Insurance is part of the world today, and it's not going away any time soon. We all rely on insurance policies to secure our positions financially. Businesses need insurance as much as individuals do. Insurance agents prepare policies that safeguard their customer's interests.
Here's how to become an insurance agent:
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- Get to know the insurance field in general. Learn about the different types of insurance, including health, life, property and casualty insurance.
- Earn a bachelor's degree, or even just an associate's degree, in finance, business or economics. Although not all insurance companies require their agents to have a post-high-school degree, having one will put you ahead of the competition.
- Gain experience working in sales or in the insurance field. This will make you more qualified upon entering the job market.
- Get a job as an agent with a licensed insurer. Most states require insurance agents to have a job in the field before being eligible for an official license.
- Get licensed. Find out your state's licensing requirements. Although licensing requirements vary from state to state, all agents must be licensed by the state in which he or she lives. It is therefore imperative that you find out the specific certification requirements for your state. Most states require pre-licensing training [Education-portal].
- Sign up for the pre-licensing training appropriate for your position and state. A review course for insurance agents will help you prepare for your state's licensing exam. Organizations, like the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (AICPCU) and the Insurance Institute of America (IIA), offer many specific and general certification programs accepted by many states [AICPCU].
- Pass your state's licensing exam.
- Continue taking courses to keep up with any changes in the regulations. Many states require insurance agents to take continued education classes as often as every two years [Education-portal].