SelectQuote Voices: Career Development Spotlight

At SelectQuote, advancing your career isn’t just about waiting for the right opportunity to come along—it’s about actively preparing yourself and seeking out opportunities wherever they arise. Hear what Kavan Murphy , IT Onboarding Success Manager, says about his career journey as he shares advice on how to stand out and seize opportunities simply by knowing the business!

1. Developing industry and business knowledge starts with embracing continuous learning:

"Continuous learning is your secret weapon for really understanding the business and confidently jumping into new projects. By staying curious—whether it’s about industry trends or how different teams work—you’ll start spotting new ways to add value and see where you can make an impact.?

I started at SelectQuote as a sales agent with limited experience in Excel and Google Sheets. However, knowing that sales managers relied on these tools, I decided to dive in and learn spreadsheets. When a chance came up to use my new Excel skills to help build a report for my team, it allowed me to stand out and show that I was ready to contribute beyond my role."

2. Break down the silos and leverage cross-functional experience:

“When I became a Sales Manager in our Senior division, I was lucky to have a fantastic mentor who taught me that the more you understand a business and how it operates, the more valuable you become. Gaining experience with different departments is a great way to really understand what makes the business tick and to find exciting new projects to jump into. When you work with other teams, you start to see how each one plays a role in the company’s big picture, picking up insights you’d miss if you stayed in just one spot. This broader view helps you spot places where you can make a real impact, even if it’s outside your usual area. In the end, understanding how all the pieces fit together makes it easier to stand out and say “yes” to projects that help you grow and make a difference."

3. Define & articulate your Career Aspirations:

“Being clear about your career goals—both with yourself and others—can really help you get the most out of your role and find exciting new projects to tackle. When you know what you’re aiming for, it keeps you focused and intentional, making it easier to choose opportunities, like learning more about the business or joining interesting projects, that push you closer to those goals. Sharing your aspirations with managers and teammates also helps them connect you to opportunities that match what you’re looking to achieve. Knowing where you’re headed—and letting others in on it—turns your career journey into a shared path, where you’re better positioned to grow, learn, and make an impact.”

4. Take chances so you can grow:

“When I joined SelectQuote, I had one clear goal: to move into management as quickly as possible. After 17 years in frontline sales, I was ready to take my career in a new direction. On my first day of training, I learned there was an opportunity to join a new, smaller pod of agents. I was told the role might be a tougher sale, but with fewer agents, there’d be a real chance to stand out. I considered staying in the role I was hired for but ultimately decided that I didn’t come to SelectQuote to play it safe—I came to grow. That first leap turned out to be a pivotal step toward my goal, and without taking it, my path to career growth would have been much harder."

When I applied for my current role as Manager of IT Onboarding Success, I had no prior IT experience and didn’t know many people on the corporate side of the company. My mentor and manager at the time encouraged me to go for it. He knew my career goals and interests, so he thought I'd be a great fit and gave me a strong recommendation. A year and a half later, this role has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. I’ve worked with incredible people and built valuable relationships on a whole new side of the business.”

Final Takeaway:

“You’re the one steering your career. If you haven’t yet, take some time to imagine where you want it to go. Once you’ve got a vision, start exploring ways to make it happen. Whatever you do, keep pushing forward toward your goals.”

- Kavan Murphy, Manager of IT Onboarding Success

Thank you to Kavan Murphy & Jack Farrell , Recruiting Development Specialist at SelectQuote, for your collaboration in bringing this piece to light. SelectQuote encourages you to take what you’ve learned from this article and apply it to how you plan on developing your career ?