Reinsurance Apprentice Review

I am an apprentice on the reinsurance branch of the programmes that Aon provide. On a day to day basis I use a variety of different systems to process deals that have been placed by my team; I attend client calls/meetings and carry out supportive tasks for the Account Managers. I am constantly interacting with lots of people within Aon in both a professional and personal way as I have made good friends since being here. As I have become more knowledgeable I have had more external interaction with both clients and reinsurers, often if I have done a piece of work for a client I am trusted to send it out myself and communicate with them on the subject whilst answering any queries they have. Throughout my first renewal season I had the key responsibility of producing 213 Evidence of Cover documents for million and billion dollar deals that the brokers in my team had place that varied over territories like USA, Japan, Canada, China, South America and many European countries.

As part of my apprenticeship, Aon fully fund the Chartered Insurance Institute, Certificate in Insurance qualifications. To achieve your Cert CII you take 3 exams on content that is provided for you through a variety of mediums such as text books, past papers and key fact books; I have currently passed my first exam and I am revising for my second. I have done numerous internal training courses that relate to my day to day business area as well as courses that apply to the whole business such as Errors and Omissions training courses. I have also attended external Microsoft Excel training courses run by QA and also funded by Aon which really helped with my use of the programme and bought me up to speed with my peers. I also feel like I’m always improving my communication skills, with a professional approach becoming much more second nature to me than it was before I joined.

I really enjoy my apprenticeship, it can get stressful at times but that is what comes with being part of such a sought after programme that requires you to work hard to get the most out of it. When you step back and look at all the opportunities that you are given its actually so great and it makes you appreciate that you are being rewarded for your hard work by building solid foundations of a career. From the offset I have got on very well with my team and people outside my team, everyone is very helpful and friendly. The company culture really suits me and I got that feel straight away from the assessment centre and it has definitely followed through to now, it’s a very welcoming, confident and empowering everybody type of place that definitely met my expectations if not exceeded them.

I think all young people are really valued within Aon, we are given loads of opportunities and workshops and sessions with internal and external people in the industry and there is always an event of something similar that we are welcome to attend which broadens our knowledge and makes our work days more varied. My manager and team always let me know if I have done a good job and are always willing to answer my questions and help me improve. They listen to me when I am expressing my enjoyment for certain types of projects or asking for more work and get me involved wherever they can.

My programme has a clear structure and timeline from the induction to the end. You attend an induction before you start that gives you some insight into the people running your programme and the company, with a tour of the building also. You get a talent coach to guide you through your apprenticeship programme and its content. The Go Further team and your talent coach can help with CII queries, as do the external revision sessions set up by Aon with Linda Prewett, one of the most respected CII teachers in the industry. I was also given a mentor that I can talk to about work or personal things; this was really nice for me as it was just like having a friend as soon as I joined. Team hierarchy is clear within all teams I have encountered and Aon is really good at avoiding grey areas in this respect. However the way we work is that no one has their own office no matter how high up they are in the team, this makes you all feel really equal and helps to build relationships and communicate.

We have monthly meetings with our training provider so we are always able to ask questions and receive support. As well as being in contact via email so that if we have questions before our meetings they are always answered. Our training provider is also able to escalate any problems we have, especially if they’re across our cohort, they work quickly to resolve these issues. My talent coach is always happy to help and has a positive approach.

My manager is really good with any problems or queries I have, he works really hard to resolve them and make sure I am happy and comfortable. He is always looking out for training and on top of my exams and makes sure he is aware of how I’m getting on. The HR team are really good with making sure I’m in line with my peers and involved in as many things as possible, they also make sure all my information is correct and help me sort out any expenses. My mentor is always happy to talk me through different tasks if I haven’t fully understood or haven’t completed them before. Everyone is really happy to support me and help me whenever and wherever they can.

I am still living at home which I fortunately don’t have to pay out for however my travel is £240 a month which I comfortably cover and my daily costs like lunch etc. at work are typically £10 or under every day. I find this easy to afford alongside the social costs in my life but I do not have a lot to pay put for other than that. It is important to note that salaries often vary depending on your location to take into account things like travel and living costs.

There are lots of opportunities outside of work with other companies and boards. We are always welcome to CII events as this comes with the membership we receive when doing out exams, I feel like we could be better informed on this subject as some people are often told about events through their team specifically that we could all benefit from. I know there are lots of events and opportunities I personally think that we could be better informed about them.

Yes

I would recommend Aon to a friend as it is the biggest insurance broker in the world, amongst other things, and is a huge hub of opportunities and networks across the globe that welcomes anyone who is willing to work to the best of their ability in their role and is always willing to learn and progress.

Be confident. Learn about the company. Know why you are applying. Show your drive and ambition. Be yourself. Showcase your personality. Use every opportunity to the fullest. Ask questions. Attend all of the induction and on boarding events. Build relationships with the other applicants – they may soon be your peers. Lastly, enjoy the process! Even if you are unlucky with this particular programme, you can learn from the experience and it will make you more comfortable in the future.