FOCUS ON CAREERS PROFESSIONAL
insurance | accounting | supply chain management | human resources
BIV Media Group | Employment Paper www.employmentinvancouver.com
insurance
The insurance industry wants you Professionals looking to make a career change need not necessarily go back to school to enter the insurance field By Noa Glouberman
T
he insurance sector, like many other industries in Canada, is facing a real recruitment challenge. The pending retirement of the baby boomers – men and women born after the Second World War, between 1946 and 1964 – indicates that there will be many jobs opening in the field of insurance in the coming years. In a study entitled “A Demographic Analysis of the Property & Casualty Insurance Industry in Canada, 2007 to 2017,” the Insurance Institute of Can-
ada (IIC) found that: ■ nearly half of all insurance employees are between the ages of 41 and 60; ■ insurance employees tend to retire two to three years earlier than workers in all other Canadian sectors; and ■ 25% of the current labour force will likely retire between 2012 and 2017. “Most companies in our industry … comment on the difficulty of sourcing enough talent to fill the vacant positions they have,” reports Patrick Belton, former president of Clover Insurance Brokers Inc., in an October 2010 article written for Canadian Insurance
World. “We hear this mentioned at almost every insurance gathering.” Canada, he says, faces “an economic and societal reality that we do not possess enough workers to fill our job vacancies”; he goes on to suggest that insurance companies across the country “need to get creative in attracting and retaining new talent and workers. One practical thing that we can do is to pay hiring bonuses to new employees to win the fight with other industries for that worker.” Another suggestion: “Look in the mirror. What are you offering new poten-
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tial hires? When I walk into tired-looking offices … that are lucklustre and lacking energy, is it any wonder that insurance firms are having trouble with recruitment? Once you look in the mirror – you will not like what you see. Change, be dynamic, be creative, be fun, be high energy.” One individual who is working hard to change the industry’s image in the eyes of potential recruits is Margaret Parent, director of the professionals’ division at the IIC. Parent, who heads up the institute’s Career Connections programs, believes that “a career in insurance is not typically on most people’s radar … but it should be.” “Recruitment issues have become an industry-wide concern,” she says from her Toronto office. “Above-average growth for property and casualty insurance products and a poor industry image among consumers mean that we face a bigger challenge than most other industry sectors as we try to recruit from a common pool of candidates.” Beyond educating students in high schools, colleges and universities about career opportunities within the insurance industry, Career Connections focuses on creating greater awareness among people already in the workforce who may be considering a career change. “The nice thing and interesting sell about insurance is that a lot of what you’ve done, your past work experience and knowledge often translates into transferable skills to our industry,” Parent explains. “Say you’re a nurse and you’re tired of being on your feet all day or just looking for a change. There’s lots you can bring to the table if you’re considering a career in insurance. A lot of the medical knowledge you already possess is really useful
What’s nursing got to do with it? The insurance industry welcomes health and other professionals seeking a career change who possess transferable knowledge and skills
in helping people to get the right kind of health coverage, for instance.” In fact, she says, many professions enable similar knowledge transfer to the insurance field, including
“The nice thing … about insurance is that … your past work experience and knowledge often translates into transferable skills” – Margaret Parent, director, professionals’ division, Insurance Institute of Canada
police officers, construction workers, auto mechanics, civil and mechanical engineers, salespeople, farm operators, health and environmental scientists and marketing and communication reps. “Though we certain-
ly value college and university students, sometimes it’s not necessarily the recent grads that have enough experience to be a broker or an adjuster,” says Parent. “[Those types of jobs] often come with a bit of experience, so anyone interested in a career change is considered a real asset.” Of course, some education and certification must be achieved before one can enter the industry. Study materials can be obtained from the Insurance Institute of BC, while licensing for insurance professionals is controlled by the Insurance Council of BC. “Essentially you can take something you’ve already been doing and, if we can teach you the insurance and risk-management aspects around that, you can make the switch to insurance,” Parent adds. “It’s not as onerous a process as having to go back to school for two years in order to make a career change to insurance.” • nglouberman@biv.com
May 31–June 6, 2011 Business in Vancouver
Professional Careers: Special Report from Employment Paper
Canadian Direct Insurance 15th Anniversary! If you are looking for a professional and rewarding career, you should consider an Insurance Career at Canadian Direct Insurance. Canadian Direct Insurance is entering its 15th year of offering personal insurance direct to consumers. Our mission is to provide a fast and convenient way to purchase insurance while still providing excellent customer service at competitive prices. We are proud of our success and attribute this to our outstanding people. Our team consists of enthusiastic and committed employees who are focused on providing better insurance for less money. Most of us are mindful of the need for insurance to protect our belongings, which has been particularly evident due to the number of natural disasters that have recently occurred around the world. But a career in insurance is not something that is normally “top of mind”. It is however, a highly rewarding and respected career, particularly if you work for an innovative market leading company like Canadian Direct. A company that has the most satisfied customers in the marketplace while being part of an organization voted one of the “50 Best Employers” in Canada. If this sounds like a company you want to work for, you should contact us. With a head office in downtown Vancouver, we have Human Resources, Business Development, I.T., Finance departments and, because of our insurance specialty, we also have Claims, Underwriting, Sales and Customer Service departments. Canadian Direct Insurance supports and promotes continuing education. Insurance courses such as training for a level one insurance licence and training for a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation are fully funded by the company and we encourage our employees to develop their skills. To learn more about Canadian Direct Insurance, please visit us at www.canadiandirect.com. Canadian Direct Insurance is a member of the Canadian Western Bank Group..
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20 Professional Careers: Special Report from Employment Paper
Business in Vancouver May 31–June 6, 2011
Career opportunities in supply chain management 80,000 supply chain management recruits will be needed for new or vacant jobs annually says Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council
S
upply chain management (SCM) is the process of strategically managing flows of goods, services, finance and knowledge, plus relationships within and among organizations, to support and achieve enterprise objectives. SCM involves the integration of core areas of knowledge (procurement, operations, logistics) and supporting knowledge areas (marketing, finance and accounting, human resources, knowledge management). Globalization, sustainability, information technology – these are just a few of the many issues that businesses today wrestle with. In this dynamic environment improving supply chain performance has become essential for companies to remain successful. It’s a growing trend that will only intensify. REWARDING CAREERS SCM professionals occupy influential positions across
organizations. They work in senior management, consulting, procurement, operations, logistics, transportation and trade. According to Statistics Canada data, the supply chain sector is expanding. More than 700,000 people are employed in some aspect of SCM in Canada today. Annually, 80,000 SCM recruits will be needed for new or vacant jobs, says the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council. Approximately 150,000 positions in the supply chain are at the professional or managerial level. These positions demand professionals who are both supply chain specialists and strategic business managers. Organizations seeking to hire skilled SCM personnel increasingly seek individuals accredited by the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) with the supply chain management professional
(SCMP) designation. SCMP is the most soughtafter achievement in SCM in Canada; it sets the national standard for excellence in the profession. A comprehensive accreditation program certifies that the SCMP has attained the highest level of competency. Adherence to a code of ethics ensures the highest level of integrity. Employers benefit from SCMPs’ unique and distinctive competence. SCMPs are recognized as strategic SCM professionals who provide enterprises with innovative leadership to achieve a competitive edge in a global marketplace. The BC Institute PMAC is pleased to deliver its programs through its education partners at Simon Fraser University (continuing studies, management and professional programs) and Douglas College (continuing studies). The BC Institute PMAC is also working with SFU’s learning strategies group
Accelerate
toward a possible executive program. ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION The SCM profession makes a significant contribution to Canada’s economy. PMAC members control more than $130 billion in annual spend. The standard of living we all enjoy through timely, cost-effective access to a range of innovative, highquality goods and services is directly linked to the practice of SCM. The profession influences the social and economic success of Canadians and citizens worldwide. Organizations cannot compete solely as individual firms. Increasingly, they must rely on effective supply chains to win in the networked economy. With relationships extending beyond traditional enterprise boundaries, organizations are managing business processes throughout an inte-
Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption
grated value chain of multiple companies – from the ultimate supplier to the ultimate customer. •
your
For more information about supply chain education and training visit www. bcipmac.ca.
career
Get what you need to succeed, enrol in a Supply Chain Management program.
Register now, call 1 800 411-7622 or visit www.bcipmac.ca B R I T I S H
C O L U M B I A
Supply Chain Management Professional
I N S T I T U T E
P MAC
PURCHASING MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
May 31–June 6, 2011 Business in Vancouver
Professional Careers: Special Report from Employment Paper Advertisement
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