The insurance industry is a great career option for people with a diversity of education and skills backgrounds. One of the most interesting aspects of insurance is that someone can embark on a career in this field at almost any time. If you are discussing careers with your high school or college student, or you’re considering a career change for yourself, we invite you to explore our industry.
As we celebrate our 70th year in business at Smyrl Insurance, we have been reflecting on how even our founder happened upon the prospect of becoming an insurance agent by chance. As we shared in our history of Smyrl Insurance, Robert Smyrl, Sr launched his career as a real estate agent. After getting to know some insurance agents, however, he was convinced that selling insurance would be a beneficial way to support his real estate clients. When Robert’s kids, Nancy and Bob, joined the business, they both focused on insurance so that Robert could keep his mind on real estate. Bob Smyrl enjoyed all the aspects of the insurance side of the business and pursued continuing education and credentials in this field. When Robert retired, Bob discontinued the real estate side of the business, creating Smyrl Insurance as we know it today.
We have seen this industry evolve quite a bit over the years, and it always creates new opportunities for professionals who are willing to learn and grow. Understanding the skills and knowledge that contribute to success in insurance can help you determine if this could be a good career fit for you.
College Degree Options for Insurance Careers
Although a college degree is not required for a career in insurance, having one can provide a strong foundation for many aspects of the job. Students who are interested in insurance as a career path should focus on business-related majors that develop critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills.
Majors like business administration, finance, and accounting are excellent tracks for learning about the underlying concepts of the insurance industry. These majors teach students about things like business operations, understanding and managing risk, economics, and the principles of finance. Students who major in marketing, or at least take several marketing classes, will set themselves up for the sales aspects of an insurance career. These classes teach important skills in listening for customer needs and presenting value propositions. Pepper in a few math classes like statistics and algebra to get more proficient with the numbers behind insurance.
General education courses are also vital to any business career. Gen Eds teach communication and critical thinking skills that every young adult needs for navigating a professional life. With insurance in particular, agents need to be able to communicate in writing and verbally with personal and commercial clients as well as insurance providers. They also need to be adept at analyzing and interpreting technical information and reviewing data.
There are several insurance industry jobs that call for specific majors. For example, actuaries might major in statistics or actuarial science. Someone who wants to work at the carrier level should have a stronger focus in economics or risk management.
Non-College Pathways to a Career in Insurance
Motivated individuals who don’t have a college degree can find great success in an insurance career. Degree or no degree, working in this industry takes a strong work ethic, great communication skills, and a willingness to learn (and keep learning). Really no matter your background, insurance comes with a lifetime of on-the-job training, professional development, and continuing education.
Entry-level roles in customer service, claims assistance, and administrative support are a great way to start learning more about the industry and whether or not it’s a good fit. These positions give candidates an opportunity to learn more about how policies work, observe client interactions, and start gaining industry knowledge.
Individuals will need to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build verbal and written communication proficiencies in the professional office setting. These essential “academic” skills don’t have to be learned in the classroom, but they are integral to doing the job well.
Essential Skills for Insurance Professionals
The fundamental skills for a successful career as an insurance agent can be gained in a variety of ways. The bottom line is that this business is about building relationships as a reliable and competent professional. Remember, insurance is not always fun. As agents, we have to be ready to talk to people on their worst day and help them navigate the next steps. This requires soft skills that have to be developed over time.
The other skills, such as attention to detail, good listening, problem solving, and technology navigation are all part of the daily life of many professions. Even if you ultimately decide that insurance isn’t the career for you, the tools you gain from any amount of time spent in this field will benefit your future prospects.
Finally, working in the insurance industry requires state licensing requirements. These licenses communicate to clients that you have done your due diligence to learn the applicable laws to sell and manage insurance policies in the proper manner. At Smyrl, we often hire associates who have not started on the path to licensing yet, so we help them prepare during their training. Once an agent is licensed, continuing education credits and other credentialing programs offer opportunities to advance into more specialized careers within the field.
Insurance: A Rewarding Career Field
If you are considering your career options or are mentoring a young person who is, we encourage you to learn more about the opportunities in our dynamic industry. Our team is always interested in connecting with individuals who are interested in this career path. We enjoy having conversations in which we can offer guidance and make introductions that will help someone get started in the insurance business.
Just as with our clients, we will educate, nurture, and empower job seekers about insurance so that they can explore the possibilities. Please contact us to talk about internships, job shadowing, employment openings, or even just a high level overview of our work in insurance. Smyrl Insurance offers many types of personal and commercial insurance for our clients in Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Harleysville, and throughout the region in Montgomery County and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
