How To Become An Auto Insurance Agent
Auto insurance agents either work independently or for insurance companies. Their main job is to sell insurance policies to car owners. If you are competitive and enjoy working with others, this may be a good career choice for you. The hours can be erratic and salary varies. On average, auto insurance agents make around $48,000 a year. The best paid agents make around $117, 800 while the lowest paid agents make less than $26,000.
- Auto insurance agents either work independently or for an insurance company. They sell insurance policies to car owners, usually working on commission.
- Much of your job as an auto insurance agent revolves around seeking out sales. Your work will be a combination of phone work and working with people face-to-face. If you work independently, your schedule may be somewhat unpredictable.
- There may be quotas for commission if you’re working through an agency. There is a somewhat high level of turn around for new agents due to this issue.
2) Look for internships.
Internships look great on a resume and can give you insight into how a particular business or industry operates. Seek out internships in high school.
- Ask your high school career counselor about internship opportunities that would help with your goal of becoming an auto insurance agent. He or she can assist you in finding internships and walk you through the application process.
- There may be a variety of internships that would help with an auto insurance agent position. An internship involving marketing or sales could look good on a resume. You could also seek out an internship working with a local mechanic. The more you know about cars, the better.
3) Gain people skills.
People skills are vital for an auto insurance agent as you’ll spend much of your time working one-on-one with clients.
- A part-time sales job at the mall during high school, for example, would be helpful. You could also work as a receptionist at a local business over summers or seek out part-time customer service work. These types of positions build your people skills.
- As marketing and sales will be such a big part of your career, aim for sales jobs specifically when possible. Experience selling products can help you stand out in the field and meet sales quotas down the road.
4) Look into on-the-job training programs.
There are many insurance companies that prefer to train potential employees themselves. They offer on-the-job training programs, where you’ll learn the trade while making money. As you near the end of high school, see what insurance companies offer on-the-job training. This might be a good alternative to a college education.
5) Take the exam.
Once you’ve learned about the exam, take the exam on your scheduled testing day. Try to remain calm and practice good test taking skills during the exam.
- Get a good night’s sleep before the exam and then eat a healthy breakfast. Taking care of yourself physically can help you stay focused during the exam.
- Try to remain calm during the exam. Stressing out can lead you to make errors. If you’re struggling with a question, come back to it at the end if this is permitted.
- If you’re taking the exam in a room with others, focus on your own work. Stressing out on how quickly others finish is distracting.
- As long as you pass the exam, you’ll be able to sell insurance in your state
6) Write a resume.
Once you’ve completed your exam, you’ll need to start the job hunt. In order to find a good job, you’ll need a solid resume.
- First, include basic information on your resume. This includes your name, phone number, e-mail address, and other basic contact information.
- Formatting on a resume should be consistent throughout. Keep things like font size, space between sections, and what words are in bold or italics consistent. Also, choose a font that’s legible. Fonts that are in cursive or unprofessional in nature do not work well for resume. List your work experience in as impressive terms as possible. You can find lists of resume buzzwords online.
