Last month the IBANB (Insurance Brokers Association of New Brunswick) had their annual graduation ceremony for those receiving their CAIB (Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker) designations. I was able to completed my fourth and final exam last June of 2025, officially making me an Insurance Broker. That’s when I decided to leave the industry.
After finishing university, and still not knowing what path I wanted to pursue I had a decision to make. I could tell, sales formed the backbone of all the successful businesses I saw around me. I knew that with the right skillset, you could write your own ticket. So that’s what I did, I got into the sales game.
In 2015 I began my career doing sales for a startup focusing on the international market. After 18 months and many hours travelled, I decided to make a change for something more central based. That’s when I got into the insurance industry for the first time.
I started as an Advisor with Sun Life Financial. I learned a lot from their sales training program, but the business didn’t end up fairing well. The market in New Brunswick seemed to be stagnant. You really had to be all about selling insurance to friends, family and anyone who would listen just to get your foot in the door. That I learned, wasn’t for me.
That’s when I went to work for an Insurance Brokerage. It was a more stable position with predictable hours, and I had a constant flow of leads coming in. I was lucky to really learned a lot at in this role, which is what I was after.
When Covid hit in 2020 everyone was stuck inside and I needed something to occupy my time in order to maintain what little I had left of my sanity. I ended up building websites through online learning platforms like Codecademy and YouTube. I soon hired my own tutor, who had experience in the industry, to teach me front end development in a more formal manner. Weekly online classes would be followed by me working on homework assignments. From there I started doing freelance work. Meanwhile I always experimented with different aspects of programming in my own time.
I soon became burnt out from the insurance industry and realized it was time for a change. But changing careers in your 30’s is difficult when you have bills coming in. Not to mention this was (and still is) at a time where mass layoffs have been falling like dominos throughout the industry. Despite the pessimistic job prospects, I decided to take a leap of faith anyway.
Looking back, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I just finished the fist year of a two-year program for Software Development at NBCC. I don’t miss insurance but more importantly I’ve found a joy in coding and have a desire to continue down the programming path. It’s unique time as AI unfolds in front of us. The same forces that are causes these mass layoffs are also bringing about a lot of opportunities. It will be up to those who see it for themselves, to make the most of the opportunity.
P.S. Since I couldn’t attend the graduation ceremony in person, we had an impromptu ceremony on the golf course when my former Manager’s husband delivered my diploma to me on the golf course after a round of golf together. I think I enjoyed this ceremony much more.
