nGInsights: 3 Successful Traits

There are three critical traits that individuals should embody in order to be successful.

1. The drive to be the best, which involves maintaining a strong reputation, while staying challenged and engaged. While striving to be the best, expect quite a few challenges to pop up. Staying engaged in your work can sometimes be tough. Some of my most successful peers and colleagues practice the following to overcome hurdles on the path to success:
   • Keep informed about how the work you do on a daily basis ultimately affects the success of the company,
   •Take ownership of your work
   •Have open communication with your colleagues and superiors. In many cases, employees do their jobs, but have no idea how the work they do has an impact on the company's bottom line and success. By training employees to understand how their contributions affect the business, they are more likely to take ownership of their work.
2. It's important for an individual to have a strong personal brand reputation. Working for a company that is known for offering quality products and services is important, and companies that offer both reflect a strong culture and strong employees. A strong reputation can help individuals maintain job security in even some of the most challenging economic conditions. Learn 5 ways to brand yourself and your agency.
3. It's important for businesses or employees, regardless of age or generation, to challenge themselves, and to hone and expand skill sets. If you want to keep your business or job interesting, enjoyable, and productive, you need to get out of your comfort zone.

Coming from an engineering background with no insurance experience has been a challenge as I continue developing as an insurance professional.  Luckily, I was able to learn insurance basics and leadership skills from Zurich's Associate Program. It's a 10-month program that gives select individuals the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the insurance industry, including underwriting, claims and risk engineering, just to name a few. Additionally, through the program, I developed many important relationships that I continue to develop in my current position.

If GenYers work hard and strive to be the best, maintain strong personal brand reputations, and continuously challenge themselves, our generation will lead a more creative and effective work environment and be ready to help Generation Z achieve its best potential.