Insurance Apprentice Review

Insurance Apprentice - Client Service Advisor My job role involves being the day to day support for a variety of clients (from fashion brands to event promoters), and includes producing renewal reports, summaries of cover, broking presentations and making sure our global system is up to date. My role is not all paperwork, you do actually get to go and visit these clients, attend meetings and conference calls.

I have been working towards my IF1 exam (Cert CII) which I am due to sit in March and have attended all the revision classes as well as lots of additional self-study. Within my division I attended a training course ‘Aon Diploma in Global Account Management’ and scored with 90% which means I am formally accredited to deal with Global Outwards business. I have also massively developed my insurance knowledge and knowledge of the industry.

I find working at Aon highly enjoyable. You get to deal with a variety of different clients, every day is different and every client has different demands and needs. At Aon we participate in agile working, everyone has laptops and you can pretty much work from any office. This gives opportunities for networking with new people and makes work flexible. A highlight of Aon is the work life balance: the apprentice program organizes lots of events including a 2 week training away. Within your team and the industry there are lots of opportunities to socialise.

Apprentices are highly commended within Aon and all staff are interested in what we do and what we have to say, the scheme gets a high level of support, we are given lots of opportunities to get involved with projects and to look at different areas of the company. Internally I feel that my manager makes sure I am valued for the work that I do. For example, I assisted my team with their presentation for our area conference by making a short video about our key clients. The conference allowed me to network with lots of colleagues from other offices in my division and was extremely beneficial, I was highly praised for my work towards this event.

The programme begins with a two week induction away which not only allows you to get to know all of the other apprentices, the HR team and your line manager before starting in the office, but gives you a background in insurance, an overview of Aon culture and makes you feel settled in even before you start. We have monthly revision classes for our exams, which allows us to air any problems we may be having with certain topics, and makes you feel more supported. Every apprentice is given a mentor and buddy, a mentor is someone who is a high level within Aon and a buddy is usually someone of a similar age within your team to help you settle in, this means you always have someone to go to or learn from. I feel the programme is very well organised.

We have monthly revision classes with our tutor as well as web chats / meetings with another member of their team towards our programme. Both of these trainers are easily accessible by email or phone, and respond very quickly to any queries. They are more than happy to go over areas again with you, or just give general support / advice.

My manager schedules regular meetings with me to discuss progress and make sure I am happy (usually every 6-8 weeks). Members of my team are all very happy to run through systems with me, or let me shadow them to learn more. The HR team are also easy to speak to via email / phone and regularly organise events or catch up with us to make sure we are supported. The mentor and buddy system, as previously outlined is also very useful.

Compared to other apprenticeships I was looking at on my job search, Aon provides a very generous salary. This more than covers your travel, social and daily costs, as well as allowing you to put money in savings if need be. Aon gives a generous contribution towards your pension and medical cover, as well as many other benefits.

As Aon is such a large global organisation there is always something going on, this includes: Awards Ceremonies, Christmas Parties, Volunteering within the Community, Habit for Humanity (Volunteering Abroad, building homes etc.), Football Matches against other departments, The Aon Choir, training courses to aid your development, meeting with clients outside of the office. In my first month, I attended the Apprentice Networking Event, organised by Aon to promote apprenticeships and gave us the opportunity to network with lots of different members of our industry.

Yes

Competitive salary and benefits package. Apprentices are highly commended within the company, people want to know about you and what you do. Work life balance / agile working - positive environment and working culture. Builds your social skills and confidence. Get to work with lots of different clients and colleagues, every day is different. Aon is highly supportive of internal promotion and creating a career path.

-Be ambitious - employers like people who are determined to progress / career path -Use your CV / interview to highlight your key skills, how they apply to the role (big yourself up) -Research the brand / company you are applying for -If possible, get some experience this can either be insurance specific work experience or any part time job in retail etc. (people skills, customer service, data handling)