Bronco Spotlight: Brandon Chidester
Associate Producer at Arthur J. Gallagher
I work as a broker for businesses helping them find the proper insurance to protect their company from large losses.
What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is giving business owners a peace of mind knowing that even if tragedy occurs their business is protected. The most challenging aspect to being an insurance broker is being aware of the risk a client has and ensuring that they receive coverage for all possibilities of a loss.
What activities, resources, or people helped you prepare for your career?
The best resource for an undergraduate student is joining a student organization that is associated with their major. This will stimulate learning beyond the classroom and help you build a personal network. Student organizations are made up of members from freshmen through seniors. This is beneficial because as a freshman you can learn and be mentored by someone who has a few years more experience than you. The networking from these organizations will open the door for potential internships and full time positions.
What advice would you offer students to help them decide on a career path?
I believe that if an individual cannot decide which career path to choose then they simply are not getting involved enough. You will be able to choose a career path after taking consistent action. There are career exploration nights held by the university and countless opportunities to learn about different industries. Even being able to identify a career you are not interested in is a step in the right direction. Shadow individuals that have jobs you may be interested in. Take them out for coffee or set up a 15-minute conversation with them on the phone to ask questions and help determine if that is the same path you may want to pursue. If you don't know anyone in an industry that you are interested in, ask a professor if they can introduce you to someone.