Careers in Insurance

Did you know that some of the hottest jobs in finance aren't on Wall Street at all? These are jobs in insurance. Insurance is a trillion dollar business that employs more than 3 million people in the United States alone. As the population ages and wealth grows, the demand for insurance professionals will increase dramatically. This is great news for you if you're thinking of going in to insurance. Jobs in insurance involve helping individuals and business manage risk to protect themselves from catastrophic losses and to anticipate potential problems. Work in this area is not only personally rewarding, but can be financially rewarding as well.

Insurance is a stable yet dynamic industry that provides a wealth of advancement and career opportunities. From administrative support to management programs, from sales to information technology, from accounting to customer service ... anything you want to do in business, you can do in the insurance industry!

You will help clients understand their insurance needs, explain their options to them and hopefully help them purchase appropriate insurance policies. You could work in a variety of areas in insurance including as an underwriter, a sales representative, an asset manager, a customer service rep or an actuary. A theme that is constantly emphasized by insurance professionals is that the industry is ultimately about helping people when they need it the most. The stereotype of a slick, sleazy, fast-talking insurance salesman is largely a thing of the past.

Major areas of opportunity include auto insurance, life insurance, P&C (property & casualty) insurance, and health insurance. It's worth noting that private health insurance companies remain central after the 2010 passage of health care legislation in the US and subsequent political developments. If anything, the health insurance industry is likely to grow in size due to efforts to achieve universal coverage.

Key Resources

• Skills & Talents Required in the Insurance Industry
• Job Options in Insurance
• Salaries
• Links, Books & Resources for Insurance Careers
• Facts & Trends About Insurance
• Insurance Firm Listing

Insurance Career Links

• Opportunities in Insurance Careers
• Vault Guide to the Top Insurance Employers
• So you want to be an insurance agent
• Texas Dept of Insurance on Careers in Insurance
• Q&A on Insurance Careers from Wetfeet
• Careers in Insurance and Risk Management - 2009

Job Listings

• Find Insurance Job Listings on thousands of job sites with one search. Provided by Indeed.com, "a one stop shop for job seekers" (Wall Street Journal).
• Great Insurance Jobs
• Lear and Associates - Insurance Recruiter
• Ultimate Insurance Jobs
• Insurance Job Channel

Actuary Career Links

• Be An Actuary - A Career Without Boundaries
• D.W. Simpson Company - Actuarial Recruiters
• S. C. International - Actuary Recruiters

Specific Companies that are Recruiting

• Combined Insurance Careers
• Farmer's Insurance
• Careers at Geico
• Independent Agent Career Center
• Mass Mutual Careers
• New York Life Career Center
• Progressive Careers
• State Farm Career Center

Blogs

• Agent for Change
• Declarations and Exclusions
• Insurance Scrawl
• Rebel Agents
• Risk Prof
• Specialty Insurance Blog

Thanks to Dr. Norma Nielson, Mr. Malott Nyhart, Dr. Bob Puelz and Dr. Michael P. Smith for making suggestions and contributions to our section on careers in insurance.