A day in the life of an Agricultural Underwriting Apprentice
We hear from two members of the Geo Agriculture team on how an exciting new career path unlocked opportunities while staying true to their roots.
Lizzie Down
Lizzie Down, Commercial Agriculture Underwriter & Assistant Team Leader, graduated from the Geo Apprenticeship programme last year. We found out what life is like as an Underwriter and how she finds time to fit in her farming duties too!
How did you end up working with Geo Underwriting?
A friend recommended the Geo Agriculture Apprenticeship scheme to me. Agriculture is an industry I have been brought up in, and I am passionate about supporting British agriculture and how insuring farms benefits farmers and the agricultural sector.
How have you found life at Geo?
So far, I have found my insurance career interesting and have learnt so much more about the insurance industry. I enjoy applying my working farm knowledge to underwriting and sharing my knowledge with the wider team.
What does a typical day at work look like?
On the day to day I am at my desk underwriting and assisting with the management of the farm teams. However, with Geo I have been given the opportunity to attend broker visits, farming conferences and the Great Yorkshire Show to present a trophy on behalf of the company. No day is ever the same!
How do the skills you’ve learned from your apprenticeship help you now you are a graduate?
The most important thing I have learned is to ask for help and be inquisitive. We may not always know what the best way forward might be, each farm risk is unique and as such, we are constantly learning and adapting insurance to the ever-evolving farming world.
What does your day look like around the ‘day job’?
I’m up at 6am, and the first thing I do is turn the horses out, muck out my horse and walk the dogs. In the evening, I like to ride my horse and then bring them in for bed, and walk the dogs, depending on the time of year I have been known to help out or (hinder!) with lambing, silaging and wool wrapping at clipping time. I am also involved with the Young Farmers Rally, which this year involved lots of drawing and pre-rally preparation!
What would you say to someone considering applying for a Geo Apprenticeship?
If someone was considering applying, I’d say that insurance is a great career prospect with so many avenues to develop and learn. You don’t need to have worked in insurance before, the apprenticeship has given me the foundations for my career and the confidence to try something new!
Daisy Roberts
Daisy Roberts, Apprentice Assistant Underwriter, is currently undertaking her Geo Apprenticeship, having joined us last year. Still an integral part of the family farm, Daisy manages her time between underwriting and essential agricultural work.
How did you end up working with Geo Underwriting?
I came across the apprenticeship at Geo Agriculture when looking for a job that would challenge me, but also use my knowledge and experience in the agricultural industry and help develop my knowledge further. Growing up on a family farm allows me to bring years of knowledge in the agriculture industry into the business.
What does a typical day at work look like?
A typical morning for me is arriving at the office for an 8am start, and always grabbing a coffee ready to start the day. I will first check my workflow for the day which typically include a mixture of revised renewals, mid-term adjustments, and renewals. Also, within the company I have been given opportunities such as assisting with setting up the flower wall for the Great Yorkshire Show, and also taking the flowers from the wall to a local hospice after the event to donate to their garden.
How does the apprenticeship side of things look work?
As an apprentice you are given one day a week to study, on a typical study day it involves revising for the next exam and also completing any Davis apprenticeship work, such as case studies or off the job hours.
What does your day look like around the ‘day job’?
Depending on the time of year, in the morning it can be checking the lambing sheep and doing the ‘morning jobs’ with the sheep which includes feeding all ewes in the lambing pen, checking for any births through the night, and checking all sheep have food, water and hay and all lambs are full of milk. I will then go around all the pens and checked for ewes and lambs who are ready to leave the individual pens and go into the ‘mothering up pen’ and number them so I know which lambs belong to which ewe.
Finally, I will feed the peacocks and guineafowl before heading back home to get ready for the office.
A typical evening for me is getting back out on the farm to feed and bed up the animals. Like Lizzie, I am also involved in the Young Farmers Rally which can include flower arranging, sewing and lots more!
How has your personal life supported you in your insurance career?
An agricultural background can be worth its weight in gold! Working with both livestock and machinery has given me experience that can’t be gained from a classroom. I can offer my knowledge to colleagues and use this to my advantage when learning to underwrite.
Each day I am gaining more knowledge of the insurance industry, as well as challenging myself with new skills.