What do you do if you want to expand your skill set in insurance through cross-training?

Over the last decade of my insurance career I have find the following tips to expand my insurance skill set through cross-training: Identify areas of interest. Explore internal training programs or mentorship opportunities. Express interest to management. Seek mentorship and shadowing. Utilize online resources and stay informed. Volunteer for relevant projects. Network with professionals in different areas. Set clear learning goals and track progress.

Cross-trainings are business goals for many organizations and it is imperative that we continuously strive to enhance our skills and knowledge through continuous learning to stay competitive in the ever-evolving marketplace. Your organization requires a relevant skill set to provide advanced insurance & technology solutions, including improved underwriting, fraud detection, digital claim processing for customers or many more.

Assess your current skills, knowledge, and career goals to identify areas where you'd like to expand your expertise within the insurance industry. Consider both technical skills related to insurance products, underwriting, claims, and risk management, as well as soft skills such as communication, negotiation, and leadership.

Expanding your skill set in insurance through cross-training from a marketing perspective involves leveraging insights gained from areas like underwriting, claims processing, risk management, etc. Eg - understanding underwriting principles allows for tailored messaging to specific customer segments, while expertise in claims processing enhances customer satisfaction initiatives. Insights from risk management inform data-driven marketing strategies and thought leadership content, and knowledge of regulatory compliance ensures transparent communications in marketing materials. By integrating these skills, marketers can create targeted campaigns, establish thought leadership, and drive business growth in the insurance industry.

Insurance is a surprisingly broad topic, so narrowing down your goals to a sharp(er) area of focus can help you to get started. Do you want to learn about Underwriting? Claims? Actuarial? Operations? or a bit of all of them? Second, consider what do you want to do with that information - switch roles? inform your existing role with broader knowledge? or further specialize?

Research available opportunities for cross-training within your organization or the broader insurance industry. Explore job rotations, internal training programs, mentorship opportunities, online courses, workshops, seminars, industry certifications, and professional development resources relevant to your areas of interest.

You can expand the network to find how to specialize in a particular area of the specific industry. How others have approached this. What learning path, strategies, research, collaboration, and certification paths chosen to accomplish the same? Could you get the recommendations and approach to achieving the outcomes?

The end-to-end journey of insurance is complicated, and people can get caught up in their specific role in it (underwriting, claims, finance, ops, actuarial, risk consulting, sales, etc.). It's important to take a step back and understand the other components, at least on a basic level, because it will inform how you do your role. The most successful people that I know in insurance are ones with a multifaceted background and who understand the knock-on impact of one function to another.

Maintain a curious and open-minded attitude toward learning and embrace new challenges and opportunities for growth. Be proactive in seeking out new experiences, asking questions, and experimenting with different approaches to expand your skill set and broaden your expertise in insurance.