It's really a case of selling what the leading underwriter and client have come to a decision over. I deal mostly with excess loss business, which is reinsurance of loss in a particular area. For example, an underwriter might write five per cent of a queue worth £12,000,000 on a hull. He can cope with a loss on a single vessel but not an entire fleet, so he has protection through reinsurance in layers and therefore is liable only for the first £12,000,000 on each loss.

To get on as a broker you need a clear head and you certainly can't be shy, though at the beginning a certain amount of shyness is an advantage because you don't appear too pushy as a junior. You need to have confidence about what you are saying, and an ability to get information out of people. I also think you need a certain amount of dedication and an ability to work as part of a team. A claims broker Finally, a claims broker: Chris is 24, and was brought up in London, where he attended a comprehensive school and obtained six GCSEs and one A level. After school, he joined the pensions department of the Norwich Union.

He transferred to the personnel department of a large broking group, and after two years, at his request, he became a trainee claims broker. He says: We normally spend half our day in the office. We get in the emails notifying claims, and then decide which underwriter we need to see.