Social
First things first, let’s start at the beginning… as a child, what did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?
I wanted to be a journalist. I loved pretending to read out the news and dress up in my mum’s work clothes. I still think I missed my calling!
In my early twenties, I was introduced to the world of insurance broking, and began my career not knowing a single thing about the industry. I remember reading the position description for Assistant Account Executive and thinking ‘what the heck is a COC’’? I worked at an international broking firm for 10 years, and during that time moved into a Project Coordinator role where I learned about training, hiring, financials, marketing and compliance.
With a merger and a change of personal circumstances, I was approached to work in Recruitment. I had been thinking about Human Resources/Recruitment for some time as it runs in my blood as my mum has worked in recruitment for over 25 years in the financial services industry. Working at an agency specialising in insurance recruitment, Honan became one of my clients. And with the number of positions that Honan was looking to fill I took a leap of faith and put myself forward to work for Honan focusing on recruitment. It’s the best phone call I ever made.
Talking to different people every day. No day is exactly the same and the people I work with are fabulous.
What’s also motivating are the career opportunities here at Honan. I wanted to work here, as I could see the drive and the culture that was building, and I wanted to give others that same opportunity to grow and develop within such a dynamic culture.
As I had an interest in Psychology, I studied a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology and Public Relations (PR). My Psychology knowledge definitely helps when engaging with so many different personalities each day, as well as my PR experiences that assists when marketing and attracting new talent and finding the right individual for each role.
You don’t need a specific degree to work in the insurance industry. It’s an industry that people often fall into and usually stay in as it offers stability and career progression. In saying that, graduates who have studied Accounting, Commerce or Business often have an interest in this industry. We have hired graduates with those backgrounds, and they have thrived. We can teach the technical skills, but so much of it comes down to customer service and relationship skills. We also look at candidates with customer service backgrounds - recruiting employees with experience in retail, the travel industry, and contact centres.
Honan is one of the fastest growing insurance brokers in Australia and so the opportunities are endless and hard work and dedication don’t go unnoticed. We support internal transitions from one department to the other, upskilling and promotions, and we ensure our employees are trained and qualified. We work in a fast-paced environment, which can lead to incredible career development, secondments, internal transfer opportunities, and promotions.
Not knowing where to go next, or potentially feeling ‘pigeonholed’. If you are willing to learn and you have the right attitude and drive it can open up more opportunities within different parts of a business. We encourage employees to continue their own development, whether that’s completing a specialist course in leadership or enhancing their data analytics capabilities.
One of my biggest challenges was returning to the workforce after going on maternity leave twice, looking for a new challenge that would support my lifestyle and provide fresh opportunities to grow and develop. I had to be open-minded and move to a different side of insurance. That’s when I moved out of my broking/operations role into talent acquisition within the industry, which has now led me to be a part of the wonderful Honan P&C Team.
What surprised me is how well you are empowered and trusted here to get the job done. I had to learn how to back myself more than ever before when I jumped into a newly created role, but I was supported to manage talent from the ground up.
I love being on/in the ocean. When I get the time, outside being a mum to two girls, I love taking my paddle board out in the bay or to the surf beach. I also enjoy running, yoga, and reiki sessions to clear my mind. It’s easy to get swamped in day-to-day life, juggling your workload, kids, and family, forgetting to take out time to recharge and relax. I think having time to focus on yourself is so important so you can be more energised, and relaxed in the work environment.
My mum. She moved over from the UK when my twin sister and I were three years old. Not knowing a soul here, she worked hard to provide a great childhood for us. She taught me how to have a strong work ethic and to never give up. She also works in Recruitment and I still look up to her and call her for advice!
Go with your gut. I have learned a lot through personal and career experiences and if your instinct tells you something doesn’t feel 100% right, it probably isn’t. However, sometimes you just need a little push outside your comfort zone and to take a leap of faith.
I always go back to the saying ‘you never regret what you do, but you do regret what you don’t do’.
Even if it doesn’t work out the way you hoped, at least you tried!
