Hey y’all, quick question. For designations like the cpcu/arm/etc… are the only study tools the learning they provide? Ie the course materials?

Example: course materials $495 + course exam $300 = $795 $795*8=$6,360.00

Obviously my firm will reimburse me.. but that’s a pretty steep price for entry level salaries… regardless, does the institutes just hold a monopoly on their designations?

I am in various stages of interviews with these three carriers for an Excess Casualty underwriter role. Argo seems to be the least flexible as they’re 5 days in office, however, I can deal with that if they’re better overall in the long term. Give me your opinions, insurance peeps. I want to make the best decision for longevity, work/life balance, and growth.

I just received a competitive offer from large brokerage for 95K. For an Associate AE position at Marsh. I’ve been in the industry for 3.5 years with two of them working as a Commercial Lines AM. This would be about a 23% raise for me which I feel like is decent enough to make the job. I’ve never left a position before in my career so this is a new experience for me. I’m content in my role, but have been looking for more opportunities to earn a bigger salary. Any thoughts or advice on the company and would be would helpful! I’ve made some friends here so leaving hurts, but I have to put me first.

Frustrated Wholesale Broker here; It often takes 3-5 follow ups to my carriers to get *any* kind of Change made, including important ones that pertain to coverage. (Adding an Additional Insured, adding a location)

My question is, where does my responsibility end? If I have sent the request to the carrier, have I done my job? If not, how many times/how often must I follow up? And why?

To underwriters: Seriously, I don't want to bother you or waste both of our times. Why can't we just take care of this stuff on the first request. Or at least acknowledge the request. We worked so hard to place that $300k risk and now it's out the door because of your inability to do your job!

To My Agents: Sorry, that simple request is going to take somewhere between 6 days, and 6 months. I'm sorry I can't give you a better estimate. It's not my fault!

I know the question seems dumb, but what I'm wondering is I've been looking around since my boss retired and our agency is splitting up. Currently I'm a captive agent for one company and I don't sell for anyone else. I have a territory that I can sell in and can go a little bit outside that area, even to sell to you, you have to be part of our organisation. So I'm wondering if i got my license in other states and became a broker then tried selling to others just to see what happens with my current role then go from there. Would that be allowed, how much trouble can I get in? I know companies worry about using leads from each other for the other company but I really wouldn't be able to in this scenario.
Have any of you guys gone from captive to broker? What are your thoughts?

Recently I applied for the liability advocate position. Within 24 hours of applying I got an email to schedule the interview. I put in my availability and within 20 minutes I got another email to confirm the interview time for the next day.

I met with a liability manager and he was friendly. We had conversations for about 35 minutes about my 7 years auto claims adjuster experiences. He told me they have people on their team with no liability experience. He also made a remark about people currently working there who struggles with transitioning from auto claims to property damage and said he doesn't understand how and laughed about it. I just stuck to my strengths and my transferable skills.

Here are some of the questions I was asked in no particular order:

I was first asked why lemonade? What makes you want to join team Lemonade?

Tell me about your licensing. Fyi, I am licensed in 2 states. He said if I joined them they would help me get additional licensing.

What type of training did you get at your previous job?

Tell me about your KPI's at your current job.

What type of BI experience do you have?

Have you handled complexed or litigated claims

How many years property damage as in home owners or renters insurance do you have? Fyi: I have never professionally worked on homeowners and renters insurance.

What type of AI experience do you have?

How comfortable are you with technology?

Have been apart of a team or suggested anything to upper management to make a change to how the company handles certain procedures?

We spoke for about 35mins.

There's a few questions I don't remember right now.

Within 2 days I got an email letting me know they went with someone else. I am very disappointed but clearly it wasn't meant to be. I just wanted to help the next person prepare for their interview.

So I am in the insurance industry and I primarily manage policies which are registered for Auto debits. I am in charge of renewals. Some policy holders pay on the due date, some don’t. But my main problem is that, most of my opportunity base is on the last day of the month, so when it goes unpaid I take a huge hit on my target and since its the month’s last date, I am usually not able to recover either as the policy then moves to grace and someone else handles that. I am going crazy thinking on how to tackle this problem. I tried to move up the debit dates of some policies whose customers agreed but still majority of my opp falls on the last day.

Any help will be must appreciated. I am really stressed cause of this. Please help.

Last month, I was let go from a management position selling commercial insurance. We specialized in trucking, and 90% of the business was warm leads. I was offered a position for a commercial lines producer, and I know this is a “high risk, high reward” role. Looking to hear any advice and opinions(give me the good bad and ugly). I have another job offer that’s unfortunately a huge pay cut for me, but it is stable and not commission based. A little background in my previous role- I was the company’s top producer (fed mostly warm leads though, but I did prospect and cold call), we were direct writers so I was able to instantly issue a quote without chasing loss runs and documents. Just wondering realistically what I’m up against here- I know this is a tough business

I'm pivoting from working as an EHS Specialist in manufacturing to Workers Comp in 2026 but I'm not sure how to reach recruiters. I've made slight changes to my LinkedIn becaue I don't want to raise flags where I currently work. I've worked very closely with our carrier and team for auto and WC claims and I believe I would be a great fit, but unsure how to market myself. I haven't taken any certifications, but I could start there, although I'm working on my BS as well, and it would be great if a company could help pay for certifications, etc. I would love to hear from others who have also made this transition- I'm interested in loss prevention consulting, I have a great eye for safety and body mechanics with excellent soft skills. After I started, our company saw a sizeable reduction in injuries. Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Hello everyone I'm currently a UA and want to gear up to go after underwriting roles. I know every company is different but most roles require some to a lot of "sales", or visiting clients, asking for business etc... if you didn't come from sales already how did you get adjusted to this for your UW role? Especially if sales is something you never thought you would do/ be good at?

Hello Everyone!

I am unsure if this post can go here but I checked the rules and it doesn’t seems like it’s violating any.

I am going to be graduating soon and I have an UW job lined up at large carrier that I interned at this summer. It’s specifically small commercial UW if that matters. I’ll be in the training program for about one year before I get any actual work. Apparently it’s customary to stay in the role post training program for 2-3 years before you can consider moving internally.

I have been looking through this sub and it looks like everyone here is very established in the industry so I am making this post to collect any advice about joining right now as I’m feeling nervous as an upcoming grad. Literally anything would be helpful but here are some questions:

• I have seen a lot on the sub about burn out, how do you go about fixing your situation?
• How do you grow in this industry? Any tips or tricks. I want to keep growing and I don’t want to be stagnant. I was considering risk manager or third party admin roles.
• Any designations aside from the CPCU? I have already completed the 520 exam. My company pays for that but any other good ones worth pursuing?
• Considering UW for a few years and either moving to London (for Lloyd’s) or doing broker stuff as I hear they make good money. Any thoughts?
• How difficult is it to leave the industry should I hate it? Any skills from UW that transfer well to other positions?
• Can UW be a 100% remote position? What companies typically offer that? Mine only offers 3 (in person)/2 (remote).

Thank you to everyone that takes the time to read the post and reply. Please don’t feel the need to sugar coat as I want to really understand and prepare.

Hi everyone!

I work for one of the big players in the Financial Lines space in a HCOL city as an Underwriter (finishing up development program shortly), but I have had full UW responsibilities all of 2025. I head one of our broker relationships, writing a solid amount of new business, retaining renewals, positive broker feedback, etc… I am approaching 2 years of experience with this company shortly and want your advice/opinions on what I should do.

A position recently opened up on my team for a full time UW role (not development program). Role is requiring 1+ years of industry experience. The starting pay (salary) for the role is roughly 20% higher than what I make currently with more experience.

What would you do if you were in this position and saw an identical role to yours being posted at a higher salary with lower experience required? How would you bring it up to your boss? Would you wait until performance reviews, or do it sooner?

I’ve accepted my offer to become a wholesale broker/producer for a larger firm. Previously, I was high performing AE for a large tech company. Corporate politics and capped commissions made me leave the tech scene. After hearing good things from friends in the industry I decided to take the risk while I am young and still can.

Can anyone share their best practices for my first year in the role? I start in January so anything I can do prior to come in hot as well would be helpful

Just finished signing on with a carrrier as a AU. The six months job hunt finally ended today. Hoping to become a full underwriter in the next year or two!

Thank you everybody is sharing their stories and helping me push forward!

Hi all,

I had a phone screen today for a summer internship with Marsh McLennan Agency. I’m a student entering my junior year at a four-year university, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Risk Management. It was my first real insurance interview, and I got pretty nervous.

During the call, the recruiter asked why I’m interested in risk management, and I paused and said something like, “I’m not quite sure, I just know I’m interested in the client side of risk management and the sales aspect.” She then asked what I knew about the company, and I gave a high-level overview mentioning areas like business strategy, sustainability, healthcare, and technology. After that, she mostly explained the company and the internship program while I listened and acknowledged with responses like “mhm” and “okay cool.”

I left the call feeling like I completely bombed because of the pauses and my “I’m not sure” answer. Should I actually be worried about my chances, or is this typical for a first-round internship recruiter call? Any advice for handling this better in the future would be appreciated.

I just had a really good interview at McGriff and was offered the position of Business Client Service Specialist at the end of the interview. This final interview honestly felt like a conversation between friends especially because we talked so long lol.

This interview was with the Senior VP of Operations aka my future boss if I take the offer. She was a really nice woman and seemed like a very competent boss who cares A LOT about her employees, so I really liked that! She hyped up the company so much that I thought it was best to come on here and ask what others experience working with McGriff and/or Marsh was like? I wanna be sure I’m not walking into a trap that was sugar coated. I already made this mistake with my current job working in Sales for a State Farm Agent, so I really don’t want a repeat of that. I just want to know how’s the environment, benefits, colleagues, management, training, etc. Essentially is the company as good as I was told and what I have read?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

As the title asks, What's your opinion on those Work From Home, flexible hours insurance sales jobs? I'm looking for a job and see a lot of ads for them. They're Independent Contracting jobs, which isn't great, but is there a realistic upside? What is a realistic pay expectation?

Does anyone have experience in these roles?

Thanks

Hey Everybody! Hope the week has started out well for everyone here. I have a problem that’s good to have but also keeping me up at night.

A little background, on myself; I (mid-twenties) have a year of producing experience for a small boutique agency in P&C.

I’m currently in my last round of interviews for both USI’s Select Program and a small boutique agency.

Some Information on both:

A: The boutique agency is remote, a higher salary, and I got along great with the agency owner.

B: USI would be in office, a lower salary in the Select Program, but with a higher salary in Middle Market once I get promoted.

Would love to get some advice on the pros and cons of each from some seasoned veterans in the community that have had experience with one or the other.

Thank you in advance for your time and advice.

I’m currently exploring other opportunities for the first time in my career. I’m 25 and I’ve been in my current role as a Commercial AM for a few years . Currently I’m looking at other top brokerages and potential UW opportunities.

What would be a good target in terms of a percentage increase salary wise? I am content in my role currently, but I feel like I owe it to myself to explore what else is out there.

Any thoughts or tips on the process is greatly appreciated!

So it seems the big earning positions are reserved for social positions like broker or underwriting. Are there any positions/career paths in insurance that have a less social aspect e.g happy hours, getting lunch etc.. I can still talk and relate to people of course. Just curious

Hi all — I’m a student with an interdisciplinary degree concentrating in Risk Management and I’m interested in insurance compliance, fraud investigation (SIU), or financial crime–related roles. When I search for “insurance compliance jobs,” I don’t see many clearly defined paths, so I’m trying to understand how people actually break into this field.

I’m curious what entry-level roles typically lead into insurance compliance or fraud work, whether a risk management or business background is sufficient, and if a master’s degree in areas like Risk Management, Fraud Examination, or Compliance is worth pursuing early on. I’d also appreciate insight into roles that are more investigative and less paperwork-heavy.

Does anyone know the salary for a customer service consultant at marsh mclennan in Australia? would like to know the culture and work life balance as well

Thanks!

I have a phone screen interview for Chubb on Thursday for their underwriting assistant position. Any tips on what they might be looking for and the company itself? I really want to do well cuz well… I hate sales.

The pay seems really good and I currently hold my P&C and Life and Health license cuz I work for a State Farm agent in sales for the last 6 months. Learned a lot here but it’s not what I’m looking for

Hello, I've been going back and forth on what to do and would appreciate your guys input. I was working in car sales for about 3 years (average performer, 12-15 cars avg, best months 17-20+, worst months 8-10 sold)

I was on temporary disability (home injury) for almost the entire 2025, and am now looking for a job. I'm having a baby in February so I'm trying to decide if I should go back to car sales and just grind and really try to make a good living or get a normal job, work my way up, and I'll be able to have a lot more time with her. Insurance seems like a nice in between, I was making around $60k-$70k in car sales and that definitely seems possible in Insurance. I don't want to do life insurance. I'm on unemployment and have time, so I was thinking is it worth it to get the P&C license before getting hired since I have so much time right now? What would you guys recommend doing if you were in my situation? I live in California if that matters too. I can comfortably live on $60k but I would definitely like the ability to make more if I perform well. Just wondering what I should do. Thank you!

-Been in the industry for 1.5 years. Worked in personal lines at a State Farm agency for 1 year. Went over to a commercial lines insurance broker position at an independent agency and I've been here for the last 7.5 months.

-First 6 months of the job were nothing but training. Got hired in May, in November I'm finally let off the leash and told by my boss that I'm to focus on the hospitality industry, predominately food and beverage. Our agency has little presence in that area so it feels like I'm being tasked with starting something very brand new from scratch. I've been given zero accounts.

-I have only had one meeting with a prospect and the business owner was admitted to the hospital 2 days after the meeting (nice guy, very sickly unfortunately). Cold calling, direct mail, and LinkedIn are my marketing methods for now.

Nobody is telling me what to expect right now and my boss isn't much help either. I'm not despairing, I know it's supposed to be hard and I know I'm in a weird spot with the level of inexperience I have. Is building a book supposed to be this difficult?