Seeking a concrete profession that won’t need a four-year college degree? The insurance industry might be the correct place for you. Equipped with merely a high school diploma or a two-year associate’s degree, you’ll discover good entry-level insurance jobs that will expose you to various areas including roles as a customer-service representative, administrative assistant and sales agent.
Seeking a concrete profession that won’t need a four-year college degree? The insurance industry might be the correct place for you. Equipped with merely a high school diploma or a two-year associate’s degree, you’ll discover good entry-level insurance jobs that will expose you to various areas including roles as a customer-service representative, administrative assistant and sales agent.
The majority of the entry-level positions for high school graduates are in the customer-service operations center, wherever customer-service representatives (CSRs) respond to calls. Individuals who flourish as CSRs honourably care about serving others and relish in assisting folks, as they understand important life events.
Although the work might sound modest, it’s not, says Sharon Rues Pettid, Mutual of Omaha’s manager of human resources. CSRs have to study about a diversity of insurance topics and answer queries from customers & insurance sales agent. Doing so will ensure a smooth career in the industry. “It’s an ideal position because you’re learning about every facet of our business,” Pettid says.
To progress, a CSR can change to a team that deals with various policyholders, or go into product expansion or sales provision. “It’s a great way to learn the business and then move up,” Pettid says.
Managerial Possibilities
Insurance is a paperwork-intensive profession, so there’s a continuous call for managerial assistants, particularly in the property and casualty insurance business, says William Wolfe, an account supervisor with Insurance Personnel Service, an insurance recruitment company in San Francisco.
In this entry-level insurance job, you’ll serve an insurance broker’s commercial clients by responding to queries about policies, regulating reporting, or making identification passes and proof-of-insurance documents. Incomes for managerial assistants’ vary from $30,000 to $40,000 annually, with higher incomes paid in high-cost zones, Wolfe says.
“Even for entry-level people, the next step is to take insurance courses through the insurance education associations and to obtain your insurance casualty license so you can discuss premiums and coverage with clients,” he says.
Those developments usually take one to three months to complete, and most insurance companies reimburse the cost, Wolfe says, adding that “some go-getters will get the license prior to being employed, which looks good to an employer because it shows initiative.”
While looking for a job as a managerial assistant or a broker, you’ll be competing with four-year college graduates. To stay top of mind, emphasis on your communication skills, computer knowledge and professional approach are important, Wolfe recommends.
Sharp Your Selling Skills
Do you have the gift of gab combined with persuasive charm? Then sales agent can be a good entry-point into an insurance career. “There’s no requirement for a degree,” says Jeff Gipson, president of The James Allen Companies Inc., a Cape Girardeau, Missouri, insurance staffing firm. “If you do well, your clients aren’t going to ask you for your diploma before they sit down with you.”
All that you will require is a state-issued insurance certificate for every product line you trade. States usually need prelicensing learning and that you have licensing papers.
Meanwhile you’ll probably be contending with additional sophisticated candidates. Set yourself apart by showcasing your superior communication skills, networking capabilities and eagerness to explore new avenues as an insurance sales agent.
Experience Makes You Wiser
When you have enough experience in insurance, your business understanding will be a treasured product. “Industry experience makes you more competitive in the job market,” Pettid says. If you choose to advance your education, it’s expected that your insurance employer will compensate your education expenses.
"A company’s benefit or total rewards package should be a critical part of your decision-making process," says Emily Wang, a State Farm Insurance recruiter. "You should look for an insurance company that supports your professional development though insurance designations and tuition reimbursement programs."
Best of all, you’re likely to find the market continually offers career opportunities. “All companies and individuals need insurance,” Wolfe says. “The requirement for it is not go anywhere. There’s continuously going to be a job market in the insurance world.”
Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada, http://www.insuranceworks.ca/
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/getting-started/entry-level-insurance-jobs/article.aspx