For many, getting into the insurance industry is more happenstance than intentional — Off Course’s founder and CEO, Alexis Cierra Vaughn, wants to help change that typical trajectory and make a career in insurance a student’s first choice and vocational path.
Vaughn (pictured above) has been doing everything in her power to be a mentor to the younger generation, including working with educational institutions to help promote the insurance industry as a viable career beaming with growth opportunities.
“The way I want to approach mentorship is through giving real advice and not sugarcoat things,” she said.
“I want to tell these young folks that their first job, in all honesty, might be kind of boring, but when you find that area you are so interested in, you will thrive.”
Vaughn believes it is important to highlight how diversified the options are in insurance – and how different options can be best suited for people’s personality types.
“If you’re not typically a people person, then there’s underwriting or actuaries, whereas if you do enjoy more social interactions with the public, brokers and agents can fill that need,” she said.
“If you’re into technology, there’s so much happening in that sector, and I think the younger generations would be interested in those kind of career prospects.”
Furthermore, Vaughn wants to stress the importance of how professionals in insurance can still make a difference in society in an industry that welcomes change.
“They still want to make an impact and they want to do work that matters,” she said.
“We need disruptors, we need those out-of-the-box thinkers, because this is a 100-plus-year-old industry, we can use a little shakiness.”
In advance of her panellist role at this year’s Women in Insurance Summit Atlanta, Vaughn spoke about how the newer generations of professionals are moving away from a traditional corporate lifestyle and why she is excited to take part in this event.
For Vaughn, one of the crucial things to understand about the next generation of talent that is coming into the workforce is how they do not fit into traditional corporate archetypes.
“They think outside of the box, and they also work outside of the box. They don't understand the traditional corporate structure,” she said.
Vaughn believes that this is due to them not being raised with certain ideas and ideals about corporate America.
“For my generation, you were taught that you can’t say certain things in a professional setting, that will get you fired,” she said.
“However, the younger people think that they can say and wear whatever they want now, so there is an adjustment period for them once they enter into the workforce.”
When working with the next generation, Vaughn has noticed that there is some hand-holding that needs to be done to elevate their professional aptitude, something she calls ABC training.
“They may not know how to use an Excel spreadsheet, or you may have to hold their hand through other tasks that may seem like second nature to us. Thankfully there is this thing called YouTube where they can also learn new things on their own,” she said.
Having participated in a Women in Insurance Summit Atlanta conference before, Vaughn said that this event has a special place in her heart.
“A lot of other events started booking me after I spoke at Women in Insurance Atlanta, so I have very fond memories from it,” she said.
“I got to make amazing connections to help me move further in my career, which is how I went from working for an insurtech company to now coming back on this stage as the founder and CEO of my own insurtech consulting firm.”
One of the main benefits of these types of events is the professional networking that is enabled by having a large swath of individuals from different companies and vocations present.
Additionally, it allows Vaughn to indulge in her mentorship inclinations.
“You get to connect with women who are like minded and are looking to grow within the industry by learning more about what career path they should take,” she said.
“However, you get to meet a lot of people and see how, in insurance, there is not one clear career path, but you’ll always end up where you need to be.”
Elsewhere, these events also allow interpersonal relationships to flourish beyond the confines of professional conversations or mentorship opportunities.
“I made lifelong friends when I was here last,” Vaughn said.
“It feels great to make connections that matter in various ways.”
Click here to learn more about the Women in Insurance Summit Atlanta or to register to attend.
