Do you have your insurance
license and are ready to take the industry 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 frequently
frustrating process. A big part of the job search process is knowing where
to look for insurance positions.
Licensing is an important part of working in the insurance industry. Some
companies will require that you
hold a current applicable license before agreeing to hire you, while others
are very willing to assist you in
procuring the appropriate license(s). This requirement can even vary from
department to department within
the same company, so it will be necessary to check on the licensing
requirement for each position when
applying.
The following tips and tricks are designed to take some of the headache out
of your search, by giving you
some guidelines on steps you can take to land your ideal insurance industry
position.
Depending on the type of insurance you are most interested in, visit the
recruiting departments of various
insurance agencies to inquire about available positions. If there are no
current vacancies, ask if you can
submit your resume to remain on file should future openings match what you
are seeking.
Contact recruitment and contract employment agencies that work in the
insurance industry. Aligning
yourself with a recruiter can give you access to jobs that are often not
advertised to the public. The great
thing about recruiting agencies is that allow you to apply for positions at
multiple companies simultaneously
with a single resume submittal, since most recruiters will shop your resume
around to all of the available
openings.
Use the internet to your advantage. Searching for insurance, underwriting,
broker, agent, adjuster or any
number of other insurance-related terms on major job boards such as
Monster.com and Hotjobs.com will
unearth hundreds of available openings just be aware that competition for
these positions is stiff since
hundreds of other professionals are looking at and applying for the exact
same jobs.
Colleges and universities often have a database of available positions in
the schools Career Center. Career
Center advisors are also excellent sources of information on how to network
in the industry and get your
foot in the door. Schools that offer business, accounting, and financial
degrees are especially likely to have
insurance contacts. Note though, that many school limit Career Center
resource access to current students or alumni.
Network, network, network! Let friends, family, and casual acquaintances
know that you are on the market
for a new position. Since most companies are much more willing to interview
(and potentially hire)
candidates who have already been vouched for, its important to get the word
out that you are available and
seeking a new opportunity.
If you arent deadset on working in a particular insurance field, take
advantage of the wide range of positions
available in the industry. Expand your job search to investigate
opportunities in:
o Auto insurance
o Health insurance
o Workers Compensation
o Other types of business insurance (such as E&O, EPLI, etc.)
o Life insurance
o Home owners insurance
Dont be averse to accepting a contract, junior, or training position. This
are often a great way to get you foot
in the door in the insurance industry. It also gives you a chance to
evaluate an organization and department
to ensure it is a match before fully committing yourself to a long-term
full-time position.
Searching insurance industry-specific job boards for available opportunities
is a great way to target only
those jobs that in the insurance industry.
About the Author: Laura Adams is a qualified careers advisor with 11 years
experience. Insurance Job
Information - Resources, News, Tips and Views to help Insurance
Professionals find their dream jobs. http://www.Insurance-Job.info
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