075: Map Your Next Move: Navigating Your Insurance Career with Confidence

This episode is sponsored by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). Summary In this episode, Sandra is joined by Vanessa Riboloni, Professional Capabilities and Insight Manager at the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), for a conversation about visibility, growth, and the story behind the CII Professional Map. Vanessa shares how she found her way into insurance by chance. A researcher at heart who followed her curiosity rather than a fixed plan. Vanessa reflects on how she built a meaningful career by leaning into learning, taking calculated risks, and staying open to where her skills were needed. As someone who doesn’t naturally seek the spotlight, Vanessa speaks candidly about visibility in the workplace, and the realisation that competence isn’t always enough. She offers practical reflections on how to become your own PR manager, especially in a hybrid environment where it’s easy to go unnoticed if you don’t actively show up. The episode centres on the CII Professional Map, a free, open-access tool designed to help individuals, line managers and teams reflect on development needs and define what “good” looks like at every stage of an insurance career. Vanessa walks us through how the map was built, from field research and behavioural interviews to user testing and team workshops, and shares how it’s being updated to reflect evolving expectations around skills, sustainability and AI. Whether you’re navigating your next move, supporting others as a manager, or returning to work after time away, this episode is a practical guide to making growth feel possible, even when you’re not sure where to start. Takeaways You don’t need a fixed plan to build a fulfilling career, sometimes the path reveals itself along the way Curiosity is a powerful driver of growth, learning and connection Visibility matters, being good at your job isn’t always enough if people don’t see your impact If you’re more introverted or focused on delivery, you may need to be more intentional about showing your value The Professional Map is a free tool designed to support career development at every level It’s useful for return-to-work planning, confidence building, interview preparation and team reviews, are all things that the Professional Map can help with About the guest Connect with Vanessa Riboloni on LinkedIn About the host Connect with Sandra Lewin on LinkedIn Learn more about the 100 Women in Insurance Collective: www.100womenininsurance.com/collective Resource  Explore the CII Professional Map