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 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 school’s 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, it’s important to get the word out that you are available and seeking a new opportunity.

If you aren’t 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 owner’s insurance

Don’t 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.

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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Finding your own health insurance when you’re self-
employed can be a huge challenge. Finding the right plan at
the right price can take some time. And, of course, in that
research time, you run the risk of serious illness or
injury. If that misfortune occurs, you will have a pre-
existing condition, which will severely limit your ability
in finding coverage that’s affordable, or anything at all!

Following the plan I’ve outlined below will help you to
find the right coverage for you and your family, in a
relatively short period of time.

Start your research online, because you can get a lot of
information quickly. You will find hundreds of different
sites with free quotes and multiple options for your health
insurance plan. There is a lot of competition in insurance,
so the websites are set up to attract you from the start by
being easy to use. Use any of the major search engines to
find these sites, starting by entering ‘e-health insurance’
or ’self-employed insurance.’

Go to several of the sites to get free quotes at those
that offer this service. It’s simple to just enter your zip
code, age, etc., and you will get quotes from 1 to 4
companies in just a few minutes. Then you can compare the
plans and see the advantages in coverage and price for each
plan. Your main goal is just to get information, but go
ahead and apply if you find a plan that is perfect for you.

Once you have finished your online research, call or go to
local and regional insurance providers. With your online
research, you will have a knowledge base to evaluate the
deals the local provider offers you. In person, the company
might offer better deals than what you found online, or
they might be similar or worse. Your online research will
give you the background you need to evaluate what you’re
offered in person.

Be sure, too, to talk with people you know; ask what
insurance they have and whether they buy it individually or
are enrolled in a group plan. Your family, friends and
neighbors can tell you about the advantages and
disadvantages of working with specific companies.

You’ve gotten good information about plans, coverage and
prices through your research, but the information on
customer service can only come from your contacts. They can
tell you about the reality of working with specific
companies.

One cost-cutting measure to consider is to exclude
prescription and dental coverage. You might want to choose
a plan that excludes those, and instead put the money you
would have spent for that special insurance coverage into a
savings account. You can use those funds to pay for dental
costs and prescriptions, rather than paying the insurance
fees.

Once you complete your research, you will be shocked at
the cost. Yet, you will know that you have found the best
possible coverage for you.

Lila Norden is a career and business counselor. Lila offers
valuable information to help you make decisions about your
business growth and development. Visit her web site FP Employment.
Additional articles by Lila are also at F-Com Finances and FLS Job

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