I want to work in Insurance

Find out how you can start a career in insurance. Here we list potential job roles and some of the leading companies in that sector.

Job roles

Introduction

The insurance industry offers a wide range of jobs including actuarial work, sales, surveying, claims handling and investigation, underwriting, risk management, investment management, and pensions management.

Insurance companies also recruit for general management functions such as accountancy, marketing, management services and personnel.

The Chartered Institute of Insurance has made some additions to its suite of university degrees which receive our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Holders of degrees in the following areas receive credits in to both professional qualifications frameworks – insurance and financial services:

  • Accounting
  • Actuarial Science
  • Business
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Law
  • Management
  • Mathematics
  • Statistics

Prospects Industry Insights: Banking, Investment and Insurance

Insurance Broker

Arranges insurance for clients. Works out the requirements of clients, calculates the risks they face and suggests appropriate insurance. Negotiates with insurance companies to get the best policies for clients. Attends meetings, collects insurance payments. Clients may be individuals or organisations.

EMPLOYERS: Insurance brokers, especially Lloyd's, insurance companies.

SATISFACTIONS: Having specialist knowledge, well paid, mainly 9 to 5.

NEGATIVES: Have to work to deadlines - quite a lot of pressure.

SKILLS: negotiating, analytical, numeracy, attention to detail.

DEGREE: any subject - business or maths-related useful.

Insurance Underwriter

INVOLVES: Deciding if an insurance proposal is an acceptable risk & what premium should be paid. Preparing policies. Dealing with insurance brokers & clients.

EMPLOYERS: Insurance companies, Lloyds & insurance brokers.

RELATED JOBS: Other jobs in insurance include: insurance claims, actuary, accountant, loss adjuster, surveying, investment management, pensions management. Insurance companies also recruit for general management functions such as accountancy, marketing, management services, & personnel.

SATISFACTIONS: Flexible working hours. Subsidised mortgage & other benefits

NEGATIVES: Lots of paperwork.

SKILLS: analysing, written communication, decision-making, numeracy. Personal qualities required: communication skills, attention to detail, flexibility.

ADVANCEMENT: Can become a senior underwriter or move into other management in insurance companies

DEGREE: Any degree subject. Numeracy required.

VACANCY SOURCES: Most of the large insurance companies recruit through graduate websites

TIPS: Talk to people working in insurance. Apply to major insurance companies early in your final year.

Occupational Profiles for Careers in Insurance

Companies

Insurance Companies

  • Allianz - Commercial graduate training programme
  • AON - graduate programmes in Insurance & Risk Management and Actuarial Consulting, plus actuarial summer placements. Has an office in Canterbury.
  • Aviva
  • AXA Insurance
  • Brit Insurance x - graduate training scheme in underwriting, insurance and risk management
  • Catlin - graduate opportunities and summer internships in fields such as underwriting, claims, finance and IT
  • AIG insurance - insurance for individuals and families.
  • Chaucer Insurance - Specialist motor insurer based in Whitstable
  • Cunningham Lindsey - Specialist claims management and loss adjusting service
  • Direct Line Group
  • Ecclesiastical - Graduate Business Leader Scheme
  • Eldon Insurance - Newcastle-based insurance services company with a graduate training programme
  • Endsleigh - Founded as a student insurance provider and have had campus offices for 40 years. Now offer a range of services from motor and home insurance to student and travel insurance
  • Hiscox - leading international specialist insurance group with graduate scheme and internship opportunities. Specialisations include fine art, events and film production.
  • JLT Insurance Brokers - one of Europe’s biggest insurance brokers. Graduate training schemes cover an introduction to insurance, reinsurance and/or employee benefits.
  • Kiln Group
  • Legal and General
  • Lloyd's of London - graduate programmes and a summer internship scheme
  • Marsh - international risk management and insurance company offering graduate training scheme
  • Prudential
  • Reassured Group - Find out about seven key job roles within insurance
  • RSA Group - Graduate and internship programmes
  • Saga - insurance and financial services. Based in Folkestone
  • Swinton
  • Swiss RE - leading and highly diversified global reinsurer.with its UK headquarters in London’s ‘Gherkin’ . Offers graduate programmes and internships
  • Towergate Partnership - Europe's largest independently owned insurance intermediary. Based in Maidstone
  • Willis Ltd - one of the world's leading risk management and insurance brokers.
  • Zurich - two-year graduate programme in Actuarial, Finance, Claims, Underwriting, Business Change and IT, General Management, or Business Analysis

Insurance Recruitment Agencies

  • IPS Group 
  • IDEX - a team of ethical consultants with over 50 years of combined recruitment experience within Insurance, Claims/Legal and Financial Services industries
  • Hays Insurance - general insurance, actuarial, broking, claims, loss adjusting, regulatory & compliance, underwriting.
  • Insurance jobs - general insurance recruitment marketplace with vacancies across all levels within actuarial, broking, claims, compliance, sales and marketing, reinsurance, risk, underwriting and Lloyds and London markets
  • Pavilion Jobs
  • Randstad
  • Fusion People - insurance recruitment specialists

Find out more

Professional bodies and Information Sources

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