Insurance Broker
Chaucer Insurance

Samantha B

00:00:03 My name’s Samantha B, and I’m an Insurance Broker. I work in motor sport insurance. Motor sport insurance – I basically quote insurance policies for people that take part in motor sport, from the person that may just go out three, four times a year to do a rally, or race, right up to the people that actively compete in championships.

00:00:28 Prior to insurance, I was a dancer. I worked at Disneyland Paris, for a year, in the Entertainments Department there, dancing in the parades and the shows. I enjoyed everything about that world, because every day was so different, and fun, it was incredibly good fun, but incredibly hard work as well. It was interesting to achieve your goals so early, because you’re left wondering what you’re going to do with the rest of your life once – once you’ve done something that you’ve always wanted to do so. And I suffered an injury anyway, so I was kind of thrown out of the dance market, so I had to find a career.

00:01:15 I was dancing at Disney, and basically I was dancing in the parade, I did a huge high kick, and my ankle underneath slipped into the tram-tracks on the parade route, and twisted it completely round, and severed all the nerves in my right ankle. Dealing with an incident and making a life-changing decision is – it was never easy, and for a number of months I – I didn’t know what I wanted to do. And that’s – feeling lost is quite difficult, and I fell into insurance by accident, to be honest. I moved to a different area in Stratford-upon-Avon and was looking for work, and that’s how I ended up in insurance. And now I’ve been there, you never leave.

00:01:51 Working at Disney was definitely a highlight because it’s something I always wanted to do. Other than that, it’s just finding something I really enjoy doing now, which is exactly it. I work in a – in an unusual side of insurance, I love the people I work with, and it’s just really nice to feel settled. For a career path I think insurance broking’s actually quite a good thing to do. It’s a fairly stable business, and there is a career there for you. If you want it, you can take the qualifications within the insurance industry, and work your way up that way as well, so there’s always opportunity to move on, not just with the broking but in the general insurance market.

00:02:30 The examinations you can do, you do alongside work, so – many different insurance organisations insist that you take your Certificate of Insurance within the fist twelve months of your employment, because it gives you a basic understand of the industry. And it’s definitely worth something, having that qualification, because it does give you a wider view, especially if you’re working in a specialised market such as myself.

00:02:55 The work/life balance is good in my job. I mean it is an office-based job, so I go to work at 9, and I finish work at 5, and I have my evenings and weekends free to do what I want to do. So I still have time to go to the gym, go out, do the pub quiz – basically walk my dog and enjoy my life, so it’s good. I try not to take my work home with me.

00:03:20 In five years’ time I’m hoping I’m still doing what I’m doing. Maybe in a more senior role, but I actually love what I do, so I don’t see myself moving away now. I’ve chosen to take insurance qualifications through the industry, so it’s something that I’m planning to stay doing. My philosophy I think is just chin up, get on with it. Find something you want to do, and then stick by it

00:03:46 ENDS