ADVERTORIAL
Insurance: the land of job opportunity One firm can tell you what employers are looking for and how to reach them effectively INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS have arguably never had it better. In stark contrast to the doom-and-gloom headlines of the past that told us AI would steal jobs, today the insurance industry is awash with new possibilities as tech and innovation create opportunities. What’s more is that AI, IOT and sophisticated analytics have cut out the manual, repetitive nature of previous roles, allowing insurance professionals to thrive and focus on what they do best. “Focus on relationships and personal skills is at an all-time high,” Katie Ellwood of DGA Careers tells Insurance Business Canada. “People who are able to think outside the box and voice ideas are the ones that employers want.” Insurtech has brought about a change in thinking in the industry. It’s brought in product innovation, new approaches to the customer experience and a focus on being versatile. There is also now an increased emphasis on “personalities that are ambitious and vibrant,” says Ellwood. “Clients are asking for expertise and soft skills.” “They are really open-minded as far as experience and taking personal lines employees and training them in commercial lines,” adds Kim Ehman, also of DGA Careers. “But they want us to find people with emotional intelligence and a positive attitude.” New skills have come to the foreground, too. Forget a broker or an underwriter who can just ‘crunch the numbers’ and welcome in a new form of insurance professional who is modern, forward-thinking and even social media savvy. It’s something that’s being seen throughout the Canadian insurance jobs land-
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scape – from coast to coast. “The one shift I’ve noticed is that insurance professionals have a hybrid role,” says Rose Skaricic of DGA Careers. “Roles and responsibilities have expanded, and employers often have an open mind about candidate background.” “In Toronto, there may be more resistance if you don’t have an ideal profile. But our long-term clients are often willing to look at transferable skills more than they once did,” adds Maurice Reichberg, also of DGA Careers. “The best performers with great track records, people skills and tremendous initiative are getting opportunities much earlier in their careers.” With this change in approach, the onus is increasingly on the candidate to make themselves stand out – and that starts with emphasizing the right skill set on your CV. “Keep it relevant to the position you apply for,” says Reichberg. “Customize it to the job and highlight the strengths they are looking for. Keep it focused, and if you’re working with an agency like DGA, we will advise you on edits.”
“What I always remind my candidates of is that they need to give the person receiving the resume a ‘power punch’ of who you are,” adds Jennifer Duff, also of DGA Careers. “It’s not just your experience, it’s about highlighting ‘you’ and what your achievements have been – anything that makes you stand out.” New opportunities will come your way if you keep a pulse on the insurance job market – and this can be much easier to do if you develop a relationship with an insurance recruitment specialist agency like DGA. As Martine Coutu from DGA Montreal adds: “La demande pour des employés qualifiés n’a jamais été aussi forte au Québec. Chez DGA, on court-circuite votre candidature directement au gestionnaire employeur. C’est un peu comme du match making!” “We can expose insurance professionals to opportunities they had no idea were out there,” adds Ellwood, “and deal with difficult topics like salary, as we can show you your real worth in the marketplace. The key is to never close the door to entertaining or considering new opportunities.”
www.insurancebusiness.ca
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13/11/2019 3:53:13 AM