By Teh Shi Ning

ONE of the strongest selling points of the General Insurance Association's annual Global Internship Programme (GIP) is the overseas work placements it offers.

But GIP participant Linda Soh's memories from the programme differed from her fellow interns' stories of jet-setting excitement, as plans were derailed by last year's H1N1 flu epidemic. Stints at the New York and Tokyo offices of the insurance companies she had been assigned to were cancelled after both cities were deemed outbreak hotspots.

Not one to sulk, however, the fourth-year Maritime Studies student at Nanyang Technological University says her local experience was global in its own way, thanks to the international crowd she met during the three months spent at Sompo Japan and India International Insurance's Singapore offices.

These placements, which took place from June to August last year, were arranged under the GIP, which has the support of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and aims to woo fresh talent into the general insurance industry.

And talent is not necessarily academically defined. 'I've always thought of myself as an underdog and think I could not have gotten onto the GIP by virtue of grades alone. I suppose it could have been a willingness to work hard and well too,' says Ms Soh, 23, who feels she owed the GIA staff a lot for extending the opportunity to her.

She chose to read maritime studies for the course's business focus, but had not considered marine insurance prior to her GIP stint. 'General insurance was sort of a mystery to me initially. It brought to mind names of life insurers instead, like Prudential, Manulife and insurance agents,' she says.

But general insurance, and the marine sector in particular, was gradually demystified over the 12 weeks she spent at the two companies.

'I think I would definitely consider working in the insurance industry in future,' she now says. Some of her other options at the moment include working in the logistics industry, such as in supply chain management.

Many of the insurance practitioners she met during the GIP - she got to know all the employees at Sompo Japan (Singapore) as she rotated from team to team - related stories of how they 'stumbled into the industry', Ms Soh says.

There were ones who moved into marine insurance after working at surveying firms or other related areas where they honed expertise needed to underwrite marine risks. She observed during her internship that the general insurance industry allows for employees to grow both vertically and horizontally in their careers, either by expanding the breadth and scope of product classes they underwrite, or drilling down and specialising in a highly technical class.

While at Sompo Japan, Ms Soh was placed on a programme planned for two management trainees who had flown into Singapore from Japan. 'We had quite a lot of one-on-one time with the management. They not only taught us the strategies of the company but also showed us how they were executed,' Ms Soh says.

For a taste of the actual work, she was also given actual cases to examine, analysing claims and clauses to derive verdicts. Mentors then disclosed the actual verdicts to compare against her own.

Her attachment to Indian International Insurance, or 'triple I', was more marine insurance-specific. There, she was able to gain exposure to matters more closely related to her own field of study - such as risks attached to marine vessels and barges.

'Looking into the different clauses and comparing the portfolios helped me realise how dynamic the insurance industry is,' she says.

But business aside, Ms Soh says that it was 'the people, really, the guidance they gave me, the secrets they shared', which made her GIP experience memorable.

This article was first published in The Business Times.