even traditional insurance roles – like brokers, claims handlers and loss adjusters – are primarily people-facing, with different customer needs and scenarios arising on a daily basis, making the industry an exciting and fascinating place to work no matter what your job title is.

“You need to be really good at Maths to work in insurance.”

While some insurance professionals do need to be mathematically-minded there’s a diverse range of roles to suit people of all talents. One of the key soft skills that employers look for is communication. Insurance is a people industry, so the ability to communicate effectively is hugely important.

Aside from traditional insurance roles like claims investigators, loss adjusters and underwriters, a whole host of other opportunities exist within the industry, for example in marketing, HR and business development – and you don’t need to be a mathematical genius.

“You need a business degree to work in insurance.”

Insurance companies hire candidates from across all disciplines, so it’s not necessary to hold a specific business or insurance degree to get a job in the industry. Internships and traineeships are available in some companies, which allow school leavers to gain experience of working in the industry.