Finding Insurance Claim Employment is similar to other industries. You want to start by having a quality resume and presenting the best of you for growth and opportunity in the insurance claims industry. Quality Resume 1. Your first task is always making a quality resume. While this is not the episode to explain resume techniques, it is highly important to produce something that is a. easy to read, b. industry specific c. outlines your qualifications d. error free Let us know in the comments below if you want us to do a resume video. 2. Have a quality LinkedIn account a. Employers will look at it so apply all the detail you would in a resume. b. Some insurance carriers seek out candidates on LinkedIn regularly.
Attention to detail and having an error free resume reflects your quality of workmanship in the highly competitive insurance claims environment. Carrier Employment 1. Go directly to the carrier for the career opportunities. State Farm, Allstate, Geico, Farmers, Farm Bureau, Liberty Mutual, USAA… a. It may be tempting to go to job search company sites, but insurance companies all post and update their current career opportunities on their own websites first.
Independent Adjuster Firms 1. Go directly to the carrier for the career opportunities. Pacesetter, Renfroe, Alacrity, Eberl's, Pilot, Crawford… a. It may be tempting to go to job search company sites, but also independent insurance companies have an opportunity for you to "join the team". You become an adjuster on their roster which may be region specific. b. Some IA firms look at your "specialty". Specialties are a whole other video that we will feature later but have a specialty (auto, property, liability, work comp, commercial, etc.) and be well versed in it. Some lines of insurance like property may ask you to specialize even more for example there is always a strong demand for roofing (wind hail) adjusters who are mountain goats that will climb any crazy building. (We will discuss roofing and adjuster safety in a different video) c. However, the best practice will be to strongly prepared to in all the skillsets of any particular line of insurance. For example, if you are going to handle property claims be prepared to handle large home losses, small home losses and personal property.
Mega Specialties
An even smaller niche in this industry is the adjusters that adjust things like pet insurance, and vision insurance. These carriers will be very specialized but, in most areas, still require an adjuster's license. These guys will be most easily found in online job boards and applications could be submitted in the job board or from the employer's website. The scope of claims to be adjusted will be smaller and possibly easier to get to know your job.
Be Prepared when submitting applications While you are placing your resume and filling in your online application, you may be asked to supply the following so be prepared that submitting a resume may not just be submitting a resume and walking away. 1. Fill in their application and attach your resume. Carriers may ask you to do one or the other or ask you to do both. Be prepared. 2. Adjuster license information. If you are currently a licensed adjuster, they may ask for your license numbers, copies of your license and other credentials. 3. ID – make sure your state issued ID (preferably a drivers license is current and up to date). Nothing says incompetent more than an expired driver's license. 4. Tests…. you may be asked to take a personality test or in some cases an aptitude test. They aren't really the kind of tests you study to ace. The insurance carrier wants to know if you're a competent and adaptable human being that can read and possibly follow directions.
Bonus Information: On the company website, you will find important things like the company culture, mission statements, philosophy and philanthropy. Several also list the charities and organizations they support. Why is this important? Reading and getting to know the company's history, mission, and culture are also sometimes questions an employer will ask in an interview. Always be prepared to answer questions that will show you educated yourself on the company. This says you looked into them, and you feel they are a good fit. All of this is information you will not find on Job sites like Indeed.com.
Biggest Tip of All Insurance is boring and insurance people are bored. These are people who have personalities because they deal with the public. Sometimes it is people who are mad, some are frustrated and some are just in a bad situation. You're helping them navigate a difficult situation. When you are interviewing for this position remember that your employer loves to talk but is bored with the topic. Be prepared in any interview to ask thoughtful questions. Give them an opportunity to talk to you and share with you're their crazy stories. For example: 1. What are some cultures "blah blah blah" company has adopted that is unique to the industry and how can I help foster that growth. 2. Tell me about the team I am joining. What are some of the best personality quirks among our new friends.
3. Tell me the craziest story you have about adjusting a claim. I would love to hear your most interesting experience.
Crazy Claim Story of the Day! Roofer gets on the roof with me and we are talking a 5/12 roofing (maybe). This guy is literally a body builder and massively huge at least 6 feet tall. While on the ground he was being really aggressive telling me that damages were super obvious and easy to see from the ground…yada yada. We get on the roof and he becomes the scaredest ball of mush. He literally had to sit down in the valley he was so scared. He couldn't point to hail damages (I found none by the way) and when I asked him to stand up to show me the hail damage on soft metals he cried. I had to hold his hand to get to the edge of the roof and it was over an hour before he put his first foot on the ladder to get down. Moral of the story: practice roof climbing before you do it. Climb your roof, your buddy's roof, your mama's roof…. Climb and practice on all of them.
We are always looking for more crazy (but clean) adjuster stories. Comment and message us.
