Employee blog: How a job turned into a career

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Approximately seven years ago, I was considering a job change. The problem was, I didn’t know what I wanted to change to.

Then, my brother-in-law, Casualty Claim Manager Jake Vetter, told me about an opening in American Family’s Claims Customer Care Center. He described it as a customer-facing position and thought I would be a great fit.

I had spent many years in the hospitality industry, so I knew I wanted to work directly with customers, but I was admittedly apprehensive as I knew next to nothing about insurance.

But, I took a chance, applied and was offered the position. My first day was a formal training program filled with insurance terminology and American Family acronyms. To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement. Seven years later, I couldn’t be happier I took that chance. I was looking for a job and ending up finding a career with a fantastic company.

My AmFam career has been a journey. It has been filled with promotions, lateral moves and times I did not get selected for a position I applied for. I’ve learned that your career truly is a jungle gym and not a ladder, and that’s a good thing. In the jobs I’ve held, I’ve gotten the opportunity to work in several areas of claims and have seen how we protect our customers’ dreams every day.

I’ve also been fortunate to work for leaders who challenged my way of thinking and encouraged and held me accountable for my development. Leaders who encouraged me to job shadow other areas, take part in pilot programs, and stretch outside my comfort zone. I’ve worked with peers who acted as mentors and were patient through my insurance learning curve.

I’ve also taken advantage of development opportunities offered by our company. These have ranged from insurance-industry courses, tuition reimbursement, and leadership coursework offered by Talent Development , just to name a few. All of these experiences have shaped me into the employee I am today.

For the past 2½ years, I have been fortunate enough to serve in a leadership role for some of the best team members, managers and peers I could imagine. It’s been rewarding to see how we’ve collectively risen to the occasion during claim volume spikes, system changes, yet always kept our focus on customers and restoring their dreams. These employees have also consistently pushed me to develop myself to better serve the company and achieve our corporate goals.

When I look back at my AmFam journey, I am truly thankful to be part of a company that has invested in me more than I could ever have imagined when I started seven years ago. Every adventure requires a first step, and I couldn’t be happier I took that first step into the unknown world of insurance.

Photo: Nick and his wife, Devin.