What's your job about?
Gallagher is an international insurance broker that specialises in providing risk management and insurance solutions for our clients. We help businesses and individuals protect their assets and mitigate potential risks.
My current position is in the graduate program, which is a 12-month program that is structured to allow us to spend two months in some of the different teams in our East Melbourne office. This rotating structure has allowed me to gain experience and an understanding of how the different teams operate, as well as being a great way to meet and work with the majority of people in the office. My daily tasks vary from day to day as well as being depending on what team we are in. However, in general, a typical day would involve tasks such as reading and responding to emails, processing invoices, quotes and refunds on our system and other administrative activities. Throughout the week though, we will often have the opportunity to partake in various meetings such as industry webinars, negotiations with insurers or client site visits to give us more hands-on experiences.
What's your background?
I have lived in the Bayside/Kingston area my whole life and went to St. Bede’s High School in Mentone. I studied a double degree in commerce and economics at Monash and graduated at the end of 2022. I worked in a café in Parkdale for four years which gave me some extremely valuable skills, such as learning how to build relationships with regular customers, the ability to work under pressure and how to deliver bad news if we made a mistake or couldn’t deliver on a request.
Towards the end of my degree, I started to apply for numerous graduate positions across a variety of different financial and economic industries. My dad and step-mum are both in the insurance industry and have been for the majority of their careers. Despite this, I never really took an interest in their jobs or used this as a factor in my decision-making in deciding what roles to apply for. After multiple interview stages, I was lucky enough to receive a phone call from Gallagher offering me the opportunity and I started my role in the graduate program in January 2023. At the end of the program at the beginning of 2024, we enter our preferences for what team we wish to continue within a full-time role.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes. While an economic background is a great head start it is not completely necessary to successfully complete the responsibilities associated with the graduate role. Insurance is an industry based on relationships, both with clients and other stakeholders such as underwriters or safety experts. Therefore, people skills are the most critical foundation and that is why I highly valued my time in the hospitality industry to develop this. Gallagher has a more hands-on approach to developing our technical skills, giving us plenty of time and opportunities to develop to learn about the industry and how to complete daily tasks.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The best part of my job is the social aspect. As a broker, you need to have a strong understanding of your client’s business and how they operate. As a result, this presents the opportunity for many client site visits and face-to-face interactions. In addition, we have numerous opportunities to network with insurers and underwriters to build those relationships so we can work together to provide the best solution for our clients.
What are the limitations of your job?
The biggest limitation of our role is also its greatest strength that it is a relationship-based industry. You will struggle in the industry in a traditional broking role if you lack social skills or the ability to develop relationships, as often clients choose their broker on purely who they like and trust more. Positive relationships with underwriters can also help achieve better rates and conditions for your clients. As the industry is also relatively small, the worst thing you can do is burn your bridges. Every interaction you have is valuable, as you never know when you might need a favour from that individual.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
Enjoy your time while still at university! You are only a student once.
Before an interview, do some preliminary research on the company and their history. You are likely to be asked a question on your understanding of the business and the industry they are in.
And finally, when in an interview just be yourself and treat it as just another conversation.