We’ve spoken to a few of the real experts on The Insurance Apprentice: the judges. And if you’re entering this exciting reality-show-style competition, the brainchild of FAnews (and sponsored by Hollard), their sage advice could just be what gives you that winning edge.
We canvassed the opinions of former head judge Theo Pauw, the chairman of Price Forbes South Africa; Caroline da Silva, Deputy Registrar: Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services at the Financial Services Board; Gareth Joubert, the managing director of Hollard Trade Credit: and Simon Colman, the executive head of digital distribution for SHA Specialist Underwriters.
Their responses to our questions are telling. We quote them verbatim …
What do you believe The Insurance Apprentice offers young insurance professionals? Why should they participate?
- Theo: “It is a massive learning experience, which is generally not on offer within one's regular working environment. Skills, knowledge and experience are tested against one’s peers in a high-pressure, disruptive environment. No participant is immune from being found wanting in some aspect of their abilities, which is a big motivating factor to improve for the sake of personal growth.”
- Caroline: “Not only does The Apprentice offer you the platform to develop and learn, but the exposure you get and the opportunity to develop networks is comparable to nothing else I have seen to date.”
- Gareth: “The Insurance Apprentice is a wonderful opportunity, which allows contestants to be exposed to a number of areas in the insurance industry that they would not normally have been exposed to. This allows for an exceedingly rapid immersion into all facets of Insurance – not only the exposure to knowledge but also to role-players at other companies and the industry as a whole, (which) bodes well for fast-tracking any career.”
- Simon: “The competition gives any young, ambitious insurance pro an opportunity to pit their wits and skills against other top-notch players in the industry. You never really know how good you are until you sit down in front of the judges with a group of your peers, all vying for that prestigious title of the Insurance Apprentice. The contest also presents a wonderful opportunity to build one's personal brand in the industry. That's not to say anyone should enter with a view to changing jobs if they win, but rather it’s a way of getting noticed as a future leader in a pretty competitive industry.”
What do you think is the most important thing that a winning Apprentice brings to the competition?
- Theo: “The winning Apprentice is normally only marginally better than the others, so it is really more about what they collectively bring to the party. To maximise collective effort, strong leadership in a team environment normally prevails as a winning attribute.”
- Caroline: “Energy, passion for the sector and commitment to learning and development. Take it seriously.”
- Gareth: “Whenever there is a prize or outcome, it raises the stakes and therefore raises the level of competition, allowing contestants to perform well beyond what they even thought they were capable of. Winning The Insurance Apprentice surely gives someone a wonderful platform to fill the ‘no youthful talent’ gap that the doyens believe exists. A successful contestant should bring their ‘whole self’, be competitive but not to the team’s detriment, be open to ideas, well prepared (when presenting) and not be afraid to ask questions – they are there to learn, at the end of the day.”
- Simon: “The judges obviously look out for leadership qualities, the ability to function in a team and technical ability but the winner really needs to reflect the aspirations of our industry as a whole. Remember that the survival of the financial services sector depends upon the attraction and retention of dynamic, young talent. The winner of The Insurance Apprentice becomes an ambassador for the entire short-term sector, throwing the spotlight on what can be an extremely exciting and lucrative career. When looking for a potential winner, I ask myself, ‘Does this person embody what our industry stands for?"
What specifically should that same person NOT bring?
- Theo: “A self-serving strategy, i.e. putting his/her own interests above those of the other Apprentices.”
- Caroline: “The playing field is level – leave the arrogance at home.”
- Gareth: “Leave politics at home. A successful contestant will quickly learn when to lead and when to follow. A winner knows that you don’t always have to have the loudest voice to be showcased and that being a valuable part of a winning team is more important than leading a team that wins.”
- Simon: “Arrogance will kill any chances of winning. It's a competition at the end of the day, but quiet confidence trumps arrogance for me.”
