Move over Valentine’s Day. Step aside President’s Day. No longer is February just a midwinter month for romantics and car buyers. It is now officially being declared Insurance Careers Month and, here at Fred C. Church Insurance, we could not be more excited to kick off the celebration!
If you’re scratching your head wondering what all the hoopla could possibly be about, please hear us out. With a long history of providing insurance services, the team at Fred understands why very few people outside of the industry would ever use the words “insurance careers” and “excitement” together in the same sentence. However, we are here to change that perspective once and for all!
A career in insurance is one of the most rewarding, challenging and, yes, fun experiences out there for anyone who is up to the task. The insurance field could be the perfect career move, whether you’re a recent college grad or a seasoned manager. And, if you’ve been thinking about a change, there is really no better time than the present to act. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity in the industry right now due to a significant amount of projected talent turnover in the next few years. In the United States, alone, approximately 400,000 insurance jobs will be available by the year 2020, and by 2034, nearly 50% of the current insurance workforce will retire. #InsuranceIsHiring
So, without further delay, the team at Fred would like to kick off our celebration of Insurance Careers Month with a party – oops, we mean blog – featuring the top five reasons why you might want to consider a career in insurance. Please note that the side effects of joining us in this celebration blog may include: strong feelings of inspiration, increased levels of motivation and happiness, and an unavoidable urge to update your work resume. Continue reading at your own risk!
Reason #1: A Career in Insurance Offers You Unlimited Opportunities
Insurance is an extremely stable business due to one, very simple fact: it is a product that just about everyone needs at some point in their life. A retired school teacher, a start-up craft brewer, a doughnut shop owner and a general contractor may not appear to have much in common, but one thing’s for sure, they all need insurance! With an endless supply of consumers, it’s clear that the possibilities for professional growth in the insurance industry are truly infinite. Can you say #goals?
With the stability and longevity of the industry in mind, insurance employers are now actively looking for employees that are reliable, challenge-seeking, and creative, just to name a few characteristics that will help you ascend the professional ladder in this industry. If you value an industry that is not only steady, but that can also offer you many avenues to financial success, career advancement/growth, and limitless learning opportunities, look no further. You can capture all of this, and more, in insurance.
Reason #2: The Insurance Industry is An Active Member of The Digital World
We know that the insurance industry has this stigma of being old, outdated and boring, but the truth is the industry is evolving rapidly every day. With more and more Millennials expressing interest in insurance as a career path, the industry is becoming extremely tech savvy. We often say that insurance today has just the right amount of retro flare with a touch of modern edge. That’s because a career in insurance allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds – the company morals and values of generations past, like fairness, loyalty and compassion, as well as the support and convenience of today’s modern technologies. No longer is the insurance community trapped in the age of the fax machine, rubber finger tips and filing cabinets. Professionals in the field can now dazzle their clients with instant quotes, web-based applications, and online accessibility anywhere and anytime that they need it. The modernization of the insurance industry has made the insurance process dramatically easier for the consumer and the insurance professional!
Reason #3: Work from Just About Anywhere (Yes, Even the Golf Course!)
If the world of insurance, and the people in it, were in search of an all-encompassing, universal tagline, we think, “Take your work seriously, but never yourself!” would be the top contender. To find success in this industry, building solid relationships with community members is imperative, and, in our experience, we have found the best way to do that is to always be present, approachable and available. Throughout the course of your career, you may find that your “work” day involves playing a round of golf, cheering on the local high school ice hockey team, or attending a grand opening and wine tasting at a new restaurant in town. You may also attend meet-and-greets, host charity outings and even participate in events at your local social hall on a weekly, monthly or annual basis.
Sounds fun, right? Well, of course it is! But, there is also a strategic purpose to all this socializing with peers, partners and clients. It’s critical that insurance professionals get to know the members of their community, from individuals and families, to mom-and-pop shops and CEOs, as well as the many insurance carriers and other players in the industry. Establishing trusting relationships is the cornerstone of any successful insurance career. Many of the activities mentioned above offer the insurance professional a perfect opportunity to get to know a potential client better, network and build stronger relationships with colleagues and partners, and, of course, grow a ginormous leads list. If you lower your handicap or find a new favorite wine label in the process, even better!
Reason #4: Looking for Work-Life Balance? Then Look No Further
A career in insurance allows you the necessary flexibility to manage both your work and personal life proportionally, so you can be sure to shine in the office, while also having the free time to enjoy meaningful activities with family and friends. In fact, it is not uncommon for insurance agencies to offer some of the best benefits you can come by, including the opportunity to work from home, plan for a vacation with Paid Time Off (PTO), and enjoy a very reasonable work schedule that is typically 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m., Monday through Friday. We don’t mean to brag, but sometimes we just can’t help ourselves; when you choose a career in insurance you are saying “no, thank you!” to 70-hour work weeks, graveyard shifts and weekend work and “yes, please!” to the flexibility and functionality of a modern work day.
Reason #5: You Can Make a Positive Impact on Your Community and Beyond
In general, the insurance industry places a strong emphasis on family, which is equally evident inside and outside of the office. Working in insurance allows you to not only be part of a team – your loyal work “family” – it also provides you the opportunity to make a positive impact on your community through company-sponsored volunteer days, charity events, raffles and much more. Let’s also not forget that, as an insurance professional, you can feel really good about the work that you do because you are helping people and businesses every day, not only by preparing them for the unexpected with proper protection for their loved ones and their assets, but also by aiding them in recovering from any losses quickly and with less stress.
As you can see, working in the insurance industry has a boatload of potential as well as a plethora of perks. And, believe it or not, all the reasons mentioned above are just the very tip of the iceberg when it comes to why you should consider working in insurance. We hope that this Insurance Careers Month celebration blog has got you thinking about joining the party by pursuing a possible career in insurance. However, if insurance does not seem like the right fit – or at least not the right fit for right now – then we hope, at a minimum, you are now convinced that insurance is anything but a boring, old desk job. So, don’t be shy and spread the word!
Wondering if You + Fred = A Great Team? Working at Fred C. Church is more than just a job; it’s a truly rewarding lifestyle. If you want to be someone who can say, “I love what I do!”, we encourage you to visit our Careers page for a list of our current opportunities and to find out how best to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
