Insurance brokers are experts in coverage and risk management solutions. Their goal is to supply both people and businesses with protection plans tailored to suit their individual needs.

Image by gnanasathees suntharam from Pixabay  

Brokers either specialize in a specific field, such as home insurance, or work across the spectrum, allowing them to provide many coverage types to their clients. To be successful, they need to be well-versed and articulate to clarify the many complex terms. 

To discover what it takes to become a broker, keep reading.

Requirements

Education

Although a high school diploma is often accepted, most firms insist on a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on business, finance, economics, and insurance.

Image provided by Nottingham Trent University from Creative Commons

Skills

To be a successful broker, you need to have strong social skills. These include:

• Interpersonal communication
• Initiative 
• Persuasion
• Excellent customer service

Certification and Licensure

All brokers have to take the state’s compulsory broker licensure exam. Further certification can be obtained. However, this is voluntary. 

How to Start Your Career?

Becoming a successful broker involves doing a lot of research to better understand the finance and risk management industry to give you the necessary tools to provide essential advice to your clients. Your duties will include a lot of paperwork and cultivating new customers.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

Still interested, here are the steps you need to follow.

Get Educated

Getting a Bachelor’s degree will increase your chances of landing a job at a firm of your choice. Be sure to specialize in business administration, economics, or preferably insurance and risk management. 

Do an Internship

An internship grants you a firsthand opportunity to observe and participate in an insurance firm’s internal operations. At the end of this, the employer will typically provide you with a written evaluation for your resume. Better yet, they may decide to offer you a full-time position.

Get Licensed

A broker’s license is unique to the state in which it was obtained. So, if you’re planning to practice in more than one region, you’ll need to take the licensure exam for each one you want to operate in. Without this, you’ll not be permitted to sell insurance legally.

Secure Employment

If you secure employment at a brokerage firm, you’ll typically start at the help desk or as an assistant. As you gain experience, you’ll start climbing the ladder within the company. The promotional steps are:

• Customer service  
• Personal lines rep 
• Commercial lines representative 
• Department supervisor
• Producer or branch manager

Image provided by ccPixs.com from Creative Commons

Get Certified

Certification in specific areas of insurance, although voluntary, is essential to your professional development and career advancement. These courses are available through:

• The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research
• America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
• The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards

A Career in the Insurance Industry

Many people worldwide make a good living off of the insurance industry. If you’re willing to obtain a Bachelor’s degree and get the necessary certification, you open yourself to a bright future. The beauty of this kind of work is that you’re not restricted to the insurance industry. If you want to make a career change later on in life, there’ll be several options open to you.