Claims Adjuster Jobs-Finding the Ideal Insurance Job

If you intend to get a job as a insurance claims adjuster, then you will need a sense of diligence, good investigative skills, and a great sense of humour. People from all over make some of the most amazing claims and it is your job to read the forms, laugh a little, and then seek out the truth of the matter. People sometimes write in a manner that they think is perfectly clear, but which are slightly more humorous than originally intended.

There are, of course, less amusing and more amusing variations of the insurance claims adjuster job. Life insurance claims are rarely funny, and things like flood and fire insurance don't seem terribly amusing either. Car insurance, however, is full of hilarious claims about accidents and their causes that might have a claims adjuster falling off their chair.

Imagine a normal work day, where you are reading claims from people claiming accidents from a variety of causes, ranging from "I lost control when my girlfriend grabbed my testicles" to "a submarine hit my car". (Both of these, by the way, are real claims that were made.)

Of course, there is always the typical claim of that deals with mundane issues such as collisions in heavy traffic, but the phrasing used by many customers is more than enough to start you on your first chuckle of the day. This is including things like: "In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole." And don't forget the people who blame their car troubles on unknown forces or Voodoo.

The job requires that sense of humour, if you feel that you can handle the thought of people driving off a cliff to avoid a squirrel or into a building as they check the gas prices, or even going through businesses when they forget to put the car in reverse, then this might just be the ideal job for you.

As for the technical aspects of the job, the insurance claims adjuster is the person who investigates the claims that are made, ridiculous and otherwise, negotiate settlements, and authorize payments. Your job is to determine whether the policy that the claimant holds covers the accident or other loss, and how much of the loss should be paid to the claimant. Once you have read the claims form, you will have to conduct interviews with witnesses, police, and hospital staff where applicable, and consult the relevant records held by them regarding the loss.

You will consult with many professional people if you think that someone in the profession can help with your investigation. This might mean talking to a wide range of lawyers, doctors, engineers, construction workers, and more. The information you gather, including video and audio components, is then presented in a report to help evaluate the claim.

If the claim is found to be legitimate, then it becomes your job to negotiate the settlement with the claimant. If it is contested, then it is your job to work within the legal system to protect your company's position. No matter what you find, though, you are sure to find plenty of laughs along the way.

Insurance Jobs Market Comment

2009 has been another puzzling year in the general insurance market. Whilst it has largely been spared the turbulence which has affected financial services and banking, there are still many troubling issues affecting both insurers and brokers which have had an inevitable knock-on effect for insurance recruitment.

Insurers keep complaining about rates being too low, but the actions of new entrants and other market share-hungry underwriters means that the soft market seems here to stay for a while yet. In addition, with a weak commercial property market, interest rates likely to stay low for the foreseeable future and stock market returns still looking unpredictable, insurers are finding that investment returns are also under pressure. All the more reason then to focus upon underwriting profit - but claims ratios traditionally come under pressure during a recession. Times for insurers are tough!

One battle which they are starting to get to grips with is reducing distribution costs. The days of broker consolidators earning 40% commission look numbered but there is still much work to be done. Axa and Aviva appear to be spear-heading this fightback but the likes of Towergate and Giles hold a strong position and will not give up their much-needed income easily.

As a result of this, underwriting jobs have been harder to come by than in recent years. However, new entrants to the market such as Arista are creating roles, whilst other forward-focused insurers are seeing this as a great time to strengthen their teams for the inevitable upturn which they hope will be arriving early next year. Good quality commercial underwriters are in still in great demand, particularly those with the ability to trade with brokers, and salary levels are still rising for those who keep an open mind for fresh opportunities.

Brokers have also had a tough year. The soft market has kept their income down and competition remains fierce. However, the concerns of good quality local brokers are nothing compared to those issues facing the consolidators who have borrowed heavily to grow their businesses over the past 5 years. The credit crunch has had a huge effect on these organisations, many of whom are unable to raise fresh funds to continue their expansion, and the re-negotiation of terms for their existing borrowings mean that their debts have become a huge millstone. If they also see their incomes hit by insurers squeezing their commissions then there could be some big names in trouble during 2010.

The good news for brokers looking for alternative career options is that this turbulence has led to many high calibre individuals setting up their own businesses, many of which are proving highly successful as they set themselves up as an attractive alternative to the big boys. Exchange Street is currently acting on behalf of a number of new insurance brokers who have seen initial success lead to a necessity to quickly put together a team and create jobs for experienced commercial account handlers, managers, account executives and technicians.

Insurers and brokers are being even more selective about who they take on, but rest assured that general insurance career opportunities are still out there for good quality insurance professionals!

Insurance Jobs - Career Opportunities

As a newly qualified professional looking for insurance jobs in Ireland, you are sure to be gripped with both excitement and anticipation- excitement at starting a new career in a new industry and anticipation at being able to make the right choices at the right time.

Career Choices

As you are no doubt aware, there are a number of avenues now open to you. You have been trained and equipped to take on one of the many insurance jobs Ireland, but as yet, you may not be cent percent sure about exactly what kind of role you want to take on. There are many choices to be made in this aspect and no doubt you don't want to take a wrong turn at the very start of your career. For instance, you may be divided in your opinion on whether to take the plunge and take up a permanent job or whether to take up temporary positions to find out for yourself which is the ideal position for you.

Expert Guidance

What you need right now is expert guidance. You need the advice of someone who is not only experienced in the field of insurance, but is also aware of the market trends in the industry and the scope of each job role within it. You need the unbiased opinion of someone who has no vested interest in which of the many insurance jobs Ireland you choose for yourself.

Ireland Executive Search

Have you considered approaching one of well establish and well reputed Ireland executive search firms in your quest for making the right choices for yourself. In your position, they would be the best people to seek guidance from. Not only will the experts at these firms be able to give you unbiased opinion and in depth perspective on the various job options you have, they will also be able to find you a suitable position in the job role you finally decide on. These experts are known to guide and counsel a number of freshly qualified professionals throughout their careers and approaching them may well be the best decision you make.

Insurance Job Interview Advice - Ten Foolproof Tips for Getting Insurance Jobs

Insurance job interviews are never easy. It's difficult to make a good impression & even harder to impress your interviewer. We've come up with ten top tips to help you get the insurance job you'd been hoping for.

1. Learn About the Company - you can never be over-prepared for a job interview. Spend some time browsing the insurance company's website. Learn about their products & services as well as their competitors. It will make you seem much more knowledgeable and show that you are taking the interview seriously.

2. Think About The Questions - No matter how the interview is conducted there are a number of questions that you are likely to be asked. "Tell us about your experience?" or "What attracted you to apply for the job?" while the wording might change what they are to trying to find out will not. You don't need to script a response that will sound artificial. Though for questions you are likely to be asked, think in advance about how you will answer.

3. Look at your CV - It's easy to forget what you've put in your CV or covering letter. It's likely all your interviewer will know about you is contained in those documents, so it's likely to prompt a number of their questions. Refresh yourself with their content in advance so you're primed for the questions.

4. Dress Appropriately - It's not always sensible to wear a suit to a job interview but it is important to dress approriately smart. Try and find out about the dress code of the company and then dress a little smarter. It's important to make a good first impression but you have to be comfortable.

5. Answer Concisely - There's one thing worse than a bad answer in a job interview. A long answer. Try to answer the question with out getting carried away in the detail. It's important not to seem abrupt but it important not to get carried away with your answers either. It makes you seem unsure of your answer & can waste valuable interview time when you could be impressing your potential employer.

6. Use Good Body Language - Shrugging & using "closed" body language can ruin a perfectly good interview. Try your best to be relaxed & open. Use your hands expressively & think about mirroring the body language of your interviewer.

7. Ask Questions - try and prepare some questions for your interview. It can make you seem interested in the role & shows you are keen on the job. However don't ask obvious questions or those which could be easily answered if you had done some prior research.

8. Be On Time - People get delayed all the time so leave some extra leeway in your travelling time. If you turn up late you are fighting a battle to impress your potential bosses so much they forget about your poor punctuality.

Graduate Insurance Jobs-Getting a Career in Insurance

With a job as an insurance agency's account handler, you become responsible for managing client accounts. It is your job to advise on how to manage risks and you will offer insurance solutions to their risk problems. You will learn to work with clients and underwriters, hopefully maintaining good relations with both. You will put together risk submissions for presentation to the underwriters, negotiate terms with them, and present those terms to your clients. Your duties will have you checking over policies to make sure that they will perform, and handling mid-term alterations to your clients' policies as well as processing any claims that they have.

From this position, you have the chance to move upward to account executive, with more duties and responsibilities as well as the pay to go with it. You would have the duty to visit the clients personally, as well as paying visits to prospective clients. You would be assessing the risks that the clients are exposed to and providing them with the best advice in dealing with those risks. You would do surveying as well as designing the insurance portfolios, negotiating with the underwriters, and issuing presentations and reports. You will also be working above account handlers, who will help you with your work load and perform the tasks that you assign.

If you are good with numbers, then there is an insurance job waiting for you, some of which even require a mathematics degree of all applicants. If you are better with people, then look for a job on the contact end of things at a major insurance company to expand your skills and move up the corporate ladder.

There are dozens of jobs available in the insurance sector from account handlers to actuaries to estimators and underwriters. You can search for a job as a loss adjuster or policy typist if that is what interests you. Some companies will even let graduates start as account executives if they have the proper degree.

When it comes time to search for your job after graduation, the list of insurance jobs is a hard one to beat. You are sure to find something (from sales to marketing to number crunching) that will suit your personal skill set and give you a jump start on your career.

Insurance Industry is Going to Generate Millions of Insurance Jobs

Insurance sector in India is quite large in size, which not only offers protective coverage to people and materials, but also offers attractive insurance jobs. Numerous national and international players competing and growing at rapid rates in the Indian insurance sector attract the best talents to work and earn a livelihood. Various reforms and the easing of policy regulations have brought in tremendous positive changes in the insurance sector.

More education about the importance of insurance coverage to people will only enhance the sector. According to some media reports the period from 2010 - 2015 projected to be the 'Golden Age' for the Indian insurance industry is going to generate millions of insurance jobs in India as a broad understanding says that people in India have started to see that a basic necessity to control the present eventuality and simultaneously secure the old age is insurance.

One major attribute a person interested to work in insurance sector is that he must understand the specific insurance requirement of the customer and depending upon that should offer solutions such as term life policies, endowment policies, joint life policies, whole life policies, loan coverage term assurance policies, unit-linked insurance plans, group insurance policies, pension plans, and annuities amongst others.

The primary job in insurance that comes in sight is one of insurance agent. These professional called insurance agents are expected to introduce the policies to the people and business entities. The position can be got through joining any insurance company. The entry level insurance job requires that a person must be a graduate. Selling the insurance products and related policies, an insurance sales executive should be a subject matter expert as he is expected to answer millions of question of customers.

An insurance job, particularly actuary requires a person to have predict the risk of writing insurance policies on property, businesses and people's lives and health, etc. Candidates with graduation in Mathematics or Statistics or Econometrics or Computer Science or have degree of MBA in finance can have plenty of choices in the sector. Then there are agents and brokers who advise people and organizations on how to protect things they value by selling customers insurance contracts.

Another position in insurance jobs is of Claims Adjuster who determines the extent of damage when an accident occurs and whether the damages are covered by the insurance policy signed with the customers or not. Moreover, he is destined with a duty to arrange for repairs and is responsible for reaching settlements that are fair to both customers and the insurance company. The position of service representatives in insurance job is attractive as they are a link in the field between agents who sell policies and insurance companies who write the policies.

Whereas Customer Service Agent listen to the grievances of customers, Loss Control Specialist helps to keep accidents and losses to a minimum by taking care of work areas or looking over machinery and recommending safety procedures amongst others. Then there are Risk Manager whose job is help identify the risks that it faces and to make recommendations for dealing with these risks. Underwriter

On the other hand, underwriter decides whether to provide insurance to applicants seeking coverage amongst others.