Our apprenticeship programme is designed to give you practical experience and knowledge of our work at NFU Mutual, while you gain a professional qualification. It’s hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Here, Eva Donova, who joined the Level 3 Claims apprenticeship in Large Corporate Insurance in 2021, talks about her experience of the programme so far.
When I was in Year 13 at school, I did a week’s work experience at NFU Mutual and really enjoyed it. It felt like the company was a natural fit for me – I enjoyed the office environment and working with people of different ages and skill sets. Everyone always has so much to learn from one another!
So, I applied to do an apprenticeship here. I loved the idea of learning a new skillset and earning money at the same time. And I also thought gaining a recognised qualification as a Level 3 insurance practitioner would make me stand out in future job interviews.
Day-to-day work
Working in the Large Corporate Insurance team as part of the apprenticeship, I see different claims every day. This helps me to learn about the process of investigating a claim from start to finish, within limits of my authority. I need to know about all the different policies, procedures and regulatory requirements, so I can apply them to prevent loss and fraud. At the same time, I need to make sure I give our large corporate clients a first-class service.
This involves speaking to third party solicitors and negotiating settlement offers, as well as offering rehabilitation to claimants where appropriate. It’s up to us to make sure the injured party is returned to the position that they were in before the incident occurred.
Getting started
I joined during the Covid 19 pandemic, but the onboarding experience was very easy. My line manager and the rest of my team had meticulously planned out every aspect of my training. And even though we weren’t in the office every day, everyone was always available to answer my questions or queries via messaging or video call. It all helped me to feel confident and comfortable starting my new role, despite the challenges.
Lots of support
I’ve had so much support from different people at NFU Mutual. My line manager’s been very helpful and accommodating throughout my apprenticeship. She’s supported me by helping me to balance my work, training and apprenticeship studies and always encouraging me to learn new things every day. She also regularly gives me amazing feedback, so I know what my strengths are and understand what I may need to focus more attention on. She’s also helped me to organise my timetable effectively, so I have one day a week when I can solely focus on my apprenticeship work and stay on top of any deadlines.
My apprenticeship coach was always available to answer any of my queries around apprenticeship tasks. And she also gives me advice on any areas I need to improve on to get the best result I possibly can.
As well as the work and the studies, I also have to mention the induction process. There’s a team of two people who do an amazing job of inducting all the apprentices, starting at the interview process. This goes right through to regular catch-ups to see how each of us is getting on. They also organise different apprentice social events where you get to know the other apprentices at NFU Mutual, share our experiences and compare how we’re all getting on.
If you’d like to follow in the footsteps of apprentices like Eva, check out our apprenticeship opportunities and take that first, all-important step towards a successful, rewarding career.