Considering an apprenticeship?

My work is all about making sure all our new business and the renewal of existing policies are processed correctly. We support the offices that work direct with clients  around the world and I deal with queries from brokers and follow up with colleagues around the world.  

My school got a visit from the LondonInsuranceLIfe programme who offered a work experience fortnight during my first year of 6th form, then I got an internship at Price Forbes and from there I went onto the apprenticeship scheme here.  

Initially I was apprehensive and introverted. I thought ‘this is the City’ – it’s quite big and intimidating. There’s a stereotype that insurance and offices are boring. But insurance people are amazing – really welcoming and understanding. I absolutely love it. My role is exciting and I see something new every day. 

I’ve definitely built up a high level of insurance knowledge – through training in the team, discussions with underwriters and meeting people from Head Office in Germany. Town hall ‘lunch n learns’ (open to everyone in the business) have been very helpful and I’ve also attended social events and learned to network and speak to people.  

I’ve got a tremendous amount of support with learning. I have one study day a week working for my professional exams. I also need to do a case study where I present a portfolio on my work. I have a monthly one-to-one with my tutor but my manager is my key person. The tutoring and guidance have been invaluable. 

I would definitely say my day-to-day is really exciting. There are lots of young professional networking events which are great when you’re starting out and I meet lots of external people. It’s much more social than I thought. 

I’ve learned how to present myself. I’ve also learned no question is a wrong question and how to be resilient. I’ve learned about handling deadlines, dealing with an unhappy client in a stressful situation and having the patience and empathy to help out. Insurance can be complicated so you have to take a breather, explain clearly and meet people where they’re at.  

The London Market is not about sitting in an office on a computer. The atmosphere is so welcoming and there are opportunities to go and meet with clients and brokers and understand what other people do. 

Be patient with yourself. Growth takes time but trust your potential. You will get there. Just try your best – that’s all anyone can ask. 

I work with anything that flies - aeroplanes, helicopters, balloons and the airfields where they operate from. I do a lot of Mexican drones – they can be worth £300k and the size of a table.  One flew straight into a car windscreen but the most expensive part wasn’t the drone but the cameras and attachments – they can be expensive to repair. 

I had no prior interest in insurance. But LondonInsuranceLife came into my school, as part of that I did a week of work experience at Lloyd’s and then got some more work experience in the London market. I really enjoyed it, so I applied on a government website and found my apprenticeship. 

It’s very people-based. I’m not on a laptop all day. Instead I get on the phone or I go and meet someone for a coffee. I’m a visual learner so I like to sit down and compare numbers. I’ve got to know my underwriters and my accounts and I feel more confident so I can say to them: “Have you seen this before? What would you do in this situation?” 

I’ve learned so much. I know what insurance is for and I understand the insurance life cycle, from how the risk gets handled in the first place, why the policy is worded in a particular way, how a claim gets surveyed, adjusted and paid.  

I didn’t have any corporate experience, but this job has taught me how to talk to adults and meet them on a level where I can build a relationship. I’ve always been chatty, which is a good start, but sometimes it’s hard to meet someone new and understand them. Now I meet different people every week. No-one has turned me away or not answered my questions. It’s been a 100% confidence build.

I went to Fillingham airfield in Surrey and saw a plane which was being surveyed after a lightning strike. It was my plane and my accident. I got my picture taken under the wing and I saw the entry and exit point of the lightning in the tail. The claim was £100k. It would have been a lot more if it had hit the electrics in the nose.

I’m currently completing an apprenticeship scheme, which includes a dedicated day each week for studying towards my Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualifications and completing other essential tasks.

Over the past 11 months, I’ve completed two sets of exams, and I’m now preparing for my final exam which is a portfolio reflecting my work over the past year. I need it to progress through the gateway stage of the apprenticeship.  

I didn’t expect aviation to be so broad – I didn’t expect to be looking at a claim in Rome where someone stole parts from an airfield. I didn’t expect to see an air balloon claim.

Get yourself out there. It’s a who you know industry not what you know.

The LondonInsuranceLIfe team came into my school and introduced specialty insurance to us. My curiosity was piqued and I took part in their work experience fortnight. I did some work shadowing and placement days meeting everyone from new joiners to CEOs. I saw insurance from the inside and it wasn’t too daunting. I could relate! 

No. I felt more confident when I arrived because it was open plan – less walking into someone’s office and more two people at a table grabbing a chair. I didn’t feel I had to perform.  

As a Claims Assistant you do a lot of the tasks that managers delegate – so I’ve made claims payments, done reports to help keep tabs on claims and general ad hoc tasks. Sometimes I write to brokers requesting information claims managers haven’t managed to get hold of. 

I’ve not found any difficulty talking to anyone. No-one has an ego. No-one is puffing out their chest. Although my claims managers are a few years ahead of me, they treat me like I’m one of them. They explain if stuff is over my head.  

I’m working towards my professional exams with the Chartered Institute of Insurance. The work-life balance is really nice, with four days working and one day each week where I study to my own schedule. It’s 18 months all-told, and the company give us £1000 for each exam that we finish. 

I’ve learned how to talk to a variety of people in different settings and to get the best out of them. I’ve also learned the importance of planning. Prioritising is not a school skill.  

I expected a boxed office. People with headphones on, doing tasks. It’s totally the opposite - open plan and sociable. Everyone talks. Plus you can work in your own way the company is not on your back – they’re open to how you want to work and very innovative. We use AI to summarise meetings, no-one needs to write anything. 

I would say really and truly don’t be afraid to ask a question you might feel is silly. If you never ask, how’d you ever get the answer?  

Just be yourself and try to have fun when applying to apprenticeships. Many people are very tense. They put on a persona of someone they think fits the role. There’s no point. 

My goal is to get a Masters in insurance. I’ve got the momentum. I’m loyal to the cause.