Business Support Assistant Review

I work in the client services team of the PI insurance broking team. I work with the account executives to produce documents, carry out sanctions and client checks and do various other tasks that contribute to ensuring the overall placement of insurance goes smoothly and to the highest standard it can be

As i was completely new to insurance, I have learnt many new skills regarding the systems and general processes that we need to use. I have developed my social skills considerably too as i have to engage with all the various internal teams in PI, clients and underwriters and adapt the way i deal with each one.

I very much enjoy the apprenticeship programme here because it allows me to interact with lots of different people and gain knowledge from them as well as a more general overview from the apprenticeship and CII modules. It is a really good environment and everyone internally and through the apprenticeship provider are always offering to help with studies or any work related issues.

There is a clear structure to the programme and we get a timeline of how long it should take to complete each section. If we are falling behind, we can discuss why this is and how to get back on top of it. We have learning workshops every couple of weeks for most modules to go over each chapter which are also really good.

Willis is very supportive with the apprenticeship. they give us 20% of the time we spend at work to focus on our studies and also offer study days if we need extra revision before an exam where we can take the day off and study. Other employees that have also done the qualification are very helpful with providing insight into any parts we struggle on.

We also get a lot of support from our training provider. They organise workshops for each module that we do, as mentioned before. They also set us up with a tutor to monitor our progress throughout the year and we have monthly calls to check in with how we're doing with both the apprenticeship and actual work too.

I think that it gives a really good bit of background knowledge to the role as it helps me to understand why we have to follow such procedures and regulations. I feel i can directly link the work i do in the apprenticeship with my studies and it helps me to do my work to a higher standard.

There are often social activities within the team and with underwriters/clients to create new connections. We have many different sports teams and often connect with the teams at Lloyd's too. We have a lot of seminars and professional networking sessions/events we can attend too, mainly with law firms who give a more technical overview to insurance.

Yes

They are overall a really good employer - they are very supportive and everyone is extremely easy to talk to and ask for any help. They are also very professional and ensure everyone is operating to a high standard and carrying their weight. The incentives and benefits they offer are also very valuable and help a lot.

First of all, to do it. I would then say that it doesn't matter that you may not have an insurance background as everyone will make sure you pick things up in your own time. I would say that it's important to demonstrate that you're very willing to learn new things and that you like a challenge.