Marcus

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By @dm1n Fresh Grad Veterans June 23, 2020

Fresh Graduate

What was your Last drawn Income Range before joining insurance Biz?

Not applicable. Came as a fresh graduate.
Other Part-time jobs during studies includes Service Leader and Asst Chef in restaurant & Bar-tender

How long have you stayed in your previous job before joining insurance Biz?
NA

Was it more of a Push or Pull Factor? Can you elaborate a little?
For me, it was a push factor. As a Business Marketing fresh graduate with 0 working experience in the corporate world, no organisation would take in a Marketer with 0 experience or network. Furthermore, the world of Marketing has diluted and are generally tagged towards Sales. During my job hunt, I was accepted for interviews for jobs that were fully sales related. (I.E Recruitment Specialist, FSC interviews, IT Sales Execs) These jobs were nothing related to the development and implementation of local/international Marketing strategies but rather, just Sales KPI focused. Thus, during interviews for FSC positions (at that time, I didn’t understand what the insurance industry was), the potential of a FSC career excited me. Instead of doing sales for others, I could do sales for myself, and potentially earn more than my peers who graduated with me. Thus, I decided to step into this industry, with my then friend who was also an FSC then.

How long have you been in insurance Business?
I’ll be reaching my 11th year this 2020.

What was the biggest fear before joining the biz? How did you overcome it?
My biggest fear was ‘Uncertainty’, both financially and long-term career. I overcame this through my mentor who taught me the importance of goal planning (Short, Mid and Long term). Staying focused to my goals has given me both financial security, and a clear sight to my career goals.

In your own opinion, what are the key attributes of your success?
It took me a long time to learn this, but I would have to say ‘Adaptability’ was a key attribute to where I am today. The ability to adapt to changes has given me more focus and drive in what I do. Additionally, the mentorship I’ve received paired with the wide platforms and knowledge of what our team has have allowed me to provide a comprehensive range of solutions to any type of client.

What are some of the awards you have achieved?

Various MDC Silver/Gold, Superstar Gold over the years
High-Net Worth Specialist
Champion of my agency for General Insurance Portfolio
My own agency’s Runner-up for Employee Benefits Portfolio

What is your specialization in insurance?
I specialise in Holistic Planning for my personal clients, identifying individual risks and recommending tailored solutions to different individuals and estate planning for families. I specialise in Employee Benefits & Total Risks management for corporate clients. Implementing tailored solutions for Corporate Risks/Employee Benefits. This additionally includes Wellness solutions to my Corporate clients that seeks to improve employee efficiency

What are the key challenges when you first join? How did you cope & overcome it?

One key challenge I faced was adapting the self-employed mindset. There are so many factors here which mainly includes skill sets (Soft & Hard Skills) and an entrepreneurship mentality (Self discipline, willingness to adapt, ‘the grind’, all all that hard stuffs!). I didn’t have prior working experience nor exposure to the business world and the inexperience was a huge disadvantage to me.

Coping & Overcoming:
Through vigorous training provided by my mentors and agency, i had to learn from the experiences of my colleagues which enabled me to manage my expectations in running the business. I am glad that our colleagues are always open to share their negative/positive experiences which are priceless and rare in our industry. The platforms (Partnerships/Focus Groups/GI) within my agency allowed me to expose myself to various environments allowing me to learn and experience as much as i could within the shortest amount of time. Hence, enabling me to have a level of ‘experience’ when engaging with my own clients.