As we continue to highlight some of our teammates’ National Life journeys, Nicole Frey, AVP & Actuary, who was just recently promoted and became a mom, took some time to tell us her interesting story. She also shared more of her background and keys to success.
When did you join National Life?
I joined NLG first as part of our internship program before eventually starting full-time in February of 2014.
What industry/company were you with prior to us?
I earned my Master’s degree in Mathematics Education from Syracuse University and dabbled in the teaching profession for a short period of time before deciding to pursue a career as an Actuary.
What career path did you start on and has that changed? Why?
As I was earning my masters and teaching, I had an internship over the summer at National Life as an Actuarial Intern and discovered how much I enjoyed the work. Here at National Life, I’ve held a variety of different roles both within and outside of the traditional actuarial roles. After starting my career as an analyst in product development, I worked in Asset Liability Management for a couple of years. Then, I was able to join the Customer Experience Team when they were starting to create the new customer portal and mobile app to use my product and data knowledge to help build the new applications. After all of this, I’m finally returning back to where I started in Life Product Development and put all of my new experiences to practice leading the development of new products.
What does it take to grow within National Life?
Look for small ways to grow within your role, and use your strengths to your advantage. There are constantly new opportunities popping up and don’t be afraid to raise your hand, even if it would be a stretch.
What are your keys to success?
Always try to learn something new and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Nicole is another great example of owning your development. For more information on open positions and how to apply click here.