Briefing: Making insurance careers a choice rather than ‘falling’ into the profession

“I fell into insurance” is a common refrain among members of our profession. The phrase is almost a symptom of a deeper condition – a lack of visibility and understanding about what we do and what it means to work in the UK general insurance (UKGI) industry.

While those of us already employed in the sector know the vital role insurance plays in keeping society healthy and resilient, we must acknowledge that our profession is not well understood by students or career changers. This invisibility is worsening sector-wide talent shortages.

In addition, shifting workforce expectations are prescribing the need for clearer, more inclusive career pathways – both into insurance initially and as individuals move through the professional ranks.

This is why the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) partnered with Educate, Develop, Innovate, Inspire (Edii) on 3 December 2025 – the talent development company for regulated markets – to launch a joint career insights project.

Together, we hosted three ‘Shape the Future of Careers’ workshops in May and July 2025 that spanned insurance, financial planning and early careers deep dives, engaging more than 50 participants from across the sector.

Listening to the profession

Our workshops brought together a full spectrum of roles, including underwriters, brokers, compliance specialists, learning and development leads and recent graduates. What united these cohorts was a shared commitment to improving how insurance careers are supported.

Using a ‘Design Thinking’ approach – a problem-solving framework based on empathy – Edii facilitated structured exercises to help participants reflect on their career journeys to date, identify enablers and blockers, as well as imagine what a healthier future could look like.

Tools such as personal timeline mapping, the ‘sailboat strategy’ of visual brainstorming and rapid idea generation created space for candid discussion and collective insight.

The findings from these workshops have been illuminating – and sometimes uncomfortable.

Insurance has an image problem

When the CII and Edii asked early career participants about UKGI’s social impact, we were met with blank stares. If our own talent struggles to articulate the value of insurance, how can we expect aspiring professionals to engage with us?

In many ways, it is easier to turn the question on its head and ask what would happen if insurance did not exist?

The answer here is stark and consistent. Entrepreneurship would stall. Small businesses would not be able to absorb losses. Doctors could not perform surgeries. Travel would grind to a halt. People would live in fear of what could go wrong.

In short, society would suffer a systemic collapse.

From diagnosis to prescription

If that is the diagnosis, then what is the treatment plan? The prescription must include a stronger narrative to make our profession more visible, alongside better outreach to ensure the profession reflects the diversity of the customers it serves.

Despite progress in recent years, women continue to face obstacles in a male dominated sector. Broader reputation and recruitment challenges also persist, with fewer newcomers entering the sector than a decade ago.

Part of the cure must be clear, compelling outreach in schools, universities and career change programmes to explain how insurance roles contribute to financial resilience and societal wellbeing.

Once individuals are inside the UKGI sector, we need a more transparent career architecture to unlock potential and retain talent.

We need to inoculate against stagnation by embedding adaptive cultures and adaptable skills to handle the rapid evolution of new technologies, rather than anchoring new joiners to static job titles and inflexible routes of progression.

We also need to ensure that leaders have the skills necessary to nurture talent effectively.

A healthier future for careers

In the coming months, the CII will share and test some of the insights gleaned from our sessions with Edii with our members and stakeholders, applying design thinking to prototype solutions.

Our goal is simple but ambitious – to turn “falling into” an insurance career into “choosing” this professional pathway, building a transparent, inclusive and future ready profession.

Together, we can create career journeys that support long-term growth and strengthen our sector’s ability to serve society – keeping the profession in robust health for generations to come.