The Hartford

Al Ferreira

Amanda Littlejohn

Associate Risk Analyst, Risk Leadership Development Program

In high school, Amanda Littlejohn always excelled in math. Her older sister told her about careers in the actuarial field, and after some research, Amanda thought a career in insurance and risk management would be a perfect fit for her. During an INROADS internship in Florida, she heard about The Hartford from a colleague and decided to pursue an analyst position at the insurance firm.

Has the job met your expectations?
Yes, in my position I’m doing real work. Right now I’m working on an economic capital model, but have also been trained on a variety of risk models. I know how to use them, run them, analyze the results, and more. I wasn’t expecting this much hands-on experience coming out of college.

What are you most proud of in your work?
My manager selected me to be part of a planning committee for the early career professional forum that The Hartford hosts twice each year. Early career professionals (ECPs), from our Leadership Development Programs as well as other high potential ECPs come together for professional development and networking opportunities with senior executives as part of our Early Career Development Program (ECDP). Being part of the planning committee was interesting and a great way to meet other people my age in the industry.

What is your advice to other students who want to work for The Hartford?
Recruiters know that coming out of school, you will have little or no experience. That’s why it’s important to join extracurricular activities where you can develop your skills to talk about in the interview. My second piece of advice is to get into a development program. It’s a great way to meet people, learn about a company and kick off your career.

Has your diversity influenced your success?
I think so. I went to an all-girls high school. Then I went to a college in New York that is really diverse. Making that transition from being around girls from the same area and economic background to a diverse crowd of students from all over the country opens up your mind. I also had the opportunity to join INROADS, which provided me the opportunity to get an internship. So I think my diversity has given me an advantage.

Do you think about diversity differently than previous generations?
I think our generation has more exposure to diversity. It becomes something you just expect. For example, when I came to The Hartford, we had a female chief risk officer, and that became my goal, to become that. When I was talking to my aunt about it, she commented that it was rare for a female to have that high of a role. I didn’t even think of that. I don’t think I’m limited here—I can achieve anything