Name: Alisha Collazo
Class Year: 2018
Major: Mathematics
Shadowing Visit Site: Boston Insurance Brokerage
1. Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?
As soon as we arrived, our host was extremely welcoming and ready to teach us all he knew about the industry. After explaining in detail what the career of an insurance broker consists of, he introduced us to every administrator at the firm. Just like Mr. Driscoll, the administrators also gave us advice on how to be successful in the insurance industry and further information on their day-by-day responsibilities. Our alumni host not only instructed us on what we would be doing if we followed his career path, but also on other careers and roles within the industry making sure to focus on any roles that were of interest to us. After our visit, I gained a better understanding of the various roles within the insurance industry and started to realize the path I would like to focus on. I was also able to see what I can start doing now at Holy Cross to prepare me for a possible career in insurance.
2. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?
Primarily, my alumni host helped me network which I greatly appreciated during the stressful time of searching for internships. Not only did he give me his personal contact information, but he also emailed actuaries at other firms asking them to guide me through the process of entering this field and give me any advice they have.
3. What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?
In terms of my specific interests, he informed us how Microsoft excel is vital to the career and something we should start getting familiar with during our time at Holy Cross. He also stated how using the alumni network is a vital part of finding the career that best suits our interests. Asking past alumni for advice, information on their careers, and staying in touch with those in our field is a great start on our career search.
4. Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?
You need to experience first-hand what it takes to enter the career you are interested in. I thought I knew almost everything on what a career in insurance would consist of, I read online articles, used databases, and even went to information sessions. However, the shadowing program was more beneficial than everything else put together. Mr. Driscoll gave us information that I had never read online and would have never thought of had I not spoken with him.
