The CII's Vivine Cameron reveals how a CII event sparked a law student to embark on an insurance career
The number of entry level personnel joining the insurance profession is declining, according to studies in recent years. To meaningfully buck this trend, the CII works in partnership with universities, the London Market Group, London insurance life ambassadors and local institutes across the UK.
In November 2018, the CII education partnerships executive and a panel of insurance professionals delivered a seminar on career opportunities in law, risk and personal finance at Southampton University Law School. The seminar introduced the scope of insurance as a profession and the roles and opportunities available to consider, affording students the chance to interact with the panel and ask questions about their personal career journeys.
In particular, the seminar placed focus on the importance of a legal professional's role -- contract wording, compliance, and regulation, internal counsel and contract writing -- to insurance. This provided law students the chance to consider an alternative career route beyond training to be a solicitor or barrister, which can be extremely competitive.
As a result of attending the seminar, final year law student Luke Rose, has now secured work experience placements at Sirius International and Lloyd's this summer.
Mr Rose said: "I met with Mark Williams, of Sirius International, a managing agent at Lloyd's, who gave part of the talk, connected with him on LinkedIn and asked for his business card. I then scheduled to meet him and Denise Dillon, an oversight framework manager at Lloyd's, along with other professionals in insurance. These meetings included a tour of Lloyd's, allowing me to ask many questions to various individuals working in claims and broking.
"Without the talk [from the CII], I would not have considered insurance as a career and wouldn't have made all these connections."
INSURANCE ON THE RADAR
Mr Rose's story is just one of many examples of how working with universities and local institutes helps students consider insurance as a career option and this is so important in dealing with the declining numbers of entry level personnel.
It is extremely rewarding to see students have a "light bulb" moment and consider a career not previously on their radar. This is testament to, and validation of, the hard work so many contribute towards this kind of result.
The CII would like to thank Professor James Davey, Professor Johanna Hjalmarsson and Jan Steele of the Southampton Law School for working with us; and the employer panel comprising a cross section of the profession representing underwriters, brokers and lawyers who took part in the seminar.
Vivine Cameron is education partnerships executive at the CII