This was Week 2 of Virtual Career Connections, a 6-day program stretched over 3 weeks with videos livestreamed on LinkedIn and YouTube that dive into different aspects of the insurance industry with sprinkles of soft skills that apply to any profession.
While Week 1 focused on the basics of insurance as well as inspiration for high schoolers getting into the industry, Week 2 explored the insides of the insurance industry and how this is going to change the future. It’s extremely important for us to consider what lies ahead.
We’ll be the ones living in it after all. Especially for any high school student like myself or young adults, it’s critical not to ignore how our world is changing. Understanding how something works is a significant part of success, whether it’s insurance or cutting hair.
Speakers Zach Finn, Justin Conway, Maya Rivera, and Jason Allen all went in depth on what their professions in the insurance industry actually look like. These sessions gave very clear explanations on what each piece of the industry looks like in different positions, such as claims professions, risk managers, and underwriters. Each speaker also made it transparent that they truly do enjoy working in this industry. A remark made by Justin Conway stuck out to me when he talked about all the relationships he’s made over the years through underwriting and working with marketing. Personally, marketing is something I’m wholeheartedly passionate about— it’s why I’ve been so excited to write this blog! This really excited me to know that relationships made through marketing are someone’s (and probably more people’s!) favorite part of their job. Additionally, Jason Allen spoke very passionately about how he loves helping people and that’s what is important to him about what he does. This brightened my day to know how the people in this industry want to help our fellow neighbors.
This industry is dedicated to helping those in need, and with our ever-changing world, parts of insurance change with it. Courtney Hylant, Andrea Hylant, and Claire Richardson encompass this in their livestream. A big point that is brought up is how we’ve been seeing a higher frequency of catastrophic events, such as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other forms of extreme weather. With the current global climate, these fires and heavy rains are becoming more severe than we’ve ever seen before, and it’s led to reliance on effective predictions and use of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Insurance companies have begun to use AI to automate tasks such as underwriting, fraud detection, claims processing, and customer service. AI has also been used to open up new data sources, which in turn opens up new opportunities to access and manage risks. I think it’s important to highlight the use of AI here in order to increase efficiency so there is additional time for connecting with customers and helping real people like you and me.
This week’s lessons have made me hopeful for the future. We are 2/3 through Virtual Career Connections and my time here only lasts for another three weeks. The Alliance has given me new insights into the professional world that I would’ve never thought of before, and I cannot put into words how grateful I am for everything I’ve learned here so far. I encourage you to watch the first 4 days of VCC sessions
