‘To excel working in the insurance sector, one has to take baby steps’

Hailing from Jalandhar, Varun Jain, area head with HDFC Ltd Life Insurance, completed his schooling at SD Model School in Jalandhar Cantonment. Once he completed his Class XII, he joined Khalsa College Jalandhar to pursue a course in Computer Science since he was from non-medical side.

“Once I had completed my programme I wanted to take up the job, but my elder brother insisted that I do my MBA as well,” Jain said.

Read on to know more about his professional journey and why Apeejay Institute of Management and Engineering Technical Campus (AIMETC) holds fond memories for him. Excerpts:

 How did you end up studying at AIMETC?

I took up Science in Class XI – non-medical. Once I was done with school, I did a course in Computer Sciences. I was young and rearing to start my professional journey. But my brother, who is also working in the insurance sector, insisted that I do an MBA. That is when I joined AIMETC. This was probably the best decision of my life.

How is this institute different from all other institutes?

There are two major advantages that AIMETC offers to its students. First, the grooming they provide to all their students is brilliant. The faculty engages you in whatever programme you are pursuing. This gives you the confidence and the maturity to face the challenges that you may face in life – personally and professionally. Second, they give you the liberty to explore yourself and learn from those experiences.

You are engaged in so many things. The best part is that instead of spoon-feeding you, they guide you and give you opportunities that you need to take advantage of. Then comes the brainstorming; this is when ideas develop and you take off from there and understand things with more clarity.

Why did you choose to study here?

Of course, it helped that I am from Jalandhar and the institute is right there. But that was not the only criterion. I read a lot about AIMETC before I applied. We all knew the brand value associated with Apeejay. It was a matter of pride if a person is from Apeejay. Some of the social media posts around AIMETC – about the faculty, and the infrastructure clinched the deal for me.

What are some of the changes that have taken place in the insurance sector post-COVID-19?

There have been several. First, there have been a few learning curves for us. We learnt how to conduct interviews over Google Meet and or Zoom. We had to learn how to change everything to digital format. Take an example. Before COVID-19, everything required paperwork – hard copies. Now, everything is online. We also learnt how to use the system and work from home. The youngsters who had joined just before the lockdown were left at sea not knowing how to deal with the new normal. They took longer to learn the ropes. But now, we have become tech-savvy and do everything digitally including dealing with customers.

They too have become tech-savvy and now know how to do things online and understand the digital world much better. There is more digital awareness in them as well today.

What advice would you give to youngsters who want to work in the insurance sector? The most important lesson to learn is to be patient. Good things come to those who wait. Unfortunately, young professionals want to go from steps 1 to 12 in one go. In the first six months, it is all about learning the ropes. The industry offers lucrative opportunities once you understand how the insurance sector works.

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There are two major advantages that AIMETC offers to its students. First, the grooming they provide; the faculty engages you in whatever programme you are pursuing. Second, they give you the liberty to explore yourself

–Varun Jain, Area head with HDFC Std Life Insurance

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