Broking and underwriting sit on opposite sides of the same deal, so the move between them is one of the most natural career steps in insurance. It still takes some planning. Here is what changes, what hiring managers look for, and how to position yourself.
What changes day to day
As a broker your job is to find the best cover for your client. As an underwriter your job is to decide whether to take on a risk, and on what terms. You move from advocate to decision-maker.
- More analysis: you'll spend more time reviewing risk information, loss history and pricing.
- Fewer clients, deeper files: you work with brokers rather than end clients, and each case gets more scrutiny.
- Your name on the decision: you'll work within an authority limit, and that limit grows as you prove your judgement.
What hiring managers look for
The brokers who make the move successfully tend to show three things:
- Technical knowledge of the classes they have placed, and a clear view of what makes a risk good or bad.
- Commercial judgement: knowing when to say no, and how to say yes with the right terms.
- Strong broker relationships. Underwriting teams value someone who understands how brokers think and work.
Your broking experience is not something to leave behind. It's the reason an underwriting team will want to talk to you.
How to position your CV
Lead with the classes of business you know best and the size and type of risks you have handled. Show examples where you challenged terms, spotted a problem in a submission, or negotiated a better outcome. Professional qualifications such as the Cert CII or Dip CII are worth listing near the top.
Ready to talk?
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