Eric Zhang

Get to know Eric...

Getting Started: What initially sparked your interest in a career in risk management or the insurance industry? Was there a specific moment, person, or course that pointed you in this direction?

My passion for the insurance industry sparked when I got my first car and saw firsthand how insurance protects what matters most. That curiosity led me to dive deeper, and I was fascinated by how dynamic the industry is. Having grown up in China, I realized how different the American insurance market is. The American insurance market is more structured, accessible, and surrounded in everyone’s life. This perspective showed me the potential market in the industry of insurance, with an equal balance of supply and demand.

My family also own an independent insurance agency, during the summer of my junior year and after I graduated high school; I would always go to the office and learn how does everything operates. That made my fascination even deeper, I really enjoyed seeing how the sales guys can help the customers while having an enjoyable conversation with them to match their coverages with their premium budgets.

 

Perceptions vs. Reality: Before joining, what were your perceptions of the insurance industry, and how have those perhaps shifted since you've started working here?

Before joining PIA, my view of the insurance industry was shaped briefly by an internship at State Farm, where I learned about home and auto insurance in the property and casualty side. I thought that was the most important part of it, but joining PIA opened my eyes to the professional insurance side—working with business owners and that leads to a much broader market. Since starting here, I have realized how wide the industry is, and I’m thrilled to learn more about professional insurance, in order to contribute to PIA's mission and benefit our members!

 

The "Why": What aspects of risk management or the insurance field excite you the most? What do you hope to achieve or contribute in this line of work?

What excites me most about the insurance field is the purpose of insurance: protecting people from being damaged by risks. I’m passionate about helping clients to see the value of insurance by connecting with them through conversations. I am big into sales and believe that building a strong trust between clients and the agency is key to success. At PIA, I hope to use my approachable personality to build strong clients/members relationships, helping them trust in our products and feel confident to do business with us.

 

Learning & Growth: What areas of risk management are you most eager to learn more about, or what skills are you hoping to develop in your role here?

I’m super excited to learn more about the professional insurance side, especially learning how to manage risks for business owners. Coming from knowing mostly home and auto insurance, I want to grow my skills in building trust with clients and members through conversations. I’m eager to improve even more of my sales skills and get to know more about coverages for businesses, helping clients feel secure while supporting independent agents.

 

Long-Term Vision: Where do you see yourself in the insurance industry in the next 5-10 years? Are there specific roles or specializations you aspire to?

There is not really a specific role I want to pursue in the next 5-10 years; I’d like to make decisions as time goes by. But I see myself growing in the insurance industry and working toward my big goal of owning an independent agency. I know I have a lot to learn and improve in the insurance industry. That’s why I’m always eager to learn to achieve my goal.

 

 Hiring Young People for the Insurance Industry

Attracting Talent: From your perspective, what are some of the biggest misconceptions young people have about working in insurance? How can we, as an industry, better communicate the exciting career paths available?

Many young people my age see insurance as a complicated industry. They don’t understand what insurance really is, think the market is small, and feel overwhelmed by the studying and certifications they will need to get started. They worry their paycheck won’t match the effort, which scares them away. But we should show them that, yes, insurance is complicated, and that’s what makes it exciting! Even well experienced pros learn something new every day. It’s not just about studying; it’s about using that knowledge to help clients and build business. Most companies will provide resources and training to earn certifications after joining. We need to tell young people that the insurance industry is for everyone, and the effort you put in is exactly the payout. Insurance is a rewarding field with endless opportunities.

 

Selling the Industry: If you were talking to a college student or recent graduate, what would be your "elevator pitch" for why they should consider a career in insurance?

My pitch: “Hey, insurance might sound complicated, but it’s a cool field where you can help people protect what matters to them; home, auto businesses, you name it! This industry also has tons of career opportunities, if you are a people person like me, you can get into sales and help people to match their needs with their budget; if you like numbers, you can become an actuary etc! They all good positions that you can have a good pay and also room to grow.”

 

What Matters to Young Professionals: What do you believe are the most important factors young professionals like yourself look for in a company or a career today (e.g., culture, growth opportunities, work-life balance, impact)?

Young professionals like me, in college or just graduated, want a career that sparks their interest, even if it doesn't match their degree, it shows that we’re curious to learn new stuff. Growth opportunities are huge to us because hard working people want to prove their work ethic, get promoted, and keep learning.

Skills & Strengths: What unique perspectives or skills do you think young people bring to the insurance industry that might be overlooked?

Young people can bring fresh vibes to insurance and make things more interesting by mixing with all the modern online tools that are popular with creative thinking. Since we’re quick to pick up new tools, and mixing with social media, we can connect with clients in fun and modern ways. Our curiosity makes us to make complicated policies not that complicated as they look and ask lots of questions to improve things. Plus, we are also good at building trust through real and friendly conversations, which helps companies grow their customer.

 

Breaking Barriers: What do you think are the biggest barriers preventing more young people from entering the insurance field, and how might those be addressed?

If there’s a way to let them get to know insurance more without the books and the classrooms, and if they get to meet more pros who are already very successful in this industry, they are going to want to learn more about it.

 

Getting Involved in Our Young Insurance Professionals (YIP) Committee

Initial Thoughts: What are your initial thoughts or expectations about getting involved with a Young Insurance Professionals committee?

I would love to be involved with the Young Insurance Professionals. I think it’s going to be a great community that has a lot of opportunities for me to learn from other young professionals who are already in this industry longer than I am. I’d also like to mix our perspectives to help each other succeed more.

 

Benefits of Involvement: In your view, what are the key benefits for young professionals participating in a committee like this, both personally and professionally?

Like I mentioned in the first questions, I think it’s a great way for like minded young professionals like us to get together to exchange thoughts and our plans for our future career paths. I like meeting new people and expand my networking; there are going to be things that I can learn from everyone in the community.

 

Contributions: If you were to get involved, what kind of ideas, energy, or skills do you think you could bring to the YIP committee?

When I first get involved, I’d like to participate and learn how everything operates while I’m building a connection with everyone in the community. After I’m familiar with everything, I’d like to take good chances and find leadership opportunities. In the past student groups and communities that I was involved, I’d always find opportunities to become a leader to lead the team towards success. When I become a leader, I’m good at managing people, and bring positive energy to the group to make sure everyone stays on track, and having a good time while being involved in this environment.

 

Desired Activities: What types of events, initiatives, or topics would you be most interested in seeing or participating in through the YIP committee (e.g., networking, mentorship, community service, educational workshops, social events)?

I would like to be in all of them, because I think that’s the best way to get to know people, and it’s also a good way for me to become more familiar with everything in the community. Plus all of them seemed to be very interesting.

 

Building Community: How important do you think it is for young professionals to have a dedicated community or network within the industry?

I think that’s definitely one of the most important resources to have and especially in this industry. Since insurance is a broad industry, there are always going to be things that we are going to learn that we’ve never heard of it before. A community like this can help everyone to expand their visons, and learn how insurance works in other people visions.