How to start a career in insurance: practical advice for breaking into the industry

​How to start a career in insurance: practical advice for breaking into the industry

By George Matthews, HFG’s Underwriting, Claims & Broking team.

Starting a career in insurance can be difficult. Entry-level opportunities attract plenty of interest and, even when a role is advertised as junior, applicants may find themselves competing with candidates who already have some industry experience.

I do not recruit for entry-level insurance positions, but I regularly hear from people who are trying to secure their first role in the market. Although there is no guaranteed route in, there are practical ways to strengthen your profile, focus your search and make yourself more visible to potential employers.

Be realistic, but do not be discouraged

Insurance is a competitive industry, so you should expect some applications and messages to go unanswered. That can be frustrating, but it is not necessarily a reflection of your potential.

Breaking into a new industry often requires persistence. Learn from each application, ask for feedback when it is available and keep improving how you present yourself. Insurance offers a huge variety of career paths and can be a fantastic industry in which to build a long-term career, so it is worth staying resilient.

Start building your insurance knowledge

You do not need to know everything before applying for your first role, but showing that you understand the market and have made an effort to learn about it will help demonstrate genuine interest.

Start with the basics: learn how brokers, underwriters and claims professionals work together, research the different areas of the insurance market and understand what the companies you are approaching actually do.

If you are interested in the London Market, its history is a good place to begin. Lloyd’s can trace its roots to Edward Lloyd’s coffee house in the late 1680s, where merchants, shipowners and underwriters met to exchange information and arrange marine insurance. That history also reflects something that remains important today: insurance is a relationship-led industry.

Training providers such as Empower Development offer insurance-focused courses and resources that can help you build relevant knowledge. Completing a course will not guarantee you a role, but it can strengthen your understanding and show employers that you are investing your own time in entering the industry.

Use conversations to build your network

Do not approach every industry contact by immediately asking them for a job. Instead, ask whether they would be willing to share advice about their career, area of the market or company, and offer to buy them a coffee.

A short, thoughtful conversation can give you a better understanding of the roles available, help you describe your interests more clearly and introduce you to people who may remember you when an opportunity arises.

Be respectful of people’s time and personalise every approach. A smaller number of well-researched messages is likely to be more effective than sending the same generic request to hundreds of people.

Look for structured routes into the industry

Graduate schemes, apprenticeships, internships and work-experience programmes are among the most structured ways to enter insurance. They are designed to help people develop technical knowledge and workplace experience, often with formal training included.

Research insurers, brokers, managing agents and other insurance businesses directly rather than relying on a single job board. Application windows can open months before a programme begins, so create a list of target employers and check their careers pages regularly.

Make your LinkedIn profile work harder

Hiring managers and recruiters are likely to look at your LinkedIn profile, so make sure it supports your application.

• Use a clear, professional profile photograph.

• Add a short introduction explaining that you are looking to begin a career in insurance and identifying the areas that interest you.

• Keep your education, employment history and contact details up to date.

• Include any relevant courses, qualifications, work experience or insurance-related programmes.

• Follow insurance companies and industry bodies, and engage thoughtfully with relevant content.

Your profile does not need to make you look highly experienced. It needs to make your interest clear and give someone a reason to start a conversation with you.

Tailor your CV to the role

Keep your CV concise. Usually one or two pages, and make it easy to scan. Use clear headings and bullet points rather than long paragraphs.

Make your intention to enter insurance obvious, but avoid relying on a generic statement. Explain why the particular area interests you and highlight transferable evidence from education, part-time work, volunteering or another industry.

For example, strong communication, customer service, analysis, attention to detail, negotiation and problem-solving can all be relevant. Support these skills with specific examples rather than simply listing them.

You should also adapt your CV for different career paths. An application for a claims role should not read exactly like an application for underwriting or broking. Research what each job involves and bring the most relevant skills and experience to the top.

Finally, check the basics. Spelling mistakes, inconsistent formatting and an incorrect company name can undermine an otherwise strong application.

Target the right entry-level job titles

Before applying, build a target list of insurance businesses and the types of teams you would like to join. Search engines and AI tools can help with the initial research, but always check information against the company’s own website and current vacancies.

Many job descriptions will ask for previous insurance experience. You should read the full specification before ruling yourself out, particularly if experience is described as preferred rather than essential. Entry-level opportunities may use titles such as:

• Technician

• Administrator or administrative assistant

• Underwriting assistant

• Trainee

• Analyst

• Support assistant

Pay close attention to the wording. For example, an underwriting assistant is typically more junior than an assistant underwriter, although titles and responsibilities vary between employers. The job description is more important than the title alone.

Apply selectively. If a vacancy clearly requires several years of specialist experience, your time will be better spent on a more suitable opportunity or a targeted introduction to the company.

Go beyond advertised vacancies

Applying through LinkedIn and company careers pages is important, but advertised roles attract the greatest competition. A direct, well-researched approach can help you uncover opportunities that have not yet been advertised.

Look beyond the largest and best-known insurance brands. Smaller brokers, insurers, managing general agents and service providers may receive fewer speculative approaches and can offer excellent opportunities to gain broad experience.

Once you have identified a suitable business:

1. Research its work, clients and specialist areas.

2. Identify the appropriate HR contact or leader of the team you want to join.

3. Send a short, personalised email explaining why you are interested in the company and attach a tailored CV.

4. Follow up politely after a reasonable period.

5. Ask whether they would consider you for a current or future entry-level opportunity — or whether they could spare a few minutes to offer advice.

Most businesses will not be hiring at that exact moment, and many people will be too busy to respond. That is normal. Remain courteous, keep a record of whom you have contacted and avoid repeatedly chasing the same person.

Timing can make a real difference. A manager may recognise the need for junior support before a formal recruitment process has begun. By approaching them at the right moment, you can avoid some of the competition while demonstrating the initiative and confidence that employers value.

Treat the search like a project

Consistency is easier when you have a simple process. Use a spreadsheet to record:

• Target companies and relevant contacts

• Roles and programmes you have found

• Application deadlines

• When you applied or made contact

• Follow-up dates

• Feedback and lessons from each application

Set yourself realistic weekly targets for research, tailored applications and networking conversations. Quality still matters more than volume, but a routine will help you maintain momentum when results are slow.

Keep going

There is no single route into insurance. Some people enter through a graduate programme, others begin in an administrative or support position, and some create an opportunity through networking and a well-timed direct approach.

Whichever route you take, employers will notice candidates who have done their research, communicate professionally and show genuine motivation to learn. Be focused, be proactive and, above all, be resilient. You do not need every application to succeed. You need one person to give you the opportunity to get started.

If this advice helps you secure your first role in insurance, please let me know. I would be delighted to hear how you got on, although you may owe me that coffee.

About the author

George Matthews is part of HFG’s Underwriting, Claims & Broking team, supporting insurance businesses and experienced professionals across the market. While George does not recruit for entry-level positions, he regularly shares practical advice to help people understand the industry and navigate their insurance careers.