An insurance agent is a trained professional responsible for selling insurance policies to customers. Insurance policies can be centered on the insured individual's death, retirement, injury, travel, or potential health issues. In order to help customers acquire insurance, the insurance sales agent analyzes health, work, and other risks that the person faces on a regular bases, formes quotas based on findings, and advises the individual on which insurance would best suit them. They also assist clients with insurance claims.
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How To Become an Insurance Agent
Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become an insurance agent. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in an insurance agent.
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Most companies require a insurance agent to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as business or accounting.
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The Insurance Producer license requirements vary by state. 38 states require barbers to have licensure for their work.
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Common job titles before becoming an insurance agent include customer service representative, cashier, and sales associate.
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Hiring managers expect an insurance agent to have soft skills such as analytical skills, communication skills, and initiative.
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Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of 6-12 months of job training to become an insurance agent.
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Getting a certification as a Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) will help you to earn more as an insurance agent.
Before becoming an insurance agent, 53.2% earned their bachelor's degree. When it comes down to graduating with a master's degree, 5.9% insurance agents went for the extra education. If you're wanting to pursue this career, it may be possible to be successful with a high school degree. In fact, most insurance agents have a college degree. But about one out of every six insurance agents didn't attend college at all.
The insurance agents who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and accounting, while a small population of insurance agents studied insurance and psychology.
How to become an Insurance Agent in 7 steps:
- Step 1: Explore insurance agent education
- Step 2: Develop insurance agent skills
- Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship
- Step 4: Obtain the necessary licensing
- Step 5: Get insurance agent certifications
- Step 6: Research insurance agent duties
- Step 7: Prepare your resume
Key Steps To Become an Insurance Agent
Explore Insurance Agent Education
If you're interested in becoming an insurance agent, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 53.2% of insurance agents have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 5.9% of insurance agents have master's degrees. Even though most insurance agents have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an insurance agent. When we researched the most common majors for an insurance agent, we found that they most commonly have business, accounting and insurance.
Insurance Agent Major Percentages Business 35.10% Accounting 5.90% Insurance 5.50% Psychology 5.40% Other Degrees 48.00% Develop Insurance Agent Skills
It'll be a good idea to develop insurance agent skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in insurance agent job descriptions:
Skills Percentages Customer Service 24.79% Insurance Sales 8.21% Health Insurance 6.31% Life Insurance Products 6.15% Financial Resources 5.71% Complete Relevent Training/Internship
Insurance agents spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new insurance agents learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as an insurance agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real insurance agent resumes.
Average Amount Of Time At Training
Obtain The Necessary Licensing
Becoming an licensed insurance agent usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed insurance agent in most of states. 38 states require insurance agents to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
State Education Exam License Url Alabama - - Licensed Insurance Producer Arkansas Degree required State exam required Insurance Sales Producer (Agent) Colorado Specific course required State exam required Insurance Agent Connecticut Specific course required State exam required Producer License, Individual Delaware - State exam required Insurance Agent Get Insurance Agent Certifications
Certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for this position. They can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a certification, having one may help you stand out in an application. Plus, the process of getting a certification can teach you new skills that you can bring to your work. We determined the most common certifications for insurance agents. The most common certification is Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI), but Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is also frequently seen in insurance agents resumes.
- Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI)
- Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
- Medical Assistant
- Certified Insurance Examiner (CIE)
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
- Certified Sales Professional (CSP)
- Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
- International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA)
Research Insurance Agent Duties
When you decide to become an insurance agent, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most insurance agent jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
- Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
- Maintain personal and confidential Medicare & Medicaid customer information following all HIPAA.
- Follow all applicable HIPPA and privacy regulations.
- Explain medical plans to Medicare / Medicaid eligible clients to ensure best fit.
- Identify and solicit sales prospects in agency database and in the general marketplace.
- Develop productive business relationships with key marketplace players by identifying the right products and services.
Prepare Your Resume
Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Insurance Agent Resume templates
Build a professional Insurance Agent resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Insurance Agent resume.Apply For an Insurance Agent Job
Insurance Agent Jobs
Becoming an Insurance Agent FAQs
How To Work For An Insurance Company?
To work for an insurance company, you need to complete your education, become certified, and network. Many insurance agents hold bachelor's degrees, but you must hold at least a high school diploma to work for an insurance company.
What Disqualifies You From Getting An Insurance License?
There are several different things that can disqualify you from getting an insurance license. Here is a look at the top items that can disqualify you from obtaining an insurance license:
Why Do You Want To Work In Insurance?
"I want to work in insurance because it's a stable industry that I find interesting, I want the opportunity to help people, and because there are many facets of the insurance industry that I am interested in" is a good answer to this interview question. You should also highlight specific aspects that interest you, such underwriting claims, or insurance marketing.
You should hone in on your interest in helping people when unexpected and unfortunate events arise in their lives. Highlight your desire to go above and beyond in terms of your customer service, as this is a trait that employers in this field look for in job candidates. You also may want to focus on the department or area you want to grow in.
Have more questions? See all answers to common sales questions.