Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

I am an underwriter based in the San Francisco office. My job entails analysing companies that are interested in obtaining workers comp insurance in the state of California. I work with mid to large size employers, typically with over 100 employees and paying over $500,000 annually in premium.

My job is to decide whether or not to insure the risk, analyse their financials, claims history and general operations, and provide a quote. If successful, I then "quarterback" the account by arranging the ongoing claims, loss prevention, accounting and audit services that our company provides.

A typical day consists of receiving several submissions that have been input into a model by an underwriting assistant, reviewing the numbers and making a decision whether or not the account is a possible target. If so, I will call their insurance broker, determine what they are looking for and whether our company is the right solution, and whether my approximate price will be good enough to earn the business.

Following this, I will arrange an inspection which I will attend on occasion with our loss prevention specialist, where we tour their facility and interview senior management about their safety program, general business operations and their employee base. This normally occurs about two weeks after the initial review.

I will then use various modelling tools combined with my subjective opinion having visited them to determine a price which is communicated to the broker. Negotiation ensues, and if successful the policy is bound and issued.

Ongoing work includes making changes to the policy, meeting the policyholder to discuss claims and safety, processing payroll reports and billing premiums, and working towards the next renewal policy.

Meeting new people and seeing how different companies operate. I have a wide client base, ranging from zoos to oilfield contractors, nursing homes to logging companies, gasoline haulers to wineries.

Negotiating pricing in "hard markets", which is when market conditions dictate rising premiums for most clients, even those who have performed well.

I have the ability to split my time between being in the office doing analytical work (appealing due to my Maths background) and meeting a variety of companies and executives, learning about their operations and presenting our product to them. There is a good mix of marketing and analysis.

Analytical skills developed during my time at Sheffield. However, the specific maths that I learned is not really applicable day to day.

On the job training and constant exposure to new organizations and challenges. No two companies are alike. Ongoing seminars, panel discussions and meetings talking about California workers comp.

Part time work after I moved to the US - working in a pharmacy / retail store, data entry, working in a warehouse (2001-2002)

Underwriting Assistant at Republic Indemnity in San Francisco, 2003. Worked my way up to underwriter then senior underwriter by 2007.

2007-2008, primary underwriter at Crum & Forster Insurance, San Francisco branch.

2008-2012, underwriter at Alaska National Insurance Company, San Francisco. Obtained CPCU designation (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, a 3 year course equivalent to an insurance degree) and ARM designation (Associate in Risk Management).

December 2012 to present, Underwriting Vice President at Alaska National.

I have considered doing an MBA. I see myself hopefully progressing through the management ranks at Alaska National.

It is beneficial to start "at the bottom" and learn the basics before progressing to more advanced positions. My 6 months as an assistant gave me a great base on which to build, and I have an added appreciation for those who support me now.

Work hard, take additional courses and seek out older, successful people within the industry who can act as mentors. Most people are more than happy to share their advice and experiences.