Ciaran Trimming is a Communications Assistant in Claims Communications and has recently graduated from our General Graduate Programme.
Read on to learn more about Ciaran’s career journey so far.
Ciaran Trimming is a Communications Assistant in Claims Communications and has recently graduated from our General Graduate Programme.
Read on to learn more about Ciaran’s career journey so far.
What do you do in Admiral and how long have you been working here?
I joined Admiral back in February 2020 on the Graduate Programme, and I now work in the Claims Communications department as a Communications Assistant. In my current role I’m responsible for creating and distributing regular and ad hoc communications for Claims, as well as organising and coordinating focus groups and online chats with senior managers. I’m also working on gathering feedback and providing recommendations to improve our current communication strategy, including working with different media types.
How did you get into your role? What is your background?
I went to Cardiff University where I studied Spanish and Italian. As I wasn’t sure on what I wanted to do for my career, I applied to many graduate programmes as I knew this would give me the experience and exposure to different areas of a business and help me figure out ‘what I want to be when I grow up’. I was successful in my application to the Admiral General Graduate Programme and felt that the soft skills that come with studying languages really helped me to get here. These skills suited a Communications role perfectly and, when combined with the experience I have gained during my other placements, I feel like I have managed to overcome the first major steppingstone in my career; knowing which avenue I actually wanted to take!
What does your department do for the company overall?
Claims Communications is an important part of the Claims department, especially in the current virtual working world. We provide Claims focused communication for our colleagues in Claims, often collaborating and taking guidance from the company-wide Communications team. This includes business critical communication, regular news updates, Claims vacancies and any ad hoc requests which benefit the department. Our most exciting area of focus at the moment is how we can change and develop to improve our service to the department, including looking at the ways in which we communicate, and whether this should change to ensure we capture the attention of more of our colleagues.
Can you tell us more about your graduate journey?
During the Graduate Programme I worked in Marketing as a Product and Partnerships Assistant, followed by the Learning and Development department where I was a Project Executive, responsible for creating and distributing the department’s first ever digital Learning & Development Prospectus. I then joined Claims People & Communications for my final placement, where I have recently accepted an offer to stay on permanently. Throughout the scheme I felt there was a lot of support, both from my placement managers for work-related questions and concerns, and by the Graduate Programme team, who provided support on health, wellbeing and career pathways. I loved that they didn’t take a one-size fits all approach to supporting us, which meant that every grad got the support they needed and was treated as an individual with different requirements and career goals. The Grad Programme was incredibly challenging, but also very rewarding. I met so many people around the business and created real connections with many of my wonderful colleagues; it was a unique experience and a great start to my career.
How would you describe the culture here?
Admiral is one of the few businesses which encourages its people to always be themselves – this is central to the culture here! Our differences are celebrated which is a breath of fresh air after working at other businesses which expect you to conform to their idea of what the right kind of person is for them. We have a lot of fun at work, but we also work hard, and the fun aspect of what we do really helps us to keep focused and do our absolute best. I’ve not met a single person while working at Admiral who I dislike, and that’s because everyone really enjoys working here; the culture allows for this to happen and I’m looking forward to working here for years to come.
Do you have any advice for someone considering our Graduate Programme?
I couldn’t recommend the Programme more! But know that it is challenging, and you will be working very hard during the 24 months you'll spend on it. If you’re considering applying, I recommend being as detailed as possible on the application; if it says there is a 250-word limit on a question, use all 250 words as this will make you really think about your answer, and you’ll be forced to include as much detail as possible. I also recommend doing your research on the business; Admiral has so many entities and products and we’re also very proud of our history – if you can demonstrate that you put in real research for your application, it will be even stronger!
