Politics? Isn’t that what goes on in Westminster? Like many I knew surprisingly little about how politics works in the UK. Yes, I've seen a debate or two, one party says this while the other says that, but I’m certainly not the one who would be reading manifestos or tuning into PMQs whenever possible. If you were to ask me what is a private member’s bill, I would simply give a clueless look of concern (in case you are wondering the UK Parliament does a great job covering the basics). Whilst I did learn a thing or two studying economics at university, I focused more on the quantitative side rather than focusing on holistic policy making aspects. Although I did
n’t run away at the sight of numbers or a spreadsheet, the consultations and the minute-making were certainly things I wasn’t quite used to.
What about insurance? At least for me, it seemed to be a ‘boring’ career. Think tedious 9-5 work in an office for the rest of your life. I knew no-one who said that they wanted to even remotely be anywhere near this sector. Yet despite this, the insurance sector in the UK is the largest in Europe and the 4th largest globally. Not forgetting to mention that London leads globally for specialty insurance. So there seems to be a bit of a paradox, how could such an industry with not the ideal image be so important to the UK? Surely something isn’t adding up.
So when I saw the opportunity to work help support the policy space of the insurance sector, some alarm bells were raised and my cuiriousity got the better of me. After all, why not? What is the worst that could happen? The whole application process went smoothly where I was asked some motivational questions which gave me an opportunity to ask myself how I can use the knowledge that I do know and apply it to a new scenario. The interview itself felt like more of a conversation and the timing of my acceptance was perfect as it came straight after my final exam at university.
So as you can imagine I had a lot of mixed emotions I arrived for my first day. On one hand I was excited to dive deep into the world of work but on the other I was entering a very unfamiliar world that doesn’t revolve around early lectures and coursework deadlines and the impending controlled chaos of a general election.
Luckily I wasn’t alone, the incredible help that I received from I Have a Voice as well as my colleagues helped me to settle in and after the two-month programme, the support I received made it feel like that I have been working in policy for years! Whether it was learning how to manage professional relationships or simply having some to talk to bounce of ideas or share my concerns, which was especially crucial given the work that I was doing around non-financial reporting requirements was relatively new with developments expected to occur next year which meant that my work would have real impact in advising policy.
Looking back there are a few things I’ve come to appreciate. Firstly, insurance isn’t boring. Although I have no idea where this stigma came from, what I do know for sure is that the sector is vibrant and everchanging and touches upon everything in the world. Wherever there is a risk, there is definitely an insurance policy for it. Secondly, policy making and politics doesn’t simply lie within parliament, there are many ways in which you can get involved policy-making that doesn’t mean you have to be an MP. It doesn't matter what your background is, if you have the passion for a particular issue there are plenty of ways of getting involved and make a positive change in the world.
Finally, it is never too late to learn, its common to think that we can only learn while at school or university and what we learn there is all that we need to know. This is far from the truth, if there is something that you aren’t quite sure, not only are we a click away but there are many individuals and organisations which are willing to help and support you along your journey. The lessons that I learnt from this experience would last with me throughout my entire career journey and it all began with simply being curious.
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