Banking and Insurance Career Advice

A banking and insurance career provides the opportunity to work in many sectors of business. There is a vast choice of career paths to choose from, so you can make the most of your specific skills. Typically roles involve working in a financial institution, and you will help people or business owners manage their money. You may work in an office environment, in a high street branch helping customers or out on the road visiting clients.

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How to Work in the Banking and Insurance sector

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to get a job in Banking and Insurance

Should you wish to work in Banking and Insurance you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for a Banking and Insurance Job

  • 2 or more GCSEs (banking customer service adviser)
  • 2 to 3 A levels (bank manager or insurance broker)
  • Degree in management, accounting, economics, finance, law, marketing, or maths (bank manager)
  • Level 2 and 3 Certificate in Providing Financial Services (insurance claims handler)

Core Banking and Insurance Skills

You will need excellent numerical skills and have excellent attention to detail. Problem-solving and analytical thinking is a crucial skill, as well as working with others as part of a team or being able to complete complex tasks on your own.

Banking and insurance professionals should be organised as you will sometimes have to work to strict deadlines. Effective communication of complex data is essential as you will need to make this understandable to a broad audience, such as team members, customers, or business professionals of all levels.

If this sounds like you, then now is the time to kick-start a banking and insurance career.

Key Responsibilities for a Banking and Insurance Job

  • Studying market trends and new financial products
  • Reviewing financial portfolio for the client
  • Recommending new products
  • Identifying new investment opportunities
  • Resolving client queries
  • Managing bank accounts
  • Overseeing investment strategies
  • Verifying client details
  • Working within financial regulations and business guidelines
  • Performing administrative duties

What to expect in a Banking and Insurance Job

A career in business and insurance will usually start with a junior position within a bank or insurance provider. Graduate training programmes and employment schemes are on offer with many of the major financial institutions. You will likely be working in an office dealing with clients and financial products and reports. Jobs can involve working with businesses, government bodies, or individual clients.

Recommended Banking and Insurance Jobs

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How to get Banking and Insurance Jobs

Our advice on how to get a Banking and Insurance job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete a Banking and Insurance application. If you have not held a Banking and Insurance position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held a Banking and Insurance role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your Banking and Insurance CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each Banking and Insurance application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become a Banking and Insurance in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become a Banking and Insurance 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be a Banking and Insurance and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical Banking and Insurance experience.

How to get Banking and Insurance Experience

What does it take to be a Banking and Insurance? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for Banking and Insurance jobs. You can learn how to be a successful Banking and Insurance through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be a Banking and Insurance Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into Banking and Insurance part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time Banking and Insurance or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

Banking and Insurance freelance work

If you have impressive Banking and Insurance qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.