Michelle Teevan - Insurance Management Programme
"Experience Necessary" - These are the two words your college prospectus neglects to mention will be essential alongside your degree when attempting to successfully launch your career! It was the beginning of the final year of my BSc in Marketing before I fully realised that on their own, my four years of study were nothing more than a door opener as opposed to a first class ticket to the infamous "middle management position" that had been repeatedly mentioned in the "Career Opportunities" section under the degree outline.
During my time with QFS, I have worked in Quinn Life utilising my marketing qualification before moving to the Commercial Claims Review department and later working as a Regional Sales Analyst. I finished the programme working in the private lines call centre as deputy assistant manager for six months. This placement allowed me access to all aspects of management decision making, setting and meeting department targets and working with call centre staff to ensure the targets were met. Completion of the programme in March 2006 meant a return to Quinn Life where my programme began, in the role of New Product Development Coordinator.
The other aspect of the programme which appealed to me was the ability to continue study with the support of the existing and new graduates. Over the two and a half years of the programme I successfully completed my Advanced Diploma in Insurance, earning my Associate Membership to the Insurance Institute and also an MSc in Marketing.
Working in Quinn Direct, whose continuing success has been the envy of the top insurers in Ireland in the ten years since its creation has allowed me to gain experience across a range of departments and roles which would not have been possible without the programme. The mix of working in regularly changing roles, while continuously studying provided the challenging experience promised by the Quinn Direct programme.
