CAB president accepts job at large broker firm
April 3, 2017
As graduation draws near, many students worry about acquiring a job, continuing their education or simply passing the last semester. But, one student stands out as by se- curing a job before even graduating. At the end of summer 2016, Dustin Hickman accepted a job o er from All Risks Limited, a prominent insurance company.
Hickman, a senior risk management and insurance major, currently serves as president of the Campus Activities Board. He previously par- ticipated in 31 Ambassadors, the Emerging Scholars program and the Peer Leader program. His hobbies include playing football, hunting Pokémon and binging Netflix.
After taking introductory classes, Hickman changed his major from nance to risk management and insurance. “Finance just was very monotonous and boring to me,” Hickman said. “I didn’t get the material all that well, and insurance just kind of clicked.”
Besides this disinterest, he accredits this decision to insurance professor Christine Berry’s
persuasion and dedication to her students through teaching classes, providing connections and hosting the RITS.
The RITS, or Risk and Insurance Talent Search, provides students with an opportunity to learn about the major, interact with industry pro- fessionals and secure internships or jobs. After attending last year’s RITS, Hickman applied to an internship. Even though he applied late, with the help of Berry’s recommendation and a good phone interview, All Risks Limited accepted him into the program.
is company prevails as one
of the largest wholesale brokerage rms in the nation. ey provide coverage for the excess/surplus and specialty lines.
Essentially, agents and brokers will handle unique and non-stan- dard risks such as Mardi Gras, oil tankers, drones, crop dusting and hurricanes.
“He already has an excellent grasp of the surplus lines, which will set him apart from other college gradu- ates entering the company’s broker training program,” Berry said.
The job as an associate broker in- volves shadowing an established professional, learning technical knowledge and assisting in daily op- erations. Eventually, Hickman hopes to receive a part of his supervisor’s book of business, a database of ex- isting policyholders and accounts, so he can grow his own clientele. In ve years, he envisions himself man- aging customers, paying o student loans and living comfortably.
Hickman attributes this success to a strong support system that includes Berry, Coordinator of Student Activities Michael Roboski and other professors and friends. Like every typical student, he recalls challenges such as time management and procrastination.
Nevertheless, ULM prepared him enough for his internship. He felt just as knowledgeable as the other college interns from larger insurance pro- grams.
“What you can get in college has no comparison to what you learn in the real world. But I think that it does give you a decent foundation to where you don’t feel lost,” Hickman said.
He said these days, companies look for more than just a decent GPA. ey also want qualities such as a willingness to learn and a good personality.
In particular, the insurance industry focuses on relationships.
“I think he embodies that idea simply just because every time I see him, he goes out of his way to shake my hand and talk to me and catch up with me,” said Jacob Evans, a friend and senior risk management and insurance major.
