Inside Insurance Professional Careers

Biggest Surprises

"College Education Not Exactly Necessary...
What surprised me was that I needed very little of my Economics and healthcare knowledge for the position. Its basically more data and IT driven." (Production Coordinator; 2014)

Career: 3 years of experience, currently based in Connecticut, male
School: Studied Economics at University Of CT in Connecticut; completed Bachelor degree in 2010

"Health Insurance Underwriting Guidelines...
When I first entered the field, I was surprised at all the underwriting guidelines for major health insurance carriers like Anthem, UnitedHealth, Humana, etc. I did not expect that those carriers would be as difficult as it is to get in to now that I know what happens on the back-end after a sale." (Insurance Agent // Tax Professional; 2014)

Career: 1 years of experience, currently based in California, male
School: Studied Finance at Uc Riverside in California; completed Bachelor degree in 2012

"More Interesting Than I'd Imagined...
I was surprised by the lack of face to face communication. Most communicating for my position is done through email. I was also surprised by how interesting the position is. Everyday there is something new and different to experience." (Insurance Underwriter; 2012)

Career: 2 years of experience, currently based in Massachusetts, female
School: Studied Finance at Nichols College in Massachusetts; completed Bachelor degree in 2012

Best & Worst Things About This Career

Certified Insurance Service Representative: "Like a lot of jobs out there, dealing with upset customers is something that will never be an upside to an insurance job. People who have been in a car wreck or have had their house burned down are sometimes very difficult to deal with. But depending on how well you do at this type of job, a nice perk in the insurance business is the commission paid to you when you bring in new customers." (2011)

Associate Underwriter: "The best part of my career is the ability to make decisions. Critical thinking is a necessary part of what I do and it helps to keep me entertained throughout the day. I would be easily bored from repetitive actions, so having something to think about keeps me occupied. The worst part is that there are some tasks that an underwriter must do that don't involve any critical thinking, such as updating certain records. That part of the job is very boring." (2011)

Career Background

Insurance Professional

  Salaries

Career Tips

"Tasks To Be Successful At My Job...
Read up on health care system. Be very good at MS Excel and Access. Learn some Pearl Coding as well as SAS." (Production Coordinator; 2014)

"Health Agent Guide Advice...
You have to be very flexible in terms of hours. My office is in California and I have had clients in Wisconsin that wanted me to call them at 9am their time which meant coming in to the office early. Being mentally prepared for that would benefit a lot because appointments will vary depending on potential clients location and availability." (Insurance Agent // Tax Professional; 2014)

"Consult With More Experienced Agents...
Learn to pay close attention to details. When dealing with an insurance policy, it's very important to see between the lines when it comes to discovering whether or not damages to something are covered or not. Also learn to listen to the advice that other 'seasoned' agents in your office are willing to give (as long as it's relevant to your work). Most of them have been in the business for a long time and know what they are talking about." (Certified Insurance Service Representative; 2011)

"Get CPCU Certification...
Become certified as a CPCU, as this designation will teach you a lot about insurance as well as make you more employable. Strive to make good decisions. If you are not willing to stand behind a decision you made it was not the correct decision. Be as accurate as possible. This one is basic, but it can't be stressed enough." (Associate Underwriter; 2011)