Title: Claims Consultant

Department: Retail Claims

Joined TAL: August 2022

I have been in the Life Insurance industry for just under five years. I studied a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) and worked for a number of private clinics for a few years before moving into the Life Insurance industry. I started off as a Claims Consultant before moving into a Rehab Consultant role. I then transitioned from Westpac to TAL, moving back into the Claims team as a Claims Consultant once again.

Working in the Claims team at TAL is a very rewarding job. We spend each and every day assisting customers throughout what is usually a very difficult time in their lives. It involves a very high level of empathy—we really need to put ourselves in their shoes to understand just how life changing their illness could be, how it affects their everyday lives and what we can do to make it easier on them. You learn to be a very good listener and communicator; to see things from different perspectives and communicate in a way that people can understand. It has definitely made me a kinder person—you start to understand just how important life insurance is for people in their time of need and how providing a high level of service can really brighten their day.

My medical knowledge and background have definitely helped me as I transitioned from a Physio to a Claims Consultant. Additionally, my ability to understand function and how this translates into everyday tasks, as well as how a lack of function can prevent someone from returning to work. Having an allied health background has helped me understand treatment and potentially some extra services we can provide to assist our customers in their recovery. Above all, working in healthcare provided me time to really perfect my communication skills, which in my opinion is the single most important skill we need in claims.

The work-life balance attracted me to this line of work. There are a number of perks, including lifestyle days, ongoing learning opportunities and an amazing office culture!

Some of the challenging things about this role is dealing with people who are unwell everyday definitely takes its toll. Not all customers are happy and excited to talk to you, and not all of them appreciate the lengths in which we go for them. It can be difficult to deal with some of these more difficult customers, in combination with tight time frames and the other stressors of the role.

Three pieces of advice to anyone thinking about making a career change into Claims or the Life Insurance Industry:

1. People choose to work in healthcare because they have a desire to help people. Although this is in a different way, we spend every minute of the day helping those in need. If this is something you really want to do, I suggest giving the Life Insurance industry a go!
2. Really embrace the culture – this is a great place to work, and we spend so much time with our colleagues—make the most of it and get to know people through attending social events and making friends. It makes our job a lot easier to know we have people around us to support us!
3. Ask questions! No question is a silly question. There is a lot to learn—sometimes you will need to ask the same question multiple times, please do not be afraid to do so. There is so much support and so many people here to help you through your transition, you will never feel alone.

I only have great things to say about TAL. The culture, opportunities, flexibility to balance life and an overwhelmingly large sense of job satisfaction is just the beginning!

Interested in applying?