Case studies: Insurance underwriter: Josh Graham

Josh has a degree in management and business from The University of Nottingham and works as a graduate insurance underwriter for Allianz...

I studied management and business at university with a view to entering the world of finance. I'd had friends go into insurance and love it, and thought it sounded interesting. I wanted to join an organisation with an excellent reputation for the training and development of its staff, so decided to apply to Allianz .

On successful completion of the application and interview process, I gained a place on the graduate underwriting management scheme, attending Allianz's unique internal Underwriting Academy. The Allianz assessment process was tough, particularly the full day at an assessment centre, but it was worth it in the end.

On a typical day I arrive to see how accounts have run overnight and report any big issues that have occurred. I then move on to cases I manage, meeting with clients' brokers. It's their job to explain matters to their clients and bring business to us. I work with actuaries to decide the premium we require so we can make a profit on a book of business. The insurance market is very competitive at the moment, with other companies trying to take our business at renewal time - we're having to defend the cases we've got.

The aspects of my job I like the most are the technical environment and the fact that it's a really sociable industry. I meet the broker at my office; we sit at the desk with a folder of paper and have face-to-face negotiations. It's a nice way of doing business. I guess as a result of this each broker thinks he or she is my 'number one', but you have to be able to balance a good level of service and an ability to prioritise.

I've been selected to represent our UK division at a worldwide seminar to be held at our head office in Munich - it's this type of opportunity that attracted me to work for a global organisation. I completed the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) qualification in 15 months, and Allianz then sponsored me through a further qualification.

I'd say to aspiring graduates that they should enter underwriting if they want a technical career that is market-facing. They have to like numbers, and they have to be sociable.