Qiao Di, a 24-year-old insurance manager. [Photo provided to China Daily]

I entered the insurance industry by accident, really. After graduating from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, with a bachelor's degree in marketing, I went to the Chinese University of Hong Kong to study for a master's. Then I worked at an education startup for a year. I gained some really valuable experience from everything I did－marketing to customer services to product design－but working 15 hours a day was too tiring.

While I was thinking about pursuing a doctorate two years ago, I got to know a former Zhejiang University student who was working as an agent at an insurance company in Hong Kong.

I was particularly interested in learning how the market works in Hong Kong, so I thought it might be a good idea to enter the industry.

It's a well-paid job with flexible working hours, but still I had a hard time at the beginning.

As a graduate from the mainland, I did not have wide range of contacts and had to start everything from zero. I spent a lot of my leisure time reading books and conducting research, seeking guidance and communicating with experienced colleagues.

Now I have been promoted to a managerial role after just two years on the job.

In the next a couple of years, I hope to bring my experience and knowledge back to the mainland, and will probably start a company.

Although the mainland insurance market seems less developed compared with Hong Kong, it has promising prospects and more space to develop.