A
CAREER in insurance is often synonymous with being an insurance agent without much potential for professional
growth.
The Malaysian Insurance Institute (MII) chief executive officer Datuk Syed Moheeb Syed Kamarulzaman said insurance companies offer a wide range of job prospect to become claims adjuster, actuary, underwriter, special investigator, finance, accounting, marketing, occupational safety, legal assistance and risk management.
MII is a professional body for insurance professionals.
Syed Moheeb said school leavers could go far in the career with professional qualifications that prepared them to study subject-focus contents relevant to the industry.
”There is a lack of awareness on career development and a varied job scope that the industry offers,” he said, adding that MII provided a professional qualification that allowed faster career growth.
He said among areas of specialisations that were high in demand were actuarial, reinsurance, underwriting, claims, and distribution — including agency, bancassurance and insurance technology.
MII is offering Associateship of the Malaysian Insurance Institute (AMII).
Syed Moheeb said there were about 2,000 AMII graduates in the local insurance industry of 50,000-60,000 professionals, not including insurance agents.
He said studying at MII was better than pursuing a degree as AMII was a professional qualification with only 2.5 years of study duration.
”The AMII Programme, which is accredited by Finance Accreditation Agency, is taught by highly-qualified and experienced lecturers.
He said AMII graduates would qualify as senior associates of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance.
“Credits awarded under our AMII programme are eligible for transfer to the Chartered Insurance Institute (the United Kingdom).”
He said MII was working with the industry to deploy the students into the workforce at the final semester of their studies on an internship programme.
”Though we do not guarantee job placement, the students’ merits will be the determining factor during the internship for job placement.
”Alternatively, they can venture in entrepreneurial roles in becoming an insurance consultants or insurance intermediaries.”
He said there were opportunities in large corporations or public listed companies, where they have an independent insurance unit or department to manage the company’s insurance requirements.
Syed Moheeb said MII was launching a full-time class for school leavers and fresh graduates for June intake.
”We are targeting between 50 and 60 students for the intake,” he said, adding that graduates and school leavers would consider insurance as their first career choice instead of traditional route of going for their higher education from an established college or university.
”With this, they will be encouraged to consider insurance as their preferred career choice.”
Generally, he said, students need to have good results in Science, Mathematics and English in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia examinations. However, aptitude and critical thinking skills would be highly valued.