At Higgins Insurance we want to be more than the people you buy your insurance from, we want to be your trusted advisor. In order to earn your trust we know we have to be constantly upgrading our level of knowledge. We do this through a perpetual process of continuing education. One of the key sources of this training is the Insurance Brokers Association of New Brunswick (IBANB).
Becci Taylor is the Marketing and Programming Coordinator at the IBANB and a terrific resource who helps us keep current with developments in the world of insurance. We have a tremendous respect for Becci. So much so, we felt you should get to know her as well. We reached out to Becci and asked her to share a little bit about herself and her career. Here is what she had to say:
Tell us about a day in the life of a Marketing & Program Coordinator with IBANB?
Well, where do I start? Lets start with today! I started the day off reviewing the exams that were completed over the weekend, after a CAIB 3 immersion class last week. Then I jumped into a training session for this weeks CAIB 2 immersion class, training 14 students on how to use GoToTraining, along with sound and camera checks. I do a spot check on the CAIB 3 exams, and then jump right into trivia for Thursday! We have purchased a new and exciting platform; Kahoot, and I need to make sure the questions are in there and ready. After playing with that for a while, I go straight into posting our bursary details on social media. I created a quick fun video to help get the word out.
Its lunchtime before I know it! I introduce Wayne to his CAIB 2 class, I explain to them the online exam and the functions, and reiterate what they can expect from an online immersion class. I mute myself, but stay connected, in case any of the students or Wayne need assistance. I catch up on emails, before jumping into an auto chapter review for CAIB 1.
I take some calls from students looking to enrol for CAIB 3 in the fall, walk others through the online exam process, and even help an elderly gentleman find a broker to chat with about his car insurance!
To wrap up the day, I review the Fundamentals French exams, discuss Producer Academy with the instructor, and how it will look like for the fall, and help students register for their courses.
Oh I forget – I also posted the new updated summer edition of the AIB Magazine! 😊 Here is the link! Check out one of two articles from yours truly, and I hope you enjoy the new updated look and feel I did this time.
What skills/education do you need to succeed in a role like yours?
The ability to multitask? No, seriously, everyone says they want a job with no monotony, change and excitement? I got that! I just introduced New Brunswick to online exams in a month, with limited hiccups! I successfully achieved 5 online immersion courses, and coordinated the marking of 50 exams. Having a background in education has been imperative in this role, as it has enabled me to help students who needed that extra nudge, guide them through the options, and understand their individual needs. Also, having achieved my CAIB designation has been a great tool, knowing what brokers have to learn to be successful, helps me with building new and innovative ways to get them engaged.
Having the ability to communicate with many types of people and situations has also helped. We don’t sell insurance, but knowing that we are coming up on someone’s search for someone who is, means I need to try and help where I can. Find a broker on our website is always open, and a tool I use to guide consumers.
What do you like most about working in the insurance industry?
Everyone says the people and they’re right! My days are filled with connecting with some truly amazing people, who spend their days helping others. Who wouldn’t want to call them their colleagues? I meet new and fresh people starting out in the industry, who are so scared about their new career journey, and I get to see them succeed as they walk across the stage at graduation!
And it doesn’t stop there, I see them at events, I connect with them through webinars, and chat to them about ways that I can help them with the success of their day to day role.
What are the three most important things someone should know about insurance?
We all have it, we all use it, why not help those around you with knowledge and longevity. This is one of those careers that we wont look back on, and say there’s no jobs for those people anymore. Insurance is here to stay, and holds so much diversity, that why wouldn’t anyone want that for a career choice! Yes, there are days that you have some unhappy customers, and there will be days that you simply shake your head… but if I’m honest, that’s every career.
Its as fun as you make it! Covid has shown us through zoom calls and such, that we miss each other and can be silly to lighten up the days. I’ve had numerous photos of costumes on calls, and emails to cheer the day along, who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
Finally, the education never stops. We as humans need to be constantly learning new concepts and ideas, and this career will never let you think you’re done. You start off with your CAIB and learn the basics, and from that you can specialize your career, with continuing education available. And if you think we’re done educating you, the companies will give you systems and industry specifics, and then there’s mother nature with her natural disasters; flood of 2018? Always learning!
Please share a fun fact about your career.
Fun fact about my career… Educating has been my passion, but I never thought I had the passion to teach, so I get to enjoy the beginning and then the end!
I did leave school thinking I wanted to be a travel tour guide, did a course in Travel and Tourism, realizing that probably wasn’t the best use of my time and when I finished, I got a job working in a transport trucking company office. Lets just say, that was an eye opener, and showed me what I didn’t want to do, and here I am today 😊