Sarah Stoddart

“Sometimes going outside your comfort zone means reaping real rewards. Take this summer for example. Outside of work I volunteer for a local charity who rely entirely on grants and donations. To help out with the fundraising, I took part in a skydive - not an experience I was looking forward to as I’m scared of heights - but on the day, everything went really well and we managed to raise over £2,000!

Completely unrelated to my experiences as a graduate trainee? Not at all. Having started fresh from university meant taking responsibility for my own career. I quickly realised that it’s important to recognise that however good the graduate scheme may be and however great the opportunities on offer, if you want to achieve your potential you have to constantly push yourself - even if it feels a little scary.

Here at Allianz, I’ve found that if you’re proactive, you can take on challenges that are far beyond what you may have imagined achieving. That said, the training on offer makes achieving your potential so much more possible. They’ve invested heavily in creating an Underwriting Academy - and in my books, that’s a real commitment to training and development. Best of all, the company pays for external tutors to support you through your Advanced Diploma In Insurance (ACII) examinations, which is the first step to becoming a chartered insurer.

The range of experience I’ve been able to build over less than three years has been huge. Every part of my time with Allianz so far has given me the opportunity to develop and enhance business and leadership skills that I hope will serve me well in the future.”