Liberty's Henry Reed-Purvis talks about his first year as a Marketing Intern

Authored by Liberty Specialty Markets

Liberty Specialty Markets' Henry Reed-Purvis talks about his first year as a Marketing Intern.

In my final year at university, I had no specific industry in mind that I wanted to work in after I graduated. What I looked for was an exciting industry, company, and role that I found interesting.

When I came across the role of Marketing Intern at Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM) and started to research the company, I found the lines of business, products, values, and overall outlook interesting. The thought of working in a dynamic role for a global insurance company with over 2000 employees in 60 offices around the world appealed to me. This was made more exciting by the prospect of moving to London, a vast, lively, and diverse city of over 8 million people compared to the quiet Yorkshire town where I grew up.

I sent my CV off right away. When I heard back, I then had the challenge of a virtual interview process to navigate. I prepared as thoroughly as I could for each stage, learning more about the role of a Marketing Intern, the Marketing team and some of LSM’s great initiatives. After much anticipation I received the welcome news that I was being offered the internship. I was delighted. It seemed as if I had fallen into insurance, which I was assured, was the case for lots of people.

The first few months were fast paced. Adjusting to the 9-5 working day, the journey into the office, moving into a new flat and climatising to the hustle and bustle of London were all initially challenging. They were also filled with countless great learnings and experiences. Like all of LSM’s new joiners based in the London office, in my first week I went on a tour of Lloyd’s, the world-famous insurance marketplace renowned for its rich history and unusual architecture. I also supported the marketing team to organise LSM’s sponsorship of the Titian: Love, Desire, Death exhibition at The National Gallery.

This highlighted to me Liberty’s connection with some of London’s most iconic institutions. It gave me a sense of what a unique industry insurance is and reinforced the sense of opportunity I would experience during my internship.

I had the mindset to try to absorb as many learnings as possible from these experiences and the knowledgeable team I had around me, with the goal of developing professionally.

This was helped by there being a great culture at Liberty. I’m treated as a trusted and equal member of the Strategy, Marketing and Communications team. From organising events, adapting to remote working during the pandemic, to building a regional website, the wide-ranging experiences I’ve had during my internship at LSM have been eye-opening and have equipped me with countless new skills. It has been this variety that I’ve enjoyed – being able to learn about the insurance industry, understanding LSM as a business and getting involved with a range of different projects.

It has been this focus on fostering learning and professional development throughout my internship that has been invaluable to me at this early stage of my career. It has allowed me to learn on the job and to grow into my role over time.

I would encourage anyone who is considering applying for a role at LSM or a career in insurance to do so. I feel fortunate to have found the role of Marketing Intern at LSM after my studies. I’m surprised it isn’t more widely known for being a fantastic sector to work in, it feels to me that the insurance industry is somewhat of a “best-kept secret”.