A little about Alessandro’s apprenticeship…
Apprenticeship Title
Level 4 CII
Job title and employer
Underwriting Assistant at QBE
What are 3 skills you’ve learned so far?
One skill would be communication, I believe I have gotten way better with my confidence and talking to people since I started my apprenticeship.
I would say I have become more hardworking as there is a lot of work to manage, but I persevere to get it done.
Another one would be time management, as I think I have learned how to manage time effectively to get everything done.
What are 3 interests outside of work?
I enjoy going to the gym in my free time. I like travelling whenever I get the opportunity to explore new places. I also love cars and driving, as it was my passion from young.
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What inspired you to choose an apprenticeship as your next step?
I think the obvious answer for everyone is the fact I did not want to go to university. I didn’t want to be stuck there for three to four years while getting into debt, I thought it was useless. I wanted to get hands on experience in a workplace and learn which an apprenticeship allows you to do. Also, the fact that you are working alongside adults and earning a good salary at 18 years old was a great bonus for me.
I have always wanted to work in finance. I come from a working class family, and I wanted to make my family proud. It felt like something I could not achieve at first, I thought someone like me who just moved to the UK in 2018, would not be able to do it. But, Visionpath helped me with an opportunity and hope which lead me to where I am today, and I will forever be grateful.
Is there anything in the job or industry you're especially keen to learn more about?
Some things I am keen to do is make connections, meet people, hear different stories, and learn about different roles I do not even know exist. It’s very interesting to me to learn what people do behind the scenes of a bigger project, how it is broken down and how the process works. I am very keen to learn about different types of insurance sectors that I do not know much about, but seem very interesting. Things that can be insured that no one would think of and how those risks are assessed.
What’s something you’re proud of so far?
I think the thing I am most proud of is how far I have gotten. To be honest, I never would have thought I could end up where I am today, at such a young age. I think it is a great achievement and everyone else who is in my position should give themselves a pat on the back. In my job, I am proud of how quickly I settled in and how quickly I have learned how to do different things, as well as being part of an amazing team who supports me.
Did you face any challenges during your assessment or onboarding process?
I think the assessment centre and onboarding process was quite smooth. Looking back at it now the only obstacle was myself overthinking and being scared. If I could go back, I would tell myself to be more relaxed and not stress it out too much, as at the end of the day, your interviewers are also humans who are looking for other humans and not robots. Of course preparation is needed, but do not sound like you are reading it out to them, speak normally.
What support have you received throughout your journey so far, and what’s made a difference?
The biggest support I have received was from Visionpath. I can’t thank them enough for how much they helped me to get to this stage. I started with their programme where all I knew about insurance was car and home insurance, and I left their programme with a secured apprenticeship in specialty insurance. They helped me through every stage when it came to getting an apprenticeship, supported me and other apprentices through the whole process.
What moment made you realise you’d made the right decision choosing an apprenticeship?
I think the moment I realised I had made the right choice was within the first couple of weeks. I was very happy with my choice, all of the benefits I get, what the work actually is, whereas, all of my other friends who went to university are always complaining about how they should have done an apprenticeship. At this moment I was thankful that I put the work in early, and not have realised too late that I should have done an apprenticeship. Every day that goes by I am more certain that this was the right choice.
Connect with Alessandro!
Here at Visionpath, our Ambassador Community is more than just a network, it’s a movement. Our ambassadors are current and former apprentices who are passionate about making a difference by sharing their real-life journeys to inspire the next generation.
Are you a current or former apprentice who wants to get involved in the movement? Email ambassadors@visionpath.co.uk to get started.
