Careers in Insurance:
A Guide to Working in The Industry

Americans pay trillions of dollars each year on insurance premiums. Looking into careers in insurance will allow you to find a lucrative career in which you are helping people sort through the complicated rigmarole of it all. Proper insurance is essential and once you know which field you’re interested in, and how to get there, you can help guide and understand what is needed in a policy to fulfill their requirement for appropriate coverage.

Determine Your Niche

There are a lot of different niches you can work in with insurance. You might choose car insurance, health insurance, or life insurance.

When you’re starting out, you should look for entry-level positions that will help you work toward your goals in the industry.

Figure out if you want to work as a salesperson, as an underwriter, risk analyzer, or other position. Knowing your end goal will help you as you’re making decisions about where to spend your time working.

Assess Your Current Skills

You likely have skills that can help you with your new venture. Look at internships, things you’ve done in high school, and in college. Figure out how those skills can translate to what you want to do now.

Build a Network

While you can learn more about getting leads for your insurance business, word of mouth is going to be a big part of building your business.

Building your network, even before you start in the insurance business, will allow you to start building trust and connections. Insurance is a touchy matter and you need to let people get to know you, and your work ethic, so they feel confident referring you to others in their network.

Secure Your Insurance License

While you usually don’t have to have a college degree to work in insurance, you will need to get an insurance license in your state. Depending on the company that you’re going to work with, they may help you get your insurance license.

Some companies do require that you have your license in order before they hire you.

Find and Apply for Potential Employers

Now that you know what you want to do and have an idea of some entry-level positions that will help you get there, it’s time to get to work.

You can search online for positions in the insurance field, but also put feelers out through your network. It is likely that someone knows a company that is hiring that might be a good fit for you.

Always have your business cards ready to hand out at networking events and keeping your resume on hand in your briefcase is a nice touch.