FIRST JOB
The way forward…
Two ambitious Bermudians tell us how they entered the reinsurance market, give us a glimpse into their working days at Amlin Bermuda Ltd and share with us how they plan to develop their careers in the future.
L
atanya Carmichael, 27, who attended the Berkeley Institute and the Bermuda College, found her education stood her in good stead for pursuing a career in business.
After gaining a Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in accounting) from St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Latanya responded to an advertisement for a trainee accountant at Amlin Bermuda Ltd. “The advert caught my eye because I wanted a role that would build on the experience I had already gained working in auditing.
“I have now been at the company for two and a half years and, during this time, I have successfully completed my Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exams and been promoted to senior accounts assistant.
“I decided to take the non-traditional route of completing my CPA exams outside of the Big Four accounting firms. My career path shows that there is always another way to achieve your goals, and sometimes it’s the road less travelled that brings out the best in us.
“I find my role at Amlin Bermuda incredibly rewarding, not least because of the emphasis the company puts on continued professional development. We are given financial support to enable us to pursue professional qualifications and we are encouraged to pursue our personal development objectives as well.
“In addition, staff members are also given the chance to participate in various charity initiatives and sponsorships through the company’s charity committee framework.
“I do feel fortunate to have secured the role and due to the relatively small size of the company, I have been able to gain insight and develop skills across the many roles within the finance team.
“A typical day may include assisting with monthly and quarterly financial reporting, processing investments and expense reporting. Other duties include business planning functions, and I serve as backup for cash management, credit control and accounts payable.
Latanya Carmichael
“My advice to young Bermudians who are starting to think about careers is to get involved with the internship programmes available on the Island. I gained scholarships to the Bermuda College as well as winning the Bermuda Government Further Education Award to study at St. Mary’s University.
“I was also part of the first Student Internship Program (SIP) in 2003, which is a joint internship programme with ACE Bermuda, Bank of Bermuda and Deloitte.
“My ultimate goal is to one day become a financial controller or chief financial officer, and to have established personal business ventures locally along the way.”
Rahjee Burrows, 27, is a technical assistant at Amlin Bermuda, where she has worked for three years.
“After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance from Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, I initially chose to steer my career towards investments and mutual funds. However, two years later, I decided to pursue a career in reinsurance, because I recognised the great opportunities for advancement in the industry.
“I signed up to a recruitment agency and it provided me with the opportunity to interview with Amlin Bermuda as a technical assistant. After my first interview, I was called back to meet with the underwriting director and managing director. I was offered the job and started when there were fewer than 20 staff at Amlin Bermuda; there are now 33.
“My responsibilities include data processing, analysing reports and corresponding with brokers, but you never know what the day will bring. Each week, I learn something new.
“The working environment is also very conducive to learning and development: all levels of staff sit together in an open plan office,
26 FAST TRACK / Careers module / 2010-2011
WWW.FASTTRACKBERMUDA.COM
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