Industry Volunteers Promote Insurance Careers for Millennials
February 21, 2017 by Renée Kiriluk-Hill
MALVERN, Pa. – Insurance careers are stable, rewarding and limitless — a rewarding trifecta — according to an all-volunteer group working to promote the Insurance Careers Movement.
The group says 1,600 people from 10 countries tuned in for a live “CEO town hall for young professionals” webinar in December. It has designated February “Insurance Careers Month,” but offers multimedia with data, messaging, testimonials and other ways to help attract talent year-round.
In a survey, town hall participants reported 93% are proud to work in the industry, 73% have tried to recruit peers, and 57% believe a lack of awareness and understanding of the industry keeps high school and college students from considering careers in insurance.
ICM organizers also held a contest, asking young insurance professionals to answer, in 200 words or less, the question, “Why should other young professionals explore a career in insurance?”
The three winners were Ashley Fitzsimmons, a licensed agent at Fitzsimmons Insurance Agency in Forest City, Pennsylvania; Laura Peterson, a marketing assistant at OneBeacon Government Risks in Parker, Colorado; and Donovan Burgess, a junior underwriter at XL Catlin in Bermuda.
Peterson wrote: “I, like many professionals in the industry, did not go to school with the intention of working in insurance. Because of that, every day is a new challenge. I am constantly learning new things, which is by far the most rewarding part of my career.
“I am challenged to lead new projects, understand the materials and topics, bring new ideas and be a part of the process. I am challenged daily to think like an owner and to do and be more.”
Burgess called a career in insurance “the total package … reputable … a staple of the global economy, and it’s dynamic … It offers a great work-life balance and provides abundant channels for growth.”
Fitzsimmons said children dream about helping people by becoming firefighters, police officers or superheroes. “Take a step back and look at insurance agents,” she wrote. “We help. We protect. We save. We are superheroes … helping them put their lives back together after a loss. This industry is so much more than writing policies.”
Bring passion and hard work to the table and it can be “a very lucrative industry financially,” Fitzsimmons said. “But the relationships I have gained both with clients and other young professionals in the world of insurance have proven to be priceless.”
Chief executive officers supporting the organization include: Brian Duperreault, Hamilton Insurance Group; Inga Beale, Lloyd’s; Mike McGavick, XL Catlin; Don Glaser, Marsh & McLennan; Mark Watson, Argo Group; Bob Rusbuldt, IIABA; Peter Miller, The Institutes; and Greg Jacobson, The Jacobson Group. June Holmes, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America chief operating officer, is also a supporter.
Millennials working in the industry are asked to join the movement online, and companies are invited to learn more and receive materials, at http://insurancecareerstrifecta.org/.
(By Renée Kiriluk-Hill, associate editor, BestWeek: Renee.Kiriluk-Hill@ambest.com)