Insurance Journey: Samara Walker

THE FIRST PAGE OF MY CAREER JOURNEY

Iwas only 18 when I started working in insurance. At 18, you don’t put a whole heap of thought on where you end up. At the time, my sister was working in insurance at a contact centre, so I decided to join her.

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in my career, but the knowledge that insurance is a very secure industry really enticed me. I very quickly realised that working in insurance doesn’t have to be just a job - this can also be a career path. The avenues offered in contact centres and in the direct market are so rewarding, let alone in broking.

About 14 to 16 months ago, I decided to move from the insurance side into broking. My partner is in insurance as well and his parents own two brokerages. One day, his mum said to me, “You would be fantastic in broking.”

I’d never thought about it before then, but with her support, I decided to move to a broking role at Austbrokers in February of last year.

It’s still very early on in my career and I’m still learning all the time. Having entered into a hard market, it’s probably been one of the most difficult times to start in insurance broking, and I’ve definitely experienced plenty of challenges.

As a major relationships person, I love that I’m allowed to have really good connections and relationships with my colleagues and clients in this profession, however COVID-19 has definitely made it difficult to have face-to-face interactions. I know that this is going to come eventually.

I believe that if you can come into broking at this point, especially with the challenges of COVID-19 and working from home, there’s really nothing you can’t do.

THE ROLE OF BROKERS IS CRUCIAL

Recently, I went on holiday to northern NSW around the time of the floods. It was an extremely eye-opening experience.

You don’t realise how impactful our job is until you see the impact that natural events have on people. It was heart-wrenching to see firsthand such mass loss and destruction in communities.

It made me realise how important it is for us brokers to do our job, because people’s livelihoods and businesses can fall on us if we don’t get our job done correctly.

Not a lot of people give insurance much thought. It’s only those who have used it, or really needed it, that understand the significance of it. That’s what makes it even more important for us to do our job well.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I would love to be a voice for the insurance industry.

I recently participated in a NIBA development course on presentation skills, and I had chosen to present on diversity in our industry. It really opened me up to thinking about how we can make our industry more diverse. I think there’s absolutely room for growth and plenty of opportunity in our industry.

Everything starts with a conversation. You need to be open to having that conversation with people, especially when you’re given a platform to be heard.

I have no doubt that any manager or leader in insurance would be supportive, and I’m excited to use my voice more in the future.

I’m also really passionate about encouraging young people to enter the insurance broking profession.

While I haven’t been in the industry for very long, I’ve seen that there are so many people who are under-educated about what insurance is, and never really taken on the thought of having insurance as a career path. I can’t even imagine the amount of people who would love this industry, if only they knew what it has to offer. People so often will go to university to study business or law degrees, with the expectation that they will pursue a career in either business or law. They don’t consider the avenue of insurance, and they miss so much opportunity. Our industry needs younger people. We’re going to be the next generation of insurance professionals.

For my career looking forward, I definitely want to stay in broking and one day I would love to work with my partner. I personally think broking is probably one of the hardest jobs you can have in the insurance industry. It’s very challenging, and never boring. I don’t know where I will end up, but I’m going to really enjoy the years ahead.

FOUR QUICK QUESTIONS

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I come from quite a large family – my family has five kids, so there are seven of us in total!

What is your favourite book?

The Space Between by the ladies behind the Shameless podcast, Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews.

What’s your favourite past-time?

Sketching – I’m horrible at it, but it’s a really great way to get offline.

What’s your favourite food?

Italian food – you just can’t go past carbs.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

Share your insurance journey. Email editor@niba.com.au