Kate Fairley

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FULL TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH KATE FAIRLEY

ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT KATE FAIRLEY

Kate is located in the Melbourne Area, Australia and is the Director of Get Informed

I was an overachiever in high school, getting a 92.65 ENTER score, but because I was so good at everything it was so difficult to pick a career path. I got into Law at Deakin so that’s what I did for a year & a half, but I found I wasn’t passionate about it and didn’t think it was worth spending another 4 years to come to the same conclusion.

The first place that hired me was an insurance brokerage in a reception role, and it was here, after I’d stopped learning, that I realised that was my passion. I was good at everything (not great, just good) because I was excellent at learning. It took me a while but I eventually gained the confidence to take a chance on myself and move to an Account Manager position with another brokerage where I also started my Bachelor of Commerce (part time, off campus). After 18 months there I moved to an Assistant Underwriter position with an Underwriting Agency where I was given the opportunity to take control of their business processes and played an integral role in helping the business become profitable again.

After a year in the industry I’d fallen in love, but after 5 years nothing had really changed as far as consumer perceptions are concerned. People still make their insurance decisions based on price with no regard for the amazing products, services and advice they can get from an insurance broker.

Which is why I started Get Informed, which you an see at: http://getinformedinsurance.com.au

It hasn’t been an easy road, but after 6 months of hard work I’m now living the dream, starting my own business in an industry I’m extremely passionate about and looking forward to finishing my business degree later this year.

Tips and Suggestions:

The insurance industry has so much to offer young people. Once you start there are endless opportunities for career progression and professional development for all levels of ability. It’s an industry that values and rewards initiative and passion with a requirement for ongoing skill development. The key to success is an ability to back yourself and a willingness to learn, so seek out and take advantage of opportunities to learn from the more experienced staff members in your firm, and create a strong network. The insurance industry is large, but it’s also very small because people move around so often, it’s likely there are only 2 degrees of separation between the person you’re working with now and the people you’ll work with in your next role. So stay honest, work hard, and you can’t go wrong.

You can also find additional information about Kate Fairley at her website.

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