POV: Being Under 25 in Insurance

I joined the insurance industry in the middle of the pandemic. Being a 2020 grad, I was the guinea pig for a lot of first-time virtual interviews for companies. I jumped from zoom interviews to zoom class using a crate as a pseudo desk in my childhood bedroom. Back then, everyone reassured me that it was just a couple weeks and I’d be starting full-time in office in no time.

In June of 2020, I started my first job with the intention of working from home for 1 month, 1 month turned into 3; then, when I did return to an office, it was only a couple of days a week. I learned all the basics of insurance on virtual calls, met my coworkers through zoom happy hours, and I knew more about someone’s house decor than their choice in pants. The first time I met one of my coworkers, I realized I had imagined him a good 8 inches shorter than he really was. Joining any industry in 2020 was difficult, but then there were the insurance specific problems.

Auto losses that suddenly weren’t as frequent, but more severe, as people thought they could drive faster on seemingly empty roads.  Courts being closed so decisions on claims being drawn out longer and longer.  Adding communicable disease verbiage to policies. Having exposures plummet as restaurants closed, construction halted, and buses weren’t running. The insurance industry trying to restate what a catastrophe was.

Three years later, I’ve never worked full-time in an office. I’ve spent my whole (albeit short) career asking when is the impact of COVID ending, when will the numbers return to normal – a normal I’ve never seen. I add WebEx links to every meeting in case the recipients won’t be in person. I’ve learned to connect with my teammates across every medium: video call, IM, and, sometimes, in person. These things are not the things that set me apart at work, though. I took typing classes in elementary school and most of my textbooks in school weren’t physical copies. I learned to code in a classroom, not from a book or on the job. My LinkedIn is more up to date than my Facebook, and I spend my lunch break scrolling TikTok. I even take BeReals of my workspace.

According to the US Chambers of Commerce, over the next 15 years, 50% of the workers currently in the insurance industry will retire. As in, more of my coworkers are twice my age. Some remember the first spreadsheet or when actuaries did their tables by hand. Some were in college when I was learning to walk. But, that’s not why I’m writing this. I’m saying the insurance industry needs young people. Insurance may not appear sexy, but it’s stable, and it’s fun, and I’ve met a wide variety of people working through it. I’ve traveled in insurance. I’ve attended seminars and networked. I’ve built up my public speaking and presentation skills. I’ve made life-long friends, and I’ve moved away and back to home. I even have funny work stories! I love insurance and I want other young people to realize how wonderful it is too.