Our new trainee account handler

 

A short Bio

Mhairi studied Law at Glasgow University and started working for CCRS in December 2018. Mhairi found the business aspect of her law degree interesting as she felt the modules completed combined her interests in business with the legal aspects of contracts and policies- this is where her drive to go into insurance stemmed from.

In her spare time, Mhairi likes swimming and running. She finished the Berlin Marathon in September 2018, quite an achievement!

Why did you start working in insurance?

It’s quite simple, you’re helping people, giving them financial security. When you’re helping companies protect their assets, you’re essentially doing something for the economy. By giving them the added security of a fully covered insurance policy, you’re keeping them healthy and giving them the confidence that they can carry out day to day operations with the protection they need.

 

What attracted you to apply for CCRS

In all honesty, I’d heard of CCRS before I saw the job posting. I decided not to apply through a recruitment site but to try and contact Neil directly with my C.V. I’d heard he was fairly approachable and so I thought, why not!

CCRS is well known for supporting people looking to start in the industry. When I say this, I mean they are known to take on people that don’t have the standard 2-3 years of account handling experience that most companies are looking for. Also, I knew about their excellent reputation for developing employees as well as experienced hires- it sounded like a good combination to me!

I also knew CCRS were known to be good at what they do. The company is known for developing specialisms to stay relevant in a somewhat crowded market. One I’ve found to be unique is Vehicle Dismantlers Insurance– that’s the sort of niche which helps them to stand out from the crowd.

 

How have you found your time working at CCRS so far?

It’s been great. The people are really friendly. I’ve found everyone is happy to answer any questions that I’ve got – No one makes out like it’s any hassle to help me when I need a bit of guidance. I’ve been given a fair bit of responsibility already to do tasks on my own, and I feel like I’m contributing to the team already.

 

Has anything surprised you since you’ve come into the role?

Actually yes. Having come from an underwriting background, the difference in terms of the scope of the work has been a surprise. There are so many more products to cover- you need to be an expert in a range of fields. I knew this before, but I didn’t quite realise the extent of the level of knowledge you need to have as an insurance advisor in comparison to underwriters. In all honesty, it’s a good thing. I’m always learning and never bored; every day’s a school day!

 

What’s been the most challenging part so far?

I wouldn’t say there has been anything particularly tricky. In general, trying to come to terms with all the different policies, wording and client requirements have been challenging, but challenges in a new job are expected.

No two clients are the same, in fact, no two tasks are the same. It’s not the sort of environment where your actions become automated.  This is a really good thing, I like the varied work environment. Everything is slightly different. In all honesty, this is one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about working at CCRS so far.

Have you found you’ve been well supported in your time at the company so far?

I’ve had a lot of support from other colleagues. Everyone seems to be happy to take time out of their day to show me what I need to know. I’ve also had great support from my line manager Jack. He’s been great with checking in on me and seeing how I am doing. He’s helped out trying to get my training more tailored to what I need to know and how I learn things. I’ve found he’s listened to my feedback, understood how I wanted to progress and adjusted things as a result.

I’ve also been assigned to Jamie and Stewart who help me out from time to time. Stewart started around six months before me and seems to have a really good grasp on what’s going on. Both of them knowing so much is great, and I appreciate them taking the time to explain things to me in such a concise way. It’s really made me feel like I’m getting the support when I need it.

 

How do you feel your Continuous Professional development is likely to shaped by working at CCRS?

Yeah, I feel like it could definitely align with my ambitions. I feel like the company will tailor to my needs in terms of development to help me. The next steps in terms of progression have always been discussed. For example, moving on to a more senior account handler role in the future or possibly even a technical role or account director. These have been mentioned at points. Also, a few people in the company have moved into senior roles from trainee positions, so that’s a real positive for me, it’s possible to be trained to step up to high levels.

 

We are always looking to expand our company and are continuously looking for new team members.

Like the sound of working at CCRS Brokers? Check out our careers page.