Upon graduating from high school or college, most people don’t think to immediatley look for insurance agent jobs or other indistry related careers, even though it can be a very lucrative business. You don’t necessarily need a college education or degree, and can still receive up to $48,000 a year or more, depending on the agent’s success at gaining and maintaining clients. There’s the possibility of travel to meet clients, an ever changing landscape, opportunities to meet and work with all walks of clientele, and lastly, as we all know, the insurance business isn’t going anywhere for a long time thus a reasonable expectation of job security. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the employment of insurance sales agents is projected to grow 10 percent” by 2022.
If you’re currently an active agent, you probably have good analytical and communication skills, strong self-confidence and are known to take initiative on multiple tasks. You enjoy helping and advising people on topics that you have a deep knowledge of and you enjoy sharing your expertise with other.
If you’re in the midst of a transition or looking to dive into the insurance industry, you will probably have all of the above characteristics with one addition that current agents already have…independence and dedication to become your own boss.
Insurance Jobs as a Career Choice
These days a bachelor’s degree doesn’t mean quite the same as it used to 30 to 50 years ago. Life skills are not learned in a book and work experience holds a great deal more weight in modern times. Many agents that transitioned into insurance, came from an advertising or sales jobs that they started early in their career. These jobs require contacting potential clients and selling advertising space to businesses and prepare a person with good communication (talking on the phone) and organizational skills (tracking leads and sales).
When it comes to the superficial term of “insurance”, however, agents are often the first thing people think of though there are vast amounts of work that go into making the industry function that cannot be overlooked for career choices. College graduates with a degree in finance, marketing, or even technology can enter into lucrative positions at carrier companies or with indirect industries support the insurance space. Actuaries, IT professionals, claims adjusters, and of course agents are all good places to begin an insurance career.
A Closer Look at Insurance Agent Jobs
As any active agent can attest, an insurance agent doesn’t just sell insurance. That would be like saying Tiger Woods only plays golf, forgetting the fact that he has charitable organizations, sponsorships, golf programs for kids, etc…, that certainly make him more than just a professional golfer. Duties that go along with “selling” insurance include cold-calling prospects, conducting client discovery calls, and explaining policy details, small business marketing, budgeting, analysis and lead tracking, and human resources management for agency owners who employ a team of producers. Additionally, agents must be on point with customer service and email communication to help clients understand their options and be informed insurance shoppers.
Though that seems like an exhaustive list of duties for any insurance agent, the task list for can grow exponentially when and agent owns and operates their own agency. Owning a business offers many freedoms from the corporate structure but also brings about new angles like marketing, training staff, managing employees and hours, business insurance, and employee health insurance.
To really stay ahead of the game and maintain a long career in this industry, agency owners must possess all of these skills in addition to knowing how to market themselves and their services. Ownership is not for everyone but it can be the ideal result of those just entering the industry looking for lucrative options and room for growth.