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With about 3 million people employed in the U.S. insurance industry, working for insurance companies, agencies, and brokers, it might seem impossible to break the mold when it comes to the choice of occupation. Everything that could be researched has already been researched…or has it?
Surprisingly enough, there are still some undervalued occupations, such as, for example, an insurance claims adjuster job. Always high in demand – after all, insurance claims at least remain steady over time, while the older generation of adjusters gradually retire, thereby giving opportunities to young talents – and pretty challenging, claims adjuster job can help you make a successful career in the insurance industry and some decent money for that matter, up to $55,000 a year and more depending on your skills and talents.
So how to become an insurance adjuster? What to begin with and how to break through the entry barrier?
Well, although you cannot just blindly copy someone else’s success story and become successful yourself, there are several proven steps you will have to take before you can get your first insurance adjuster job. Without further ado, let’s dig into it.
No matter how much we would like to tell you that anyone can become a successful claims adjuster, it would be delusional. claims adjusters investigate insurance claims to determine the extent of liability on behalf of an insurance company, and the job is pretty demanding, mostly because you have to communicate a lot with confused and at the time frustrated clients, let alone you must have lots of determination, willpower, and manage your time effectively.
The most challenging part of the job, however, is catastrophes. When disasters like Hurricane Irma happen, the number of claims skyrocket, creating an extremely challenging – yet no less rewarding – working environment for people, businesses, and claims adjusters. If you’re ready to deal with catastrophes, most likely you are a good fit for the job.
Although it’s not necessary to determine the type of claims adjuster you want to become in the first place, you should know that there are three ways to go: independent adjuster, staff adjuster, and public adjuster.
Without a shadow of a doubt, becoming an independent adjuster is most challenging (though potentially most rewarding), so it would be wise to start as either a company staff adjuster or public adjuster. That said, claim adjustment encompasses just as many fields as insurance. The world is your oyster! You can work in the following niches: residential, health insurance, auto insurance, bodily injuries, veterinary, workers compensation, and more.
More often than not, the education required to become a claims adjuster is a bachelor’s degree, though it depends on the state. In some states, a high school diploma or its GED equivalent – the document that confirms that your knowledge corresponds to that of a high school graduate – is enough.
Depending on the state you are in, you may need to take a course on claim adjustment and then pass an exam to become a certified professional. But if your state doesn’t require a certificate, you can still opt for an out-of-state license – known as Designated Home State (DHS) license – that will enable you to work throughout the country. Obtaining this type of license means that you’ve chosen the other state as your ‘home’ state.
In a nutshell, the process of obtaining a clam adjustment license is as follows:
Most states issue a claim adjustment license for 2 years, but you can renew it as many times as you want.
Now that you’ve obtained your well-deserved license, you can start looking for your first claim adjustment company. Working as an independent claims adjuster from the get-go is much harder, but you can try it, too, if you are confident in yourself and the lack of experience doesn’t scare you off.
Here are a few tips to land your first job faster:
On top of that, don’t forget to spruce up your resume, research and reach the companies you’d be willing to work for, make new contacts, and remain flexible and open to new opportunities and experiences.
The states that require claim adjustment licenses will also require continuing education (CE) credits whenever you want to prolong your license, which you can get by completing live/online courses, training sessions, giving lectures, or publishing articles.
claims adjusters investigate insurance claims to determine the extent of liability on behalf of an insurance company. This covers all types of claims, from property damage to injuries to disaster claims. The result of their work is that the insurance claim is settled.
There are many potential reasons why you should choose to become a claims adjuster.
To add to that, the job is very fulfilling and has a wide range of career options. You can work for a company, become an independent adjuster, or even start your own business.
There are over 25,000 openings for claims adjusters annually, and the demand is steady because of the peculiarities of the job.
It depends on whether you are a company staff adjuster, public adjuster, or independent adjuster. The options vary from flat salary to a percentage of the number of claims settled. For example, as an independent adjuster, you may be able to make up to 70% of the fee.
Your salary may not depend on the company as much as on your skills. However, among the top claim adjustment companies in the United States are TheBest Claims Solutions, Frontier Adjusters, Worley, Zurich Insurance Group, and more.
Yes, claims adjusters can work from home, having the same job dues as in-house adjusters.
No specificities apply to claims adjuster interviews. Just like with any other interview, it would be wise to research the company, clarify your selling points, skim through the most popular job interview questions, and keep your emotions at bay.
You can become a loss adjuster, an insurance appraiser, an insurance investigator, or you can improve your knowledge in one of the claim adjustment fields (health insurance, auto insurance, bodily injuries, workers compensation, etc.).
Oleksandr is an expert in deep research. He covers various insurance topics across verticals, adopting to every local law.
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