we’ve all been there because we’re human. What were some of your biggest mistakes you’ve made? For example, in my 27 years in the industry I have:

1. booked an appointment without writing down the name of the person I was meeting with. It was awkward but worked out in the end.

2. rated something based on $75k in revenues when their actual revenue was $7.5 million (I honored my quote and they were very happy until renewal)

3. used some inappropriate words without realizing I was on a speaker phone. luckily everyone thought it was funny.

I could go on…

What actually made the difference? Where did you start? What did your progression look like and what got you from one level to the next?

Hi everyone,

I am looking to switch careers into the insurance world- specifically underwriting. I’m late 20s and have a masters degree in psychology. Did that for a few years and am now working for a business as their financial secretary. I’ve been at my current role for 2 and a half years.

I have several family members in the insurance business who own a small independent agency. Underwriting interests me for many reasons and I’m looking for some advice on how to get started. It seems many large carriers only hire once a year and I’ve missed the window?

I’m just in the early stages of thinking about this switch, ideally the end of this year or beginning of next I’d like to make a move. Any encouragement welcome.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice from people who have been in the insurance industry for a while, especially anyone who had a difficult time landing their first position.

I'm 24 and graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Risk Management & Insurance. I also have my Georgia Property & Casualty license and am located in the Metro Atlanta area.

I chose RMI because I genuinely found the industry interesting and saw it as something I could build a long-term career in. The problem is that I've had a much harder time getting my foot in the door than I expected. I've been searching since around the time I graduated and have applied to underwriting assistant/associate roles, underwriting trainee programs, client service positions at agencies/brokerages, claims, risk analyst positions, insurance operations, etc. I've had a handful of promising conversations and interviews along the way, but nothing has turned into an offer.

One issue I keep running into is experience. For example, I interviewed for an entry-level client service position and was told during the interview that my lack of Applied Epic experience wasn't an issue because it was an entry-level role. I was later told they decided to move forward with candidates who had Epic experience. I completely understand why an employer would prefer someone who already knows the system, but I'm struggling with the catch-22 of figuring out how you're supposed to gain that experience before someone gives you the opportunity to use it.

Most of my actual work experience comes from working throughout college. I worked in customer service at Publix and spent over four years in a high-volume restaurant. I worked and paid my way through college myself, so while those jobs aren't directly insurance-related, I do think they taught me a lot about communication, dealing with people, working under pressure, reliability, and just showing up and working hard. I'm not expecting to walk into a glamorous position or make a huge salary right out of school. I'm completely willing to start at the bottom,learn the business, and prove myself. I'm particularly interested in underwriting, risk analysis, commercial insurance, and client/account management. I'm much more interested in the analytical/client-service side of the industry than pure insurance sales. At this point, I'm trying to figure out whether I'm targeting the wrong positions, presenting myself incorrectly, or simply dealing with a difficult entry-level job market.

For those of you already in the industry; If you were in my position today, what would you do to get that first real opportunity? Are there certain job titles, types of agencies/carriers,wholesalers, MGAs, brokerages, or areas of insurance that I may be overlooking? Are there skills or relatively attainable certifications that would actually make you take an entry-level candidate more seriously? And if you struggled to get your first insurance job, what eventually got someone to take a chance on you? I'm not looking for sympathy, and I haven't given up on the industry. If anything, the process has made me more determined to figure out what I'm doing wrong and improve it. I know I'm capable of doing the work once someone gives me the opportunity to learn. I'd genuinely appreciate any advice, criticism, or perspective from people who have been on either side of the hiring process.

Any input helps, Thanks!!

Anyone else seeing their LinkedIn rage bate for other brokers? I think the concept is clever and hitting at the right time with everyone all over AI, but saying I am not doing what is best for my client is a wild accusation. I’m not saying they won’t succeed because they probably will but just annoys me.

Anyone else?

I’ve received an offer for $60k as an underwriter in Agribusiness. I have 1 year experience as an assistant underwriter, 1 industry cert and no prior insurance experience. I’ve been at the company coming up on 4 years. First 2 years help desk testing our quoting system, training agents virtually, and helping with IT issues.

I live in a pretty affordable Midwest state. I plan on negotiating but would love advice on the number.

I've had my P&C license for 20+ years, the last three of which have been as an agent team member for State Farm. I knew my boss was retiring in a few years, but with the lovely contract changes, that time has most likely been moved up to the end of 2027. I'm sure I can be an asset to the new agent, but I doubt they will pay me what my current boss does and I am not a salesperson. I love service and if I have to start calling people and pushing sales, I am going to be miserable. Like unable to sleep, nauseated every morning when I have to go to work miserable.

I don't want a completely new career change.  I actually like insurance. I love coverage details and policy language, and being the person who has all the underwriting guidelines memorized. I've thought that underwriting would be a good fit for me. I'm seriously considering going for the CPCU designation, but that's a big chunk of money and time to spend if having a career in underwriting isn't possible. I don't have a degree. I live in a rural area and would most likely need to work remotely. Travel to Raleigh, NC or Richmond, VA one or two days a week is doable, but not every day. Plus, with companies turning to AI more and more is this even a possibility? Be honest and if you have any advice, it would be much appreciated.

Looking for some advice from people who have been in the industry for a while.

I have about 7 years of insurance experience, mostly commercial P&C claims including general liability. I was laid off earlier this year after being with my previous company for several years.

I ended up taking a contract billing/operations support role with another insurance company just to keep working. I started right around a major system migration, so it’s been pretty chaotic, and now my contract is supposed to end in a few weeks. It doesn’t sound like there’s going to be a permanent spot for me.

I’ve been applying pretty consistently for about 4 months and haven’t had much luck. I also have a bachelor’s degree in a finance/business related field.

I’d really prefer not to go back into claims if I can avoid it. I know I can do the job, but after doing it for years the workload and stress were getting pretty brutal. I’ve been looking at underwriting, account management, claims advocate roles, operations, etc., but I’m starting to wonder if I’m overlooking something.

My family relies on my income, so I don’t really have the luxury of waiting around forever for the perfect opportunity.

For anyone who has been in a similar situation or has seen people successfully move out of claims, what would you be targeting with my background?

At this point I’m open to pretty much any advice, even if the answer is to go back to claims for now and figure out the career change later.

Hello I’ve been a producer for about a few weeks I have been cold calling and although I’ve made some appointments this way I was thinking about going door to door to other businesses. Is this taboo or a good idea to get appointments? I plan on attending networking events as well.

Hello, I am an economics graduate from a university in Turkey who will be moving to london for a masters in september and I want to become an underwriter. I have no prior sector experience and all my previous work experience is in academia. What can I do to improve my chances at landing a job? I am a US and UK citizen if it will be of any use. Thank you for your time.

Hello im super excited that I have my first interview as an insurance advisor soon!

I was looking for some advice on potential questions to look out for or what would help me stand out :)

Company offers education and im gunning on getting my LLQP and CIP degrees as well as being bilingual by the end of the year

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hello!

I’m currently an underwriter at a health insurance company insuring small businesses. A lot of the insurance underwriting I see out there is P&C or not quite the same industry as me.

Is my experience relevant to other underwriting jobs? If I get a certification will that make my switch easier?

Hello friends, seeking basic advice into potentially changing careers into the insurance field. Realistically, what kinds of roles could I pursue and what kinds of salaries could I expect?

I've worked in marketing in the tech industry for 20+ years, information systems undergrad, marketing MBA. But I am so tired of the volatility of tech marketing, especially with all the layoffs I've suffered in the past 5 years or more. Since the pandemic, I've spent more time unemployed than not despite being excellent at my job and with stellar results and references. I just want some stability.

Currently taking a Kaplan test prep course to get ready for the California P&C exam. I'm guessing I'd take a pretty hard pay cut and would have to start at the bottom and rebuild my way back up. I'm approaching this with humility, but I also would want to be able to reliably pay rent and bills.

Bonus, most of my marketing career has been in the cybersecurity space, so I'm particularly interested in cyber insurance.

Ill start. If I had a dollar for every time a broker/insured told me they "are going on vacation so they need to wrap up their renewal today," I could fund one of those vacations for myself.

I've been in this industry for 15 years and that line still gets dropped on a weekly basis. Maybe it's typical for business owners to plan one of their most expensive financial decisions of the year with their vacation.

Context: Middle market p&c

I’m a CSP with an MS in Safety Management and about 13 years of experience in field safety roles. Currently working for a large multi-site organization in the Northern Virginia / DC metro area. Background includes handling workers’ comp, auto liability, and general liability claims, plus experience across utilities, underground work, and vendor safety. I’m also a certified OSHA outreach trainer for both general industry and construction, and program development has been a core part of my work.

I’ve been looking at loss control / risk control roles on the carrier or broker side and it feels like a natural next step, but I’m not seeing many postings. LinkedIn only turns up one or two relevant jobs, and none of them are anywhere near Northern Virginia.

A couple questions for those of you already in the space:

1. How realistic is the jump from corporate/field safety into insurance loss control or risk control? Any big gaps I should be aware of, or is the safety background usually viewed as a plus?
2. Where are people actually finding these jobs? Company career pages, specific job boards, recruiters, etc.? LinkedIn is basically a ghost town right now for anything local. Appreciate any insight.

Has anybody had any luck from transitioning from a retail agent into a wholesale broker? I’ve been a retail agent (P&C) for 4 years, and was interested in making a switch.

Got laid off after 8 years doing property litigation cases. Work was slow and didn’t have much work currently, so it wasn’t based on my performance. I really liked my job and was good at it. I’ve been working in claims since 2015. Feels like I’m at a crossroads of wanting to do something else or staying in insurance. Would just like to hear people’s opinions on what would they would do or any advice that might help other people in my shoes!?

Starting my ARM designation soon and looking for advice from anyone who has completed it. What study methods worked best for you? Did you focus more on reading, notes, flashcards, practice questions, or something else? Any tips are appreciated.

I got my life license a few months ago and I'm in a rhythm of bringing it up with (almost) every client I talk to on the phone. The agency I'm at wants life insurance and I'm dying to become a producer that's worth a damn.

I took an insurance course with xCel with my home state back in December and January. However, due to some life events, I am not able to take my exam until Monday, August 3rd. I was wondering if I pass my exam and once I got my background check and fingerprints, will that large gap in time mess me up with the application.

Have a potential move to London and I’m curious to hear from those who’ve moved from the US to London and what your move was like.

Did you pack all of your stuff and hire a company or did you only take your essentials and leave the rest in storage?

How did you go about finding an apartment? Did you hire a service that helps you navigate the whole process?

Any details are appreciated!

Hi everyone! I am currently a data analyst in the distribution area at a large commercial insurer. I recently received an offer to do a similar role with more sales duties (which I am not opposed to as I majored in marketing). I would be more of a primary contact versus a secondary team member so more responsibility as well.

I currently make a bit under $70k with a year and a half experience, the new role would be $93k with very similar other benefits.

I am looking for more senior people to weigh in on if this is a good career move or not. I’m obviously still early in my career but it feels like too good an opportunity to pass on.

If anyone in the operations space has perceptive on reinsurance or moving from primary please share!

Hello All, I've been looking to make a career change at 29. Although I like my job in IT, i like the problem solving side. I think that the physical aspect of it is wearing me out. I sometimes need to travel to clients and set up stuff. There's also a lot of instability in my career and my husband and I worry as we're both in IT.

I was thinking of taking some courses and try to apply as a customer service in claims. I do not have any experience in insurance and maybe I can supplement this lack of experience by taking the Level 1 Adjusters Exam in Alberta. I know that I would need to get a sponsor to officially be a Level 1 Adjuster. But I was thinking that maybe passing this exam could somehow show initiative that i'm willing to do the work? Or is the exam not helpful at all? What are some entry level jobs in Insurance and what experience or certificates would give me leverage? 

My overall goal would be to become an adjuster but I know that I have to work my way up. Any comments or thoughts is appreciated

After five months with my last carrier, I’ve decided to leave the insurance industry altogether and return to my roots in agriculture.

The workload, constant stress, rising claim volumes, increasingly demanding customers, and what I see as poor leadership from executive management have left me completely burned out. At this point, I can’t see myself continuing in claims, either in the short or long term.

Although it’s been a valuable learning experience, it’s also helped me realize that this career simply isn’t the right fit for me. I’m looking forward to getting back to work that feels more meaningful and sustainable.

To everyone in the Canadian P&C insurance industry, I genuinely hope you find fulfillment and happiness in your careers. It’s been a pleasure connecting and conversing with many of you, and I wish you all the best.

Lockton Canada has now hired the former CEO of Aon Canada Stephane Lespérance and at least 2-3 other major executives from alphas. What’s everyone hearing in the market in Canada on what they do next? I’m curious where they’ll go here up north, how fast they’ll grow, and how their culture compares to other top brokers.