How to Find a Job in Insurance
Do you have your insurance license and are ready to take theindustry by storm? Are you an experienced agent, adjuster,underwriter, or broker looking for an exciting new challenge?Regardless of the level of your insurance industry experience,looking for a new job can be a time-consuming and frequentlyfrustrating process. A big part of the job search process isknowing where to look for insurance positions.Licensing is an important part of working in the insuranceindustry. Some companies will require that you hold a currentapplicable license before agreeing to hire you, while others arevery willing to assist you in procuring the appropriatelicense(s). This requirement can even vary from department todepartment within the same company, so it will be necessary tocheck on the licensing requirement for each position whenapplying.The following tips and tricks are designed to take some of theheadache out of your search, by giving you some guidelines onsteps you can take to land your ideal insurance industryposition.Depending on the type of insurance you are most interested in,visit the recruiting departments of various insurance agenciesto inquire about available positions. If there are no currentvacancies, ask if you can submit your resume to remain on fileshould future openings match what you are seeking.Contact recruitment and contract employment agencies that workin the insurance industry. Aligning yourself with a recruitercan give you access to jobs that are often not advertised to thepublic. The great thing about recruiting agencies is that allowyou to "apply" for positions at multiple companiessimultaneously with a single resume submittal, since mostrecruiters will shop your resume around to all of the availableopenings.Use the internet to your advantage. Searching for "insurance","underwriting", "broker", "agent", "adjuster" or any number ofother insurance-related terms on major job boards such asMonster.com and Hotjobs.com will unearth hundreds of availableopenings - just be aware that competition for these positions isstiff since hundreds of other professionals are looking at andapplying for the exact same jobs. Colleges and universities often have a database of availablepositions in the school's Career Center. Career Center advisorsare also excellent sources of information on how to network inthe industry and get your foot in the door. Schools that offerbusiness, accounting, and financial degrees are especiallylikely to have insurance contacts. Note though, that many schoollimit Career Center resource access to current students oralumni. Network, network, network! Let friends, family, and casualacquaintances know that you are on the market for a newposition. Since most companies are much more willing tointerview (and potentially hire) candidates who have alreadybeen vouched for, it's important to get the word out that youare available and seeking a new opportunity.If you aren't deadset on working in a particular insurancefield, take advantage of the wide range of positions availablein the industry. Expand your job search to investigateopportunities in:o Auto insurance o Health insurance o Workers' Compensation oOther types of business insurance (such as E&O, EPLI, etc.) oLife insurance o Home owner's insuranceDon't be averse to accepting a contract, junior, or "training"position. This are often a great way to get you foot in the doorin the insurance industry. It also gives you a chance toevaluate an organization and department to ensure it is a matchbefore fully committing yourself to a long-term full-timeposition.Searching insurance industry-specific job boards for availableopportunities is a great way to target only those jobs that inthe insurance industry.
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