WHO WE ARE.
Travelers Awarded Code Platoon’s 2024 Partner of The Year
Travelers recently had the honor of being named Code Platoon’s 2024 Partner of the Year, an award given to a company whose leadership significantly advances Code Platoon’s mission to empower the military community to transition into civilian careers in software engineering.
It’s no secret that military veterans and spouses often face challenges transitioning into civilian professions and finding lasting careers. With the help of Code Platoon—a coding bootcamp that teaches software development skills to veterans and their spouses—Travelers has helped bridge that gap.
Over the past year, Travelers has hired several Code Platoon graduates who went on to complete the Travelers Engineering Development Program (EDP), equipping them with the tools and confidence to find meaningful roles within Travelers’ Technology & Analytics department.
The EDP offers four distinct engineering tracks: Software, Cyber, Data and Infrastructure, and Cloud. Upon completing each track, participants hone their technical and self-leadership skills, preparing them for successful careers in technology.
“I think the EDP is a good fit for Code Platoon graduates because it provides a robust, structured training approach,” explained Bruce Soltys, VP of Emerging Talent and Talent Acquisition at Travelers. “Within your assigned track, your experience includes a combination of hands-on opportunities, immersive learning accelerators, and a mentoring program to prepare you for a dynamic career at Travelers.”
With over a century of experience helping veterans transition into the workforce, Travelers recognizes the unique talents these professionals bring, which are highly transferable to civilian careers. “I believe that transitioning out of the military brings a sense of uncertainty—and Code Platoon helped me adjust, to say the least,” shared Suhail Hameed, EDP Software Engineer at Travelers, US Marine Corps Veteran, and Code Platoon alum.
At Travelers, more than 1,000 current and former military professionals have found meaningful, lasting careers. Since 2020, increased hiring initiatives have resulted in the employment of over 300 military spouses in portable careers.
“I work with Travelers now because I started at Code Platoon, and the sky is the limit for me,” stated Chris Rances, EDP Software Engineer at Travelers, US Army Veteran, and Code Platoon alum. “I’m really glad that I am here now, and it all started because I went with Code Platoon.”
Watch the full video to learn more about Travelers’ Code Platoon 2024 Partner of the Year Award.
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WHO WE ARE.
Life at Travelers Podcast Ep.2 – Career Development
Kim: Welcome, everybody, to our second episode of the Life at Travelers podcast. I’m here today with my guest, Ellen Vyce. She is a career development expert and we’re so excited to have her. I’m going to pick her brain all about career growth at Travelers and what that means. Ellen, why don’t you introduce yourself?
Ellen: Yeah. Great. Thanks, Kim. My name is Ellen Vyce, and I’m a Senior Consultant in Enterprise Talent Management.
Kim: Awesome. Well, thank you for being here.
Ellen: Yeah, thanks for having me.
Kim: And talking all about career development with me, but before we get to career development at Travelers as a whole, I want to talk about you.
Ellen: Yeah.
Kim: So you have, kind of, quite the journey from starting, you know, as an intern at Travelers all the way through to, you know, working here full-time and working in Enterprise Talent Management. So, how did you first find out about Travelers?
Ellen: Yeah. Good question. So, my dad has actually worked at Travelers for about 23 years now.
Kim: Wow.
Ellen: So, growing up, you know, it was always a household name. So, I have always been familiar with Travelers, the Travelers Championship, the red umbrella was everywhere. So, when it came time to thinking about, you know, potential first jobs and careers, Travelers was at the very top of my list from early on.
Kim: That’s great. And what did you major in in college?
Ellen: I majored in industrial organizational psychology.
Kim: Wow. Okay. What does that mean?
Ellen: Basically, workplace psychology, very closely related to human resources, but more so the behavioral side.
Kim: Gotcha. Okay, so, so when you interned at Travelers, what did you focus on for project work?
Ellen: Yeah. So, the majority of my internship at Travelers focused on building out the career path and job family for the agile deliveries job family. So, I was working on putting together the experiences and the different career options for that job family specifically.
Kim: Yep.
Ellen: So even as an intern, I was working on career development focused work.
Kim: That’s awesome. Okay and so that was just agile delivery but this was happening across every job family?
Ellen: Primarily tech and ops, but yeah, throughout all of Travelers, a lot of job families were going through some restructuring at the time, and that was the one that I was tasked with, kind of, re-orging and figuring out. Let’s see, if I’m a scrum master, where should I go next? What are the skills and experiences needed to help me get there?
Kim: Yep. And did you feel like your internship at Travelers, did it bring your education into the experience? You know, did you walk away feeling like that real-world experience was valuable?
Ellen: Absolutely. It really put things into perspective for me and allowed me to take what I learned in grad school and apply it to my internship. And a lot of the terminology was the same. A lot of the concepts were directly applicable to each other. And I felt even more capable and ready to go back to grad school in between my internship and my school time because Travelers had prepared me really well to be able to take that knowledge back and apply it to my degree.
Kim: That’s great. That’s great. And was your, your master’s degree, was that in the same major you had?
Ellen: It was, yeah.
Kim: Alright, so you went all the way through a master’s.
Ellen: I did.
Kim: You loved it.
Ellen: I really did. It’s such an interesting field and so much of what we learn about in industrial organizational psychology is directly applicable to talent management. You’re thinking about, you know, what can we do to retain our talent? What can we do to ensure our talent is continuously learning and growing? And overall, making the workplace a better place to be.
Kim: That’s great. That is awesome and congratulations, all the way through master’s.
Ellen: Yeah, thanks.
Kim: That’s something to be proud of for sure. So, post-grad, found your way back to Travelers.
Ellen: I did.
Kim: What was it about Travelers that brought you back?
Ellen: Honestly, the rotational nature of the leadership development program that I was in, the Human Resources Leadership Development Program.
Kim: Yeah.
Ellen: Knowing that Travelers valued careers so much and a lot of continuous learning, the leadership development program was a no-brainer for me. Through the leadership development program, I got to rotate through four areas of human resources over the course of a three-year period.
Kim: Okay.
Ellen: So I got to spend time in Talent Acquisition, Compensation, Employee Relations and Talent Management, which is where I landed.
Kim: Wow. Okay, so you got a taste of, like, every part of human resources.
Ellen: Indeed. Yeah.
Kim: And leadership development programs, there’s more than just HR. There’s several.
Ellen: There are eight, I believe.
Kim: Wow. Okay. And that was something that you applied directly to?
Ellen: Exactly. Yes. As result of the internship that is through the HRLDP, they also offer the full-time program, so, as soon as I got a taste of the internship, I knew that I wanted to come back full-time as a full-time participant.
Kim: That’s awesome. And I know it has a rotational nature, like you explained, but outside of the experience in LDP, is there, you know, is there work and play? You know, is there networking opportunities, team bonding, like, what happens outside of the day-to-day?
Ellen: Yeah, I think the leadership development programs are, kind of, the best of all worlds combined. You get not only the, you know, rotations and you get exposure to various lines of business, various leaders, but you also get to interact with other LDPs across the place. So, you can interact with Finance Leadership Development Program folks or Business Insights and Analytics Leadership Development Program folks.
Kim: Yeah.
Ellen: And yeah, you really get to put yourself out there and join different committees. And you get to network a lot. So, you know, a lot of us become friends outside of the program as well. So, it’s a really holistic experience.
Kim: That’s great. And then when you join full-time, it’s like you have a whole community already.
Ellen: Absolutely. Yeah.
Kim: Oh, that’s wonderful. And you said you landed in talent management?
Ellen: Indeed.
Kim: Okay, so what do you do now? What’s your day-to-day and what’s your team like?
Ellen: Yeah. So, in Enterprise Talent Management I’m primarily responsible for our top talent practices. So, think talent pools, think talent review, think succession planning in addition to career and leadership development.
Kim: Okay. And is your team small, large?
Ellen: Yeah. Enterprise Talent Management is about 12 to 13 people right now. Yep.
Kim: Yep.
Ellen: My immediate team is three. So, we’re small but mighty. We’ve got a lot going on, a lot of really exciting work.
Kim: That’s great. So, can you talk to me about some of those initiatives that your team works on for career development at Travelers?
Ellen: Yeah, absolutely. Right now, we have a really great platform that employees can use that is driven by AI and it will provide mentorship matches, it will provide available job matches and even some learning courses for employees to take based on employee skill sets, what they’ve entered as an interest or development area.
Kim: Okay and so, so this is geared toward all employees, right? Not just… Like, growing in your area or growing into a different space, it works either way?
Ellen: Absolutely. It’s actually great for both employees, whether you’re looking for a new opportunity or looking to grow in your current role, there’s really something for everyone at all levels.
Kim: That’s awesome. So career development is really a priority at Travelers, you’d say?
Ellen: It absolutely is. We’ve heard from Alan saying that our talent is our greatest asset, which means our people are our greatest asset. So, investing in our people and their career development is 100% a priority for the place.
Kim: Yeah. That’s great. I love to hear it. It’s, you know, it’s something that… You don’t know, you know, where you’re, where it’s going to take you when you start at a company and it just sounds like not only through your experience, but through the work that you do, exposure, right? Exposure to the different places in Travelers because it’s huge. There’s so many places you can go.
Ellen: There really are. And, you know, one way that employees are able to continue exploring what might be available is through our Map Your Career process. Which is the Travelers framework for career development.
Kim: Okay.
Ellen: Those four phases of map your career are explore, identify, plan and act and each one of those phases allows employees to focus on a different piece of the career development journey.
Kim: Yeah.
Ellen: So, you know, that was created to help our employees really explore what’s out there, hone their skills and get ready for whatever’s next.
Kim: Yeah, because I know in episode one, when I was talking to Brianna, she cited, you know, we have pilots, we have nurses, we have chemists. You know, I mean, you and I work in HR, right? And it’s yeah, it’s really amazing. And I think what you just laid out right there, map your career, it sounds, like, structured but simple, right?
Ellen: Absolutely. It’s meant to be a repeatable process for employees. You know, you learn the process once and then you’re able to go back and use it as needed as you continue along your own career development journey.
Kim: Yeah. Yeah. Repeatable, right? That’s a great resource. So, for folks listening to this episode right now who are potential candidates for us, right? They might be interested in working at Travelers. What would you tell somebody who was interested in working at Travelers?
Ellen: Yeah, I’d probably tell them quite a few things. But, the first thing that I tell them is to really invest the time getting to know the job that you’re applying for.
Kim: Yep.
Ellen: Read through that job description, think about the skills and experiences that you have and the skills and experiences necessary for the role that you’re applying for. And, you know, if there’s something that’s missing, think about how you can go about closing that gap and, you know, seek out some mentors to help you close that gap before you apply. And once you get here, we’ve got plenty of resources for you to help grow your career.
Kim: Yeah, I know, it’s like, now we’re at the point, I feel like where somebody could read a Travelers job description and think, okay, this is just where I’m starting, though.
Ellen: Yes. Oh, yes. It’s really just the ground floor and then, the sky’s the limit for employees now. Whether it’s, like I said, growing in your current role or exploring future leadership roles, we’ve got it all.
Kim: Yeah. That’s great. Ellen, thank you so much. Is there anything today that we didn’t cover that you feel is important to say?
Ellen: I don’t think so. I think we’ve covered it.
Kim: Okay. Good stuff. Alright. Well, well, thank you for being here today. And I’m sure you’ll be a resource to plenty of our listeners. If they connect with you on LinkedIn, is that okay?
Ellen: Absolutely.
Kim: Okay.
Ellen: Ellen Vyce on LinkedIn.com that’s me.
Kim: Alright, alright. Awesome. We will, we’ll definitely tag you in the social post.
Ellen: Thank you so much for having me.
Kim: Absolutely.
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WHO WE ARE
My Travelers Journey – Chris Munoko
Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other is Chris Munoko’s middle name (literally). That name — Mobunda, in Chris’ native Kikongo— translates to “he who puts others’ needs in front of his.”
“I’m a caring person by nature, so The Travelers Promise encapsulates what I love most about this company,” says Chris.
Chris relocated from the Democratic Republic of Congo — where his parents and two of his six siblings still live — in 2016, when he became a student at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. Several of his computer science classmates had internships at Travelers, and Chris noticed how much they had grown and learned over the summer. So when a friend recommended Chris for a job at Travelers just after graduation, he jumped at the chance, and was hired into its Technology Foundational Development Program , which has been renamed the Engineer Development Program.
Now, as an Associate Software Engineer, Chris has helped the CAT Tech Team transform third-party and on-premise applications to internal apps hosted in the AWS Cloud, including the Catalyst Underwriter, which estimates losses from natural or man-made catastrophes. He gained experience with AWS Cloud on the job and went on to get AWS certified.
Day-to-day, Chris provides ongoing support for the workflow automation and catalyst underwriter apps after they launch. “Good is not good enough. I always try to find a way to use customers’ feedback to create features that make the user experience better.”
He also loves sharing knowledge with others; helping people get over hurdles to get into the cloud journey and achieve their goals.
Moving applications to production is a rewarding accomplishment: “It makes me stop and think, ‘Oh, wow, this thing we have been building for two years, it’s working and people are using it!’”
Outside of work, Chris loves spending time with his wife, Kaitlyn, who he met in college. He also enjoys watching and playing soccer, and he’s an anime afficionado, with a particular fondness for Naruto, Dragon Ball Z and Bleach — noting that these hobbies have taught him the importance of teamwork, the will to never give up, and the drive to strive for excellence.
With these values in mind, it’s no wonder that Chris also dedicates spare time to learning more about coding.
“I have always been fascinated by technology and how we can use it to impact today’s society. And, now as a Travelers employee, I get to see how we can use technology to push our business to new heights.”
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WHO WE ARE.
Explore Enterprise Architecture Careers at Travelers Insurance with Stephen Brand
Stephen Brand, Senior Director of Architecture on our Enterprise Technology Team, has been with us under the umbrella since April of 2021. During his time on our team, he has discovered the company culture we are proud of, opportunities to learn and grow and our commitment to innovation, technology and the growing field of architecture.
He is glad he chose to bring his career to Travelers and wants to share why you might also consider exploring a career on our team.
My Adventures in Architecture at Travelers
By Stephen Brand
Senior Director, Architecture
As I approach three years with Travelers, I’ve been reflecting on the professional decisions that led me here and the journey that continues to shape my career. Being in the technology industry and in technology at Travelers, I have made a series of professional decisions that led me to one choice that I’m glad I made – joining the Enterprise Architecture and Emerging Tech team at Travelers.
While thinking about my time at Travelers, I have come up with three key factors any architecture job seeker should consider when choosing a career path with a new company:
- Company Culture
- Learning & Growth Opportunities
- Commitment to Architecture
Company Culture:
As any good architect or architecture leader will tell you, relationships are the lifeblood of the work we do. Yes, in a technology group, we always have our eye on the technology and the future directions it will undoubtedly take us, but it’s really the people who help drive you.
Joining an organization full-time, remotely, during a pandemic was undoubtedly a risky proposition. That being said, to say that my manager and team embraced me when I joined is an understatement. I have been able to have conversations with colleagues from across the organization – from engineers to chief architects to CIOs and everyone in between.
When you work at Travelers, you will work with talented technologists who are innovating products that are impacting the lives of our customers and employees. What’s even more refreshing about Travelers’ culture is that all ideas are encouraged and welcomed by everyone at all levels. Hackathons, Competitions and Innovation Jams are commonplace and have resulted in incredible patents, product offerings and awards. The tech, collaboration and teamwork I have experienced at Travelers thus far has been exceptional.
Learning & Growth Opportunities:
When choosing a company, learning and development opportunities are paramount, particularly in the technology field that is constantly changing and evolving. It is important to understand how a company supports its employees’ development so everyone can learn and grow.
Not a day goes by where there hasn’t been something new to learn and a team of leaders who support education along the way. When I took this role as a Senior Director of Architecture supporting Bond & Specialty Insurance (B&SI), it was one of the few remaining areas of insurance technology in which I had no prior experience – but I was determined to learn.
Early on, I attended training courses designed to educate employees on the B&SI business. During these sessions, key executives from the unit were on hand to discuss business strategy and what differentiates Travelers in the market. This type of interaction also provided another opportunity to build relationships within the community. The learning tools I acquired during these courses will continue to come in handy as my career journey at Travelers progresses.
From a technology learning perspective, I’ve also seen a huge commitment to modernization efforts and the upskilling needed to get there. Travelers is funding the education and certification for AWS and our leadership is leading by example in this regard.
Commitment to Architecture:
I knew I was walking into something special from my first interview with the architecture teams and leaders at Travelers. I’ve been at big companies most of my career, including several Fortune 100 companies, but I’ve never been at a place that values architecture quite like Travelers does.
Travelers has continued its own agile, digital and cloud transformations. Whether working on the latest cloud technologies, using artificial intelligence to assist and empower employees or helping to ensure our systems are modernized and reliable for our customers and employees, I’m proud that my team is at the forefront of these critical initiatives.
As Travelers focuses on performing for today and transforming for the future, it’s not only about our current work. We are focused on what’s next in architecture and technology, and our business is committed to ensuring that we have the talent to succeed by expanding roles and career opportunities for architects across the company. This considerable investment in architecture is really exciting.
I couldn’t be prouder of being here at Travelers and going through this journey with my team. I truly hope some of you will join us on our adventure.
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WHO WE ARE.
A Commitment to Customer Service: Spotlight on Travelers In-Synch Award Winners
Travelers is committed to being there for our customers and agents when they need us most. Fulfilling this promise begins with the dedication of our front-line, customer-facing Claim and Operations professionals, whose efforts are recognized through the In-Synch Service Award program.
Launched in 2006, the award honors those from Claim, Billing, Personal Insurance (PI) and Business Insurance (BI) Customer Service, Premium Audit and PI Underwriting who demonstrate high-quality service, timeliness, innovative problem-solving, and, most importantly, a commitment to consistently meeting the needs of our customers, agents and brokers.
In 2023, more than 100 employees from the U.S. and Canada were recognized with an In-Synch Service Award. Below, we highlight three outstanding recipients.
Christopher Mackey
BI Operations Interaction Centers
Chris is known for his friendly demeanor, patience, professionalism and for going the extra mile to not only help, but to provide valuable education on our processes. He focuses on building meaningful relationships that positively impact the lives of agents, brokers, customers and injured workers. Customers have shared that Chris is “great, helpful, and willing to go above and beyond to help,” and is a model for others.
Q&A with Chris
How does it feel to be honored with an In-Synch Service Award?
I’m extremely grateful to belong to a company that celebrates their employees so well.
Tell us about your Travelers career journey.
I was brand new to insurance when I joined Travelers. I’ve learned everything I could during my time on the Business Insurance Agency Help Desk and continue to learn every day.
What is most meaningful about your work?
Knowing that whether clients are getting insured for compliance reasons or peace of mind, our work matters. Getting to use my skills to empower agents is a privilege I don’t take lightly.
If you could go back to when you started at Travelers, what is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Soak up as much wisdom as possible from your colleagues. Always remember your team has a lot of experience and boasts a wealth of knowledge.
What motivates you?
The opportunity to add value where I see it is needed.
Jay Mehta
Canada Billing
When it comes to working with agents and brokers, Jay is described as “fast,” and is ahead of the pack with it comes to response time. Not only does Jay prioritize speediness, but he also ensures that the quick information is accurate, clear, thorough and easy to understand. Agents and brokers have shared that Jay is “outstanding and a pleasure to deal with,” and that his responses are prompt, simple and clear.
Q&A with Jay
How does it feel to be honored with an In-Synch Service Award?
It feels amazing! It’s such an honor and I am so grateful to work for such an amazing company.
Tell us about your Travelers career journey.
I was hired as a Customer Service Agent before moving to Billing a couple of years after that. I am currently a Senior Billing & Payment Specialist.
What is most meaningful about your work?
Helping my team, coming up with solutions to broker inquiries and building relationships with brokers.
If you could go back to when you started at Travelers, what is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
The more you reach out to learn, ask questions and take initiative, the more you will improve your skillset. Be a good listener!
What motivates you?
Positive results motivate me to keep going.
Melissa Sampson
Personal Insurance Operations
Melissa Sampson is not only a “three-peat” In-Synch Service Award honoree, but she is also the first person to achieve the honor.
Customers have shared that Mel is “amazing and kind, “wonderful,” and a “huge asset to Travelers.” We agree as she approaches each customer interaction with efficiency and empathy, going above and beyond to deliver the Travelers Promise.
Q&A with Melissa
How does it feel to be honored with an In-Synch Service Award?
Amazing! It’s an honor to be an In-Synch honoree. I am so proud to work for such a wonderful company that truly values and honors their employees.
Tell us about your Travelers career journey.
I started as an Insurance Service Representative in our Massachusetts Business Center and am now a Senior Insurance Service Representative. I mentor and assist with training our new hires and internal partners.
What is most meaningful about your work?
I am passionate about helping others! I love to help my customers and peers learn, grow, and feel respected and cared for.
If you could go back to when you started at Travelers, what is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Don’t fear change. Embrace it. Don’t be afraid to try new experiences and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
What motivates you?
My son is my primary motivation! I want to be a positive role model for him, show him that hard work pays off and that he can do anything he wants to do if he puts his mind to it. My customers and manager also motivate me. I love being the best employee I can be, reaching my goals and getting that warm feeling when I hear feedback from my customers.
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WHO WE ARE.
Embracing Accessibility: Kathryn Weber-Hottleman’s Journey of Advocacy and Support at Travelers
The Travelers Promise is to take care for our customers, communities, and each other. One of the best ways to demonstrate this is by sharing employee stories that highlight the work, experiences, and spirit that bring our Promise to life every day.
Kathryn Weber-Hottleman, a Senior Accessibility Lead in Personal Insurance, began her Travelers career over a year ago. In her role, she focuses solely on the digital accessibility of Travelers’ products used by customers, agents, and employees.
“To have an accessible product at the end means that any user with a disability can access our user experiences without needing any additional help,” said Kathryn. “For example, users who may be blind or who have low vision, might use screen readers. Basically, it reads all the text of a site out loud to you so you can hear whatever a sighted user is seeing.”
What makes Kathryn and her position unique is that accessibility is important not only in her role but also in her personal life. Since her late teens, Kathryn has lived with congenital back issues that impact her comfort while sitting and standing, requiring workplace accommodations.
“I spent over a year in physical therapy wearing back braces on pain medication. It was a lot. This kind of thing doesn’t just go away – it stays with you for the rest of your life. And then it still impacted me once I got into the working world.”
Even before joining Travelers, Kathryn built her career in disability services, where she often advocated for accommodations and accessibility for others. Despite this, she found it challenging to advocate for herself and ask for the chairs or desks that would make her work day more comfortable.
“It made me think that how sad is this? That I’m creating this environment for others, and I don’t believe in it for me. So, it made me think a lot about stigma and the stigma that we have around disabilities and asking for the support that we need as individuals with disabilities.”
When Kathryn came to Travelers, she faced the same personal challenge of asking for accommodations, and initially found workarounds. However, when her manager became aware, she advocated on Kathryn’s behalf, ensuring that getting the right chair was a priority.
“It wasn’t just me advocating for myself anymore – it was my manager and she followed up with everyone required until a new chair was sitting at my desk. It was an amazing experience to have somebody else advocating for me so strongly.”
Kathryn’s experience emphasized the importance of being open about her needs and asking for help without fearing stigma.
“Self-identification is the first step in receiving accommodations. In this case was not just me checking that box for H.R. saying, yes, you have a disability. It was also talking to my manager about it and having her on my side,” Kathryn said. “Finding that I had that support not just in my organization but in my own unit and with my direct manager made me feel like this is a natural part of being part of the Travelers community.”
Through her work in digital accessibility, Kathryn embodies the Travelers Promise. She’s also experienced it firsthand through the compassion and support of her team and the broader community.
“I love having time carved out of our day to day to go engage with the people around us. Travelers isn’t something that just separates itself from the whole rest of the community. Travelers really takes time to invest where we are,” said Kathryn.
“We’re trying to develop this community where people can feel comfortable sharing any part of their identity. So, in my case, sharing that I have a disability and finding such strong support to get what I needed to thrive in this environment.”
Watch the video to hear more of Kathryn’s story.
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WHO WE ARE
My Travelers Journey – Sarah Haugaard
Sarah Haugaard, Sr. Director of Business Process Management on the Enterprise Operations Effectiveness (EOE) team, never imagined herself in the insurance industry. She studied liberal arts at the University of Minnesota and intended to pursue law, supporting victims of violence.
Life had other plans for her.
Sarah was introduced to property & casualty insurance while working in an administrative role for a law office. She left to join The St. Paul Companies, one of the firm’s clients, as a Claim customer support representative and then a workers compensation claim adjuster. St. Paul’s merger with Travelers in 2004 brought her “under the umbrella,” where she joined Operations (Ops) as a billing and receivables manager.
“Operations provided me the opportunity to dip my toes into leading people and leading projects, and my career development really took off from there,” Sarah said. She was able to pursue these interests, thanks to her leaders’ encouragement to try out different roles and take on new responsibilities.
“If you demonstrate that desire for growth and development, they will do anything in their realm to help you.”
She cultivated skills on the job – learning by doing, partnering with mentors, seeking new opportunities, exploring Travelers’ career development resources, having the courage to pitch ideas on process improvement (and not being afraid to learn from occasional failure) and seeking support from colleagues.
As Sarah reflects on her career, she shared, “I can’t tell you how much I have learned from people in various departments across Travelers. Everybody is so willing to help you, encourage your development and provide feedback. They genuinely care and want to see you grow.”
Sarah is now at a point where she can pay it forward – and does so regularly. “I love to help people. I try to provide support, advice or encouragement to make challenging situations and change a little more palatable.”
The EOE team of seven – which ultimately impacts more than 4,000 employees across Tech & Ops – partners with Ops business and functional areas to drive strategic initiatives, ensure business readiness and manage change. The team also helps Operations by optimizing analytics reporting practices and protecting Travelers through business resiliency.
Sarah is excited about being part of a variety of project teams leading ongoing strategic efforts where she has the opportunity to partner with many subject matter experts on a variety of different topics. One recent project includes an increased focus on learning and development for Operations professionals.
She explained, “The work we are doing will help support Ops employees in reaching professional goals. It includes focusing on opportunities to increase employee engagement and taking a holistic approach to development at the Enterprise Operations level.”
On the personal side, Sarah loves to travel, especially Italy. At home, she loves gardening, party planning, baking, spending quality time with her family and “project-managing everything” (according to her kids), including her Christmas shopping list, which is an Excel spreadsheet organized by person, item count and dollar amount, and her meticulously documented bathroom remodel.
She enjoys slapstick comedy, especially films starring Will Ferrell or Jason Sudeikis. One of her favorite movies is “Horrible Bosses” – something she is confident she will never encounter at Travelers.
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WHO WE ARE.
Creating Career Opportunities For Military Spouses
Military families often face unique challenges, including frequent relocations, disrupted careers, and the need to rebuild support systems. For many military spouses, these challenges also include difficulty in maintaining stable employment.
“When an employer knows that you are part of a military family, they understand that you’re not going to be staying there long,” said Vicky Egli, Regional Director, Claim Account Executives. “So, they’re hesitant to hire you, which means that the good jobs, the ones that develop into a career, aren’t always available.”
At Travelers, we recognize the unique skills that military spouses bring—such as problem-solving, decision-making, and empathy—qualities that are invaluable in roles involving customers and brokers. Since launching our robust hiring efforts in 2020, Travelers has provided more than 300 military spouses with portable and lasting career opportunities.
Our latest video follows six Travelers military spouses as they share how they have found opportunity, stability, and community across the company.
“It means so much to have a company that cares enough about this community to create a home for us in a world where otherwise we’re kind of just left out on our own and forgotten,” said Lauralee Lambert, Personal Insurance Underwriter.
Travelers’ commitment to military spouses goes beyond providing jobs; it offers the connection of a supportive community of military spouses, fostering camaraderie and understanding both professionally and personally.
“It’s been a privilege to connect with other military spouses throughout Travelers,” said Jordan Reynolds, Senior Insurance Service Representative. “Having that support system has been the best.”
Watch the full video to hear firsthand from Travelers military spouses, Jennifer, Lauralee, Vicky, Ebonii, Jordan, and Maria.
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WHO WE ARE.
Life at Travelers Podcast Ep.1 – Tips from a Recruiter
Kim: Welcome, everybody, to our first Life at Travelers podcast. I have my guest, Brianna Sacerdote, here with me today. She’s a recruiter at Travelers. Bri, thanks for being here.
Brianna: Thanks for having me.
Kim: Of course. I’m going to be, kind of, picking your brain. A lot of questions that we’ve gathered from social media, from our potential candidates, real candidates. So, we’re going to dive deep. You ready?
Brianna: I’m ready. I’m looking forward to it.
Kim: Alright. Awesome. So first, I would just want to, you know, have you explain your role here at Travelers and how you got here.
Brianna: Yeah. So, I’m currently a Senior Recruiter, and I recruit for the Upper Midwest Claim Center. So, all positions within Claim, ranging from trainees to experienced claim representatives. And I started in the PI (Personal Insurance) Call Center back in 2016, networked and held another role in Employee Relations, and ultimately started job shadowing in Talent Acquisition. So, that’s how I got where I am, and it’s been great ever since.
Kim: How long have you been at Travelers?
Brianna: Since 2016. So, eight years?
Kim: Eight years? Yeah. Wow. That’s awesome.
Brianna: I know. It’s gone by so fast.
Kim: So, getting into the nitty gritty of recruiting and your day-to-day, what are the first things that you look at on a resume?
Brianna: So, for me, a resume needs to be visually appealing. So, without even looking at their experience, I want to make sure it looks visually appealing. I look at format, neatness, make sure all the verb tenses are in the right tense. So, if your current job, we want your current job to say all current and present tenses and all prior jobs to say past. So, I look for that, if you have periods, we want to make sure all the periods are there throughout the resume. But I’m not that, I’m not picky if it’s not that consistent. I really want to get to the nitty gritty of what experience they have, and if they could be a good fit for the position that we’re hiring for. Especially if it’s an experienced role.
Kim: So, formatting-wise, if it’s over a page, are there any kind of, like, you know, details you’re looking for there? Should it be one page? Are multiple pages okay? How short should it be?
Brianna: Yeah. That’s the common misconception is that resumes have to be a page. And that’s, that’s not the thing. I mean, people have a bunch of experience
that they want to include on their resume so, I usually recommend anywhere between 2 to 3 is a good, sweet spot. Sometimes five is just way too long and like, you know, we’re clicking back into the resume pages to really see what, where they’re coming from. So, I think 2 to 3 is the sweet spot, but also, tailor it, you know, tailor it to the job you’re applying for. If it’s, if you have experience on there beyond ten years, maybe start to take things away. That’s not always necessary to include.
Kim: So, my camp counselor job from ten years ago could probably go.
Brianna: Yes, that can definitely go.
Kim: Okay, okay.
Brianna: But it could be a skill. That’s cool that you did something like that. Like, we like to see cool skills as well.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: And, and at the top, you know, that objective statement or summary that some folks include, is that important because we’re also submitting a cover letter, you know, what pieces are important there?
Brianna: Yeah. So, the summary I usually recommend it’s not, it’s not important or required unless it’s a very specific, unique job that you want to call out a certain experience level then fine, but I want to get to right to the experience and see what you’re coming with. So, typically it’s not required.
Kim: So, work experience and skills are really top of mind.
Brianna: And education.
Kim: And education. Got it. Okay. And, you know, for the cover letter, because a lot of the time when folks are applying for jobs, it’s required. Is it required at Travelers and, you know, how is it weighted? How important is that?
Brianna: It’s not required to submit an application at Travelers. So, the majority of our applicants do just have a resume. Cover letter is really important for me to see, like, if you’re relocating and you want to let us know that you’re relocating, or if there’s gaps in employment, that gives us an opportunity to see why there’s gaps. If you want to call out, maybe you moved back home for family reasons or something like that, so that’s helpful. Or if you have very specific experience, you want to call out in your cover letter, but otherwise that could be used for your resume, so it’s a hit or miss. It’s not required. I don’t ever, I’m not ever searching for a cover letter when someone submits an application.
Kim: Got it. Okay, so we can use a cover letter for those more personal details.
Brianna: Exactly.
Kim: Okay. Got it. Now, a tip that I’ve heard, from a former recruiter was, you know, talk about accomplishments on your resume versus what you do, right? I remember them saying, if I read your job title, right, I know what you do mostly. So, talk about how you do it and talk about those accomplishments. What is your opinion on that? Should we be putting accomplishments or talking more about our day-to-day?
Brianna: I think a mixture of both is helpful. Like accomplishments as far as if you’re excelling in key metrics in the job you’re performing in, we recommend putting those in your resume. We love numbers, percentages, so definitely include those if you’re excelling in a certain area. But I think a mixture of both is really helpful. You don’t want it all to be accomplishments, you know?
Kim: You don’t want to be too “boasty.”
Brianna: Save that for the interview.
Kim: Yeah, there you go. Okay. So, speaking of interviews, or maybe even a step back before the interview, right? We get together our resume, fill out the application, maybe a cover letter, maybe not, and we send that in. Folks on social media, we see it all the time, you know, there’s memes about it, there’s Reels about it, that the application just goes into a black hole, right? And they’re ghosted or they never hear back. What actually happens at Travelers when somebody submits an application?
Brianna: So, when someone submits an application at Travelers, they are reviewed manually. We don’t have a system where it automatically rejects applicants based off of a word they have or don’t have on their resume. We’re looking at your experience manually. So, a lot of factors go into play. It depends on how long the job’s been posted. If you apply right away, the chances of being considered might be a little bit higher. But sometimes you don’t know if, how long the job’s been posted. Even if it says ten days, it could, that could be inaccurate. It could have been unposted then reposted. So, it is really based off of timing and we try to prioritize as soon as possible, but unfortunately, if you apply late to the game, that’s what might lead to that misconception of a black hole. But we do try to reach out to people as soon as we can.
Kim: Okay. And what is the first step? So, when you do reach out to somebody, kind of, what’s the process look like for them?
Brianna: Yeah. So, we’ll conduct a first initial phone interview. So someone would connect with me, another recruiter on our team and it’d be a lot of those behavioral-type questions. So, definitely recommend folks to come prepared for those. Or we also do more talking about your job. So we just want to, not your job but your experience. We want to hear about your experience, your interest in the position, you know, why? Why Travelers? What about Travelers excites you to leave, to come here, but then to leave your current company? So, it’s more of a ‘get to know you,’ but then also, why are you the right fit for the position as well?
Kim: Okay, so that’s that first step and past that, do they start to meet with the actual team they’d be working with?
Brianna: Yeah. So depending how that goes the team and I will collaborate and then we’ll determine next steps. Usually interviews are on video but a lot of teams are now incorporating a lot of in-person interviews. So, you might go to an office and meet with the hiring team. A lot more behavioral-type questions would be asked during that conversation. So, we really, I try to prep my candidates a lot with those behavioral-type questions because there’s a plethora.
Kim: Okay. Okay so Travelers allows for both in-person interviews and, like, virtual video interviews.
Brianna: Yes.
Kim: Okay. Awesome.
Brianna: And I guess depending on the office and what, you know, it’s dependent across everywhere. But yeah, most offices are incorporating in-person interviews again since COVID because that’s all we used to do.
Kim: Sure. Yeah. I know, life changed so much since then.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: And after the interviews, a question we got from social media was, how often do you receive a thank you note, or does a hiring manager receive a thank you note after interviews? And is that important?
Brianna: Yeah, that’s a great question and I actually preach about thank you notes to everybody I talk to. For recruiters, it’s not, I don’t take it as a bad or good thing. If you don’t thank me after a call, it’s really what matters next. So, if you meet with the hiring team and you want to send them a thank you note, we really think that it’s critical. You know, it makes you stand out to the hiring team. You highlight 2 to 3 sentences on why you’re the right candidate for the position, maybe call out a certain level of experience that you have to offer, and it just goes a long way. You might not always get a response from the hiring team, that’s totally normal, but just going that extra step to put yourself out there, let them know you had a great conversation, it does go a long way.
Kim: Now if you don’t hear back, right, on your thank you note, is that because they’re trying to maybe hold back bias or is there something along those lines, or is it more just, right, thank you notes come and go and, you know, what is the response rate and why might they not answer?
Brianna: Honestly, I see more non-response rates. It’s probably because they just don’t want to give any indication. Like if they were to say something like, ‘Oh yeah, it was great meeting you,’ that maybe someone would take that as, ‘Oh, I think I’m going to get the job.’ So, I think they’re really just trying to keep it very high level and neutral.
Kim: Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. That makes sense. So, regarding the interview, some of those hard questions, hard for the candidate to ask, usually around negotiations for salary, benefits. How should a candidate go about asking those questions or can they find that information publicly?
Brianna: Yeah. So, it’s a good mixture of both. So, Travelers I like to think we’re very transparent about putting our benefits out there, what our salary is. Benefits you can find on our Travelers website, so, careers.travelers.com. You can go on there under Life at Travelers, then Benefits tab, all the way at the bottom you’ll see a brochure that you can open up and see all the benefits we have to offer. There’s also a benefit rate calculator that’s on there. So, if you wanted to play and plug and chug information to see how much they’d cost you on average, that’s available.
Kim: Okay.
Brianna: Salary expectations, those are posted on all of our jobs. So, we have a nationwide range, a low all the way to a high number, but it’s not including where any of our candidates are located. So again, it’s nationwide, but you don’t know where your number could fall because we haven’t chatted yet.
Kim: Right.
Brianna: So that comes when you talk to us. One of us recruiters will narrow that down for you a little bit more on what salary we’re going to offer and if it’s in, not exact numbers, but kind of like a range, and if it’s in their range. If it’s not, we ask you to be transparent with us because we would hate to make an offer to you, and then it’s not the number you want. So, we set those expectations very clearly on that initial phone call.
Kim: Okay, so that’s not a taboo subject.
Brianna: No. We’re very transparent and open. It’s a question that we, that we ask you.
Kim: Okay. So other questions outside of salary, benefits, what other questions should a candidate be asking a recruiter? What’s important for them to know that they might not think of?
Brianna: Yeah, those are good questions, too. So, I’ll start with ones that, maybe to avoid with a recruiter. I recommend staying away from the technical kind of questions about the job. Like anything that is very specific about the job, save those for the hiring team. What I do recommend you ask the recruiter, is anything about Travelers, like the culture or career growth, networking opportunities, volunteer opportunities, anything like that is really helpful. If you wanted to talk about the team environment, the team make-up, you know, work flexibility, we will have all that at our fingertips.
Kim: Okay.
Brianna: We feel like we could do every job that we talk about because we talk about it so much but, you know, we’re not that skilled in it. So, we do recommend to keep it more high-level or ask the recruiter, you know, how we got started here, what’s our career journey look like. Same with the hiring team, you know, put the questions on them and what they like most about Travelers.
Kim: Okay and then for the hiring team, it’s more the nitty gritty of the day-to-day of the role.
Brianna: Yeah, because they’re the experts. You know, most managers on the team have done the role themselves. Most. So, you know, I would definitely Save it for them for sure.
Kim: So, from personal experience, I remember people mentioning working at an insurance company. Right? I live near Hartford, insurance capital of the world. Travelers was mentioned and I thought, ‘I’m never going to work for an insurance company,’ right? Sounds boring. Sounds like paperwork. Sounds like there’s just not a role there for me, right? I’m not an underwriter. I’m not in claims. You know, it’s not for me.
Brianna: Right.
Kim: So, you know, we obviously both found our way here, you know, what would you tell folks about the roles we have here? What would people not expect to find as a role at an insurance company?
Brianna: Yeah. And it’s crazy because I didn’t have that idea either that I would work for an insurance company. My dad worked in insurance his whole life, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m not going that route.’ And here I am and, like, loving it, obviously.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, a few roles that you wouldn’t expect that we have to offer at Travelers are pilots, we have a couple of private jets, so we would need to hire a pilot for that.
Kim: Right.
Brianna: Nurses, we have nurse case managers mostly in claim. We have architects. We have fitness and wellness instructors, event planners, forensic scientists.
Kim: Wow.
Brianna: Chemists in Risk Control.
Kim: Yep.
Brianna: So, yeah, it’s a wide variety that you wouldn’t think of.
Kim: You just think of, you know, underwriters and claim reps. So, yeah, very interesting.
Brianna: It’s awesome.
Kim: And recruiters.
Brianna: And recruiters for sure. Yeah, the opportunities are endless. It really does not matter what you went to school for. You can find a place for you here.
Kim: Yeah. And is there a lot of movement internally in the company? I know you joined via the call center, right? And now you’re a recruiter. Does that happen a lot?
Brianna: I think it does. And it’s also what you make of it. So, that’s what I tell candidates, too. It’s like, you know, where can I go here? Well it’s really where you want to go. You make the most out of your career. You make that career path for you. You make your own networking opportunities. So, if you wanted to do whatever you want to do, you have that opportunity here. We have so many different people and departments to work with.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, yeah.
Kim: We got a question from social media regarding being an undergraduate, right? You’re not currently applying yet. How can folks who are in college now, prepare for a role at Travelers?
Brianna: Yeah, so, there’s a couple different ways that I recommend. I mean, number one, and it’s the most convenient, is attending your college career fairs. I think that’ll give you a wide variety of different companies, maybe what areas you’re interested in, or might not even be aware that you’re interested in yet.
Kim: Right.
Brianna: So, definitely start there. Set up your LinkedIn profile. I’m sure you can talk a lot about LinkedIn.
Kim: Yeah, we talk a lot about LinkedIn.
Brianna: LinkedIn is so important. You can network with people. Start there and you never know who you’ll be connected with. We have tons of internships here, so, just browsing our careers website, seeing if there would be anything you would be interested in after college is helpful. We have so many trainee and entry-level job opportunities so, checking out our website, seeing if they ring a bell to you, and if so, have that be your way in when you graduate or before. Start applying like a month before or something like that.
Kim: Yeah. And I’ve heard you mention networking a lot. Would you say networking is a big part of it?
Brianna: Yeah, networking is huge. I mean, I don’t think I’d be where I am without networking, so, I try to advocate that for everybody else and I try to be that network for other people as well.
Kim: Yeah. So, for folks who are getting ready to, you know, come to Travelers or they’re currently interviewing.
Brianna: Yes.
Kim: We talk about the culture and that sort of thing, but, some of those specific questions, right? Is there a dress code at Travelers?
Brianna: Oh, yeah. So, I think, I think you and I started around the same time in Talent Acquisition. So, it was somewhere around that time they changed the dress code to ‘dress for your day,’ where you were now able to wear jeans and just like, you know, dress for your day. What’s on your calendar that day? Do you have all virtual meetings? Do you know you’re not going to be on camera? Just dress appropriately. If you are meeting new clients or a new team or anything in-person, have an interview, then dress appropriately for that. So, that’s the guidance that we do tell our candidates.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: When they ask about dressing appropriately for work. But there’s no defined, like, you have to wear a business attire every single day. There’s nothing that outlines that.
Kim: Again, it’s just that insurance, kind of, stigma. Right? It’s suits and, yeah, the whole deal.
Brianna: I wear jeans every day.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, I mean, yeah. It’s awesome.
Kim: Yep. Okay, awesome. Bri, any cool recruitment stories? I mean, you’ve obviously talked to so many people. Have you had interesting backgrounds or folks, you know, come from, you know, different places and end up where they didn’t think they were or?
Brianna: I have. So, one of them actually, I, someone reached out to me on LinkedIn. I wasn’t even searching for anybody.
Kim: Okay.
Brianna: He reached out to me and told me he applied to a position within Worker’s Comp. So, I spoke to him and we had a great conversation. He ended up getting the job for that position and, before that, though, he’s an ex-police officer, which we do see a lot within claim.
Kim: Wow.
Brianna: A lot of ex-police officers or ones that are retired, want a change in career, they’re interested in Claim because there’s a lot of transferable skills.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, he ended up getting a job and then let me know that he got another job in TIS, which is, like, our investigative services.
Kim: Yep.
Brianna: So, it just goes to show that a background in being a police officer can translate to Claim, but then also the investigative team. And I’m sure he never expected to work at an insurance company during his career. So, that was pretty cool.
Another one, one person I hired, he applied for, I believe, a Property Trainee position, which are very common entry-level positions. And he, the day I called him to extend the offer, he got told that his job was getting, like, eliminated or realigned. Something along those lines.
Kim: Yep.
Brianna: And it was going to be effective on our start date. So, he was like really emotional that we offered him the job effective the day that his job was going to change and it was just a really cool opportunity.
Kim: Yeah, that eased his mind there.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: It really eased his mind and you just, it makes you, like, really appreciative of the work that we’re doing and, you know, it goes a long way.
My last one is cool. I went to this local gym in town and the woman I worked out with, I never knew that her husband applied to a job that I screened him for, and it was a great conversation. He ended up getting the job. I never met him, but I saw him at a local grocery store and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s the guy I hired.’ So, it was really cool, full circle to see him.
Kim: Yes.
Brianna: In person. And he’s thriving and he’s been here for a couple of years but, like, you would never expect someone you work out with to now have their husband working at the same like, so.
Kim: There are just folks from Travelers in your local community.
Brianna: Yeah, just a small world. You just realize how small of a world it is.
Kim: Totally.
Brianna: So, so many opportunities is the main point.
Kim: Yeah, during COVID, I had signed up to grocery shop for an elderly couple.
Brianna: Oh yeah, I remember that.
Kim: Yeah, and, I think I had been delivering groceries to them for maybe a month before we talked and the woman I was literally giving groceries to was a Travelers retiree.
Brianna: That’s crazy.
Kim: It was just a wild story. And, yeah, so, we bonded pretty hard over that, after that point.
Brianna: Oh, that’s awesome.
Kim: They still email me now and they’re like, you know, ‘How’s Travelers? It’s been five years but, you know.’ So yeah, I agree, it’s a small world.
Brianna: It is.
Kim: It’s a tight network.
Brianna: It really is. And everyone knows us. So it’s awesome.
Kim: Absolutely. So, personal question for you.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: You’re sitting here with me. You are seven months pregnant right now?
Brianna: Yeah. Six, seven.
Kim: Six, seven months. Okay, so, and you already have a little one at home.
Brianna: I do, my daughter.
Kim: And you had her while you were at Travelers? Is that correct?
Brianna: I did.
Kim: So this is your second time, going through a pregnancy while working at Travelers.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: What is it like, you know, being a mom at Travelers? What support do you have? And your maternity leave, your team, all that sort of stuff?
Brianna: It is. It’s truly awesome. I never feel like I’m not supported. My management, leadership, I just feel so supported and I cannot imagine being in this situation anywhere else.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: You know, obviously with kids, things come up, they get sick, daycare closes. We have to be flexible, so, the work arrangement, the flexibility, is amazing for us. The three days in the office, two days from home, it’s super nice. We just implemented, I think within the last two years or so, a new diversity network called Working Parents and Caregivers (& Allies) and I’m a part of that, which is awesome, but you don’t have to be a parent or a caregiver to be a part of it. It’s just for you to come to and be supported.
Kim: Be an ally as well.
Brianna: Yeah, and be an ally. We have speakers come from the hospital, Hartford Hospital, to talk about just daily things parents go through and ways to cope with it.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, I just feel really supported in that sense because we have another group here who is focusing in on that now.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: I think we need that.
Kim: You have your village at work, too.
Brianna: Yeah you have your village, other other moms on my team, obviously dads, so, we’re all going through the same stuff and it’s so nice to be a part of it here.
Kim: That’s awesome. I’m so glad to hear it and congrats on the upcoming baby.
Brianna: Thank you. We’re so excited.
Kim: We’ll miss you while you’re on maternity leave.
Brianna: I know, I’ll miss you guys.
Kim: But, we’ll be excited. We need pictures, so, send them our way.
Brianna: Alright. Definitely will.
Kim: Bri, anything else that, you know, we didn’t cover today? Kind of, like, more informally that you think we should, candidates should know? Or do you think we, kind of, covered the gamut?
Brianna: I do, I think we covered everything, but, Travelers is, the opportunities truly are endless. And I say that all the time on LinkedIn, like, to check out this job. The opportunities are endless. It’s true, I’m an example of that. I’ve started in the call center and here I am recruiting. You would never think that those two correlate, But, if you’re looking for something or you just want to grow and have a lifelong career, I mean, this is the place. So. Yeah, I have nothing but good things to say.
Kim: Well, thanks for being here and, for our listeners, can they connect with you on LinkedIn if they want to know more? Okay.
Brianna: It’s under Brianna Sacerdote, so.
Kim Okay.
Brianna: I look forward to getting a bunch of requests.
Kim: Alright. Awesome. We’re going to make you an influencer.
Brianna: Thank you. I hope so. Thanks for having me.
Kim: Thank you.
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WHO WE ARE.
Resume Tips From A Travelers Recruiter
Are you ready to take the next step in your career but unsure how to best showcase your skills and experience? At Travelers, as well as across the job market, countless opportunities are waiting for you. My team wants to ensure you are fully prepared.
Let’s start with how to write a resume. As one of the first pieces of information an employer or recruiter sees about you, your resume is one of your most effective personal marketing tools. It’s crucial that it communicates your qualifications, who you are, and what makes you unique.
Follow our essential resume-writing tips to help your application stand out, whether you’re ready to submit it now or just keeping it updated for when the right opportunity comes along.
Set Your Goals and Determine Your Skillset
Before you can sell yourself, you must know yourself—your work style and what you want out of a role. Consider your career goals, interests, and skills, and make a list. Include your strengths, experiences, and the aspects that have shaped you into the professional you are today. If it helps, complete an online self-assessment. Use the results to determine which skills are most transferable to the industry or company you aspire to join.
- Here are a few competencies you may want to consider including if they relate to you and the role: customer service or consulting skills, project management experience, mentorship/coaching, relationship building, adaptability, creative problem solving, effective communication skills, influencing decision-making, organizational/time management skills, and delegating work or assignments.
Do Your Research
Now that you have your lists of skills and strengths, you can match the most applicable ones to the resume you want to create for a specific role.
When it comes to your resume, it’s not one size fits all. Your resume should be tailored to the job you are applying for. Review the job description you are targeting and highlight the key competencies, required skills, and responsibilities. Match your top strengths to the role and incorporate them into your resume. This will help you stand out to the recruiter or hiring manager.
What to Include on Your Resume
Aside from including the top skills and strengths that align with a role, there are a few additional housekeeping items to note.
- Education and Certifications: Education is an important piece of information employers review on your resume. If your degree is specific to the job you are applying for, be sure to include this section at the beginning of your resume. Otherwise, listing your education at the beginning or end of your resume works just fine. If you have obtained any specific certifications, those can be placed under the education category as well.
- Work History: Your experience section should list your work history in chronological order, with the most recent position at the top. Your most recent position should also include the most detail. Be sure to include numbers or statistics to highlight your strengths, influence, and successes.
- Resume Length: While prioritizing the most relevant experience and skill set, aim to keep your resume to a realistic length—ideally one to two pages.
Given the length limitation and the fact that your resume is a snapshot of the skills that best align with the role you are applying for, including your LinkedIn profile URL offers additional space to expand on professional skills and experiences. If you decide to include the URL, ensure that your profile is active and up-to-date.
What Not to Include on Your Resume
Limiting the length of a resume isn’t always easy, but here’s some good news: there are a few resume sections that are no longer trending.
- Objective or Summary Statements: An objective or summary statement is no longer a requirement. Save space and focus more on showcasing your relevant skills through action statements in your experience section. Reserve summary statements for your LinkedIn profile.
- Interest Section: Interests are also no longer required on a resume but keep them in mind as they can serve as great talking points during your interviews or screenings with your recruiter.
Formatting and Consistency is Key
The appearance of your resume matters. If your experience shines through, but your fonts don’t match or your lists aren’t succinct, the recruiter or hiring manager may doubt your attention to detail. Be consistent throughout your resume with style, font, and spacing. Ensure you use the same tense when writing—your current skills and work experience should be in the present tense, while former experiences should be in the past tense.
Use regular margins and a 10-12-point font in a basic, easy-to-read style. Utilize bullet points to highlight your skills rather than narratives or paragraphs.
A second set of eyes is always a great idea. Have a friend, colleague, or family member check your work to catch any errors or inconsistencies.
Finally, save and send your resume document as a PDF. This ensures all your formatting remains intact. You can also upload your resume to your profile on our Talent Community where our recruiters can see it, and send you relevant career opportunities. Not a member? Join here.
In Conclusion
We know that getting your resume up to snuff can be daunting, but your time is well worth it because your resume is your first foot in the door. A great resume that aligns with the company and specific role may lead to an interview with the recruiter or hiring manager, giving you an additional opportunity to shine as a professional in your industry. But interview tips? That’s a topic for another blog! Come back soon for more job seeking tips from my team at Travelers.
Brianna Sacerdote is a Senior Recruiter in HR Talent Acquisition at Travelers. With more than 5 years in recruiting, Brianna’s resume tips have helped many employees at Travelers to update their resumes to achieve career growth within the company, and now we bring them to you.
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