How to become an insurance broker in Manitoba

October 22, 2021 | Brio news

Do you want to become an insurance broker in Manitoba? We interviewed Andrea Hnatiuk, the Development and Acquisition Specialist at Brio Insurance, who is here to give you the inside scoop on this rewarding and worthwhile career. (Including why you should consider applying at Brio Insurance).


Andrea, what exactly do you do at Brio Insurance?

As the Development and Acquisition Specialist in the Human Resources department at Brio Insurance, I’m responsible for several duties, including:

  • Recruiting,
  • Onboarding,
  • Orientation,
  • Staff development and training, and
  • Bonus program administration

As someone who deals primarily with the recruitment of our Auto and Property Insurance Specialists, I know a thing or two about the ideal career path. Although I say ideal, there are many ways to become an insurance broker. No one way is better than the other.

You say there are many ways to become an insurance broker in Manitoba, but what kind of education should an insurance broker aim to complete?    

Well, if your main career goal is to work in personal lines insurance, the first thing you’ll want to do is get your Level 1 license.

To get the ball rolling, you’ll need to enroll in either IBAM’s (Insurance Broker Association of Manitoba) CAIB (Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker) 1 course or the Fundamentals of Insurance course.  Upon successful completion, you will obtain your Level 1 license.

Essentially, this license allows you to sell inside (not outside) the office of an insurance agency, under the supervision of someone with a Level 2 license. You’ll be able to sell every category of insurance, including accident and sickness, but excluding life insurance.

From there, you can continue to take additional courses to further your career, like CAIB 2, 3, and 4, CSIP (Customer Service for the Insurance Professional) and CPIB (Canadian Professional Insurance Broker).

I encourage all interested in this career path to visit http://ibam.mb.ca/education/ for course information, tuition, and registration.

Okay, got it. So, that first licensing course is step 1. If someone is new to the game or starting their insurance career a little later in life, what other types of education or experience might help them become an insurance broker in Manitoba?

At Brio Insurance, we understand that job applicants come from all walks of life with varieties of unique experiences. First and foremost, we typically want to hire people who are outgoing, ambitious, passionate about providing exceptional service, and appear to be a good fit with our culture.

That said, a degree or certificate in business and experience in any type of service industry or sales environment are considered assets.

I’m glad you brought up the culture of Brio Insurance. Can you describe the organizational culture and what makes Brio Insurance so special?

 

Our employees live by our culture code, which is all about creating strong, lasting, and meaningful relationships with our clients. These points; do good, be better, own it, move forward, and create fun (my personal favourite!), are what make working for Brio Insurance so rewarding.  

And, when you work at Brio Insurance, you don’t just sell insurance. We’re a very community-minded organization and take pride in our Shine Bright Community Investment Program. We’ve supported many organizations like 1JustCity, Never Alone Foundation, and Shameless Circle.

Lastly, as an organization committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Brio Insurance recognizes that all persons are equal in dignity and human rights without regard to race, religion, colour, sex, marital and family status, disability, age, nationality or ethnic origin. We assure equal opportunities to all employees with respect to hiring and training.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about working as an insurance broker in Manitoba or about Brio?

From the abundance of educational opportunities to the ability to work your way up, a career in insurance can be incredibly fulfilling. At Brio Insurance, we offer ongoing training and personal development, in addition to competitive compensation, an employee pension program, and a bonus program. On the fun side, we like to play bingo, celebrate spirit weeks and participate in team-building. There is never a dull moment at Brio Insurance!

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Job seekers interested in working with us can view current opportunities on our website: https://www.brioinsurance.ca/about-us/work-with-us/ We have branches in Winnipeg, Steinbach, La Broquerie, and Beausejour.

 

 

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