Case studies : Insurance broker: James

James has a BA (Hons) Sport, Physical Education and Coaching Science and an MPhil(B) Sports Philosophy Education from the University of Birmingham

My current role is as a placing broker within the sport, recreation and entertainment team at Aon UK Limited . Our clients range from sporting professionals, clubs and federations to music artists and worldwide corporations.

Following the end of my undergraduate degree, I undertook research into graduate opportunities. After reviewing my needs and requirements for a career, I was led to the insurance industry and Aon.

After my initial application, I undertook various stages based on testing your suitability for the role, before I finally got through to a final interview, and was subsequently offered a position.

Although the subject I was studying was not of direct relevance to the insurance industry, I did develop a range of key skills through my experiences at university. For example, through reading scholarly publications as part of my studies, I developed the ability to interpret and understand the thinking of others and to simplify complex language into a narrative that can be easily understood by someone reading the text. Most importantly, I also learned how to form relationships and network with people from different backgrounds across the UK and the world. These are all key skills for the insurance industry.

Each day at work brings about different experiences. However, my role normally involves advising clients on their risk solutions before finding the most competitive terms and conditions from insurance companies to meet their requirements and minimise their exposure to a risk. This will involve heading out to meet insurers, either at their offices or Lloyd's of London  (the home of the London insurance market).

I have experienced three separate roles (placing broker, claims broker and technician) within the sport, recreation and entertainment team, which has allowed me to understand the full scope of Aon's, and my team's, activities. The beauty of my role is that I have been involved since day one. Whether it is working with clients or insurers, my role has allowed me to experience many facets of the insurance industry. This has ensured that right from my first day at Aon, I have been able to develop both professionally and personally.

My career ambition is to ensure that I am at the top of the industry in the shortest time possible. As long as I continue to develop within my role, through job experiences and professional qualifications (Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)  Advance Diploma in Insurance), I feel that being an employee of Aon, and the team I am currently employed within, will allow me to succeed in achieving my ambitions.

I enjoy the fact that I am able to experience new experiences every day and am able to aid people in something (their insurance needs) that is designed to make a difference in their day-to-day lives.

The best thing about working within the insurance industry is creating and forming relationships with colleagues, clients and insurers from all over the world. The social aspect of the insurance industry is also a massive benefit.

The most challenging aspects of my role are to multi-task and to keep track of the status of where you are with different clients. It can also be difficult to make time for studying.

My advice to others is to be yourself, show your personality and try to get involved from the start. The beauty of the insurance industry is that whether you have been involved in the industry for 30 years or one day, everybody is treated the same.