Each person in his life, most likely, had to insure something. This may be home insurance in case of any accident that would result in property damage, life and health insurance or road liability insurance, which is mandatory for every car owner in the Russian Federation. The insurance process seems quite simple: you enter into an agreement and pay small amounts of money throughout its duration, so that in case of any incidents that are stipulated in the terms of your agreement, you can receive substantial compensation. And when you signed such an agreement, you interacted with an insurance agent who told and explained everything to you. It seems to many that this is some unattainable work, but in fact, everything is much simpler. Everyone with the right knowledge can get this profession. You can get a job in one of the many insurance companies, but there is also a remote work as an insurance agent. More and more people are working at home now - such is the modern world. However, this does not mean that such an activity is any worse. In general, in this article you will learn all about this profession: how it appeared, what the insurance agent should do, what salary he is entitled to, what qualifications you need, and so on. This article will help you decide if your job as an insurance agent at home or in the office is suitable for you.
What is the essence of the work?
Naturally, first of all, it is necessary to understand what the essence of this work is, so that you can understand whether you want such a career for yourself or if something else attracts you. So, as you can easily understand from the name of the profession, the insurance agent is engaged in insurance, and he can insure a variety of things. The most common insurance is housing, health, property and so on. Your task will be to sell services to customers who contact your company for information and contracting. You need to understand the topic very well, because it is highly specialized, so most of your customers will not have the slightest idea of what is required of them. You must explain in detail all the nuances, and also convince the client that he really needs to insure that he came to insure (an experienced agent will also convince him that he needs to insure something else). In general, you will need high communication skills and extensive knowledge in this area. An insurance agent without work experience is unlikely to find a place in a large company, but this is not a profession that allows you to start yourself and earn experience in roundabout ways. So you have to start with small companies, constantly moving to larger and more promising enterprises. Fortunately, an “insurance agent without work experience” is not a stigma, and for several years of experience have opened up a huge number of opportunities for you.
Where can you work?
The profession of an insurance agent is incredibly in demand, since in the Russian Federation there is a fairly decent number of large state-level insurers. At the same time, more and more private companies appear offering similar services and promising customers a more human and personal approach. You should not think that your goal is to work as an insurance agent at Rosgosstrakh. Reviews of this company from former employees, firstly, are not the most attractive.And secondly, often small companies can offer you much more comfortable working conditions and a decent salary, so in this profession you do not need to chase the largest companies, since small enterprises are very attractive for employees in this profession.
But in what areas will you work if you decide to choose this specialty for yourself? You will be able to choose from several areas of activity at once, each of which has common features, but at the same time is very different from the others, although they all represent the insurance process. Most often, specialists are required in the direction of personal insurance, which includes working with individuals who come to insure their life, their health, insure themselves in case of force majeure, and so on. Given the existence of a visa regime, personal insurance is simply incredibly popular, so you should consider this area of activity. However, this does not mean that only it exists. You can work in the area of property insurance, liability insurance (the most prominent example is mandatory car insurance, that is, compulsory driver liability insurance in the event of a traffic accident), as well as business risk insurance, when the insurance company takes care of all the financial risks of opening your own enterprise. With the development of private business, this area of insurance is becoming increasingly popular.
Some enterprises offer all insurance directions at once - this, for example, promises you a job as an insurance agent at Rosgosstrakh (reviews say that at the same time the working conditions will be far from what you would dream of, graduating from university in this specialty). Small businesses can concentrate on one or two areas of insurance. In general, you will have a lot of options and, accordingly, potential opportunities, too.
Profession history
In itself, insurance activity in its infancy appeared another two thousand years BC, when groups of merchants agreed in advance on an honest distribution of losses in the event of attacks and robberies. Even then, it was clear that people understand the need to insure themselves against various accidents.
Insurance acquired a more specific form in the era of Ancient Rome, when specialized colleges began to appear. Members of these colleges collected contributions from people, allowed them to grow at interest at their sources, in order to then be able to pay people a substantial amount if what they insured would be damaged, destroyed, broken, and so on. Accordingly, we can say that the members of these ancient Roman colleges were the first insurance agents.
In the Middle Ages, the first division of insurance directions happened. If earlier insurance was a single whole, now it has become divided into personal and property. As a matter of fact, already in the Middle Ages people began to separately insure their health, and separately - their things, at home, and so on. This was a big step in the development of insurance, which then continued to branch, giving rise to the most popular areas of liability or risk insurance today.
In Russia, insurance appeared only under Nicholas the First. More specifically, in 1827 he issued a decree in accordance with which the first "organization" was created, which carried out insurance of property of people against fire. From that moment, insurance began to develop in Russia, so the huge number of insurance companies existing now in this country can thank Nikolai the First as the person who introduced this type of activity in Russia.
Insurance reached its peak in the twentieth century, when numerous insurance companies began to appear, insurance capital began to grow much faster than before, as people began to be able to freely manage their money and realize how important it is to ensure a quiet life. The same trend is maintained to this day. The number of insurance companies is constantly growing, and more and more private and legal entities are aware of the need to protect their own interests. And that is why this profession is now extremely popular and in demand.
Duties
Well, it's time to move on to the most serious issues, namely: what is the work of an insurance agent? What are his job responsibilities? It’s worth starting with the fact that this work is very similar to the work of a sales manager, that is, you are a person who works for a particular company and sells its services. Just in this case, the services are more specific and much more difficult to understand, so the employee must have specialization and serious qualifications. But what exactly should he do?
The insurance agent’s work plan is very extensive and includes many points. First, you will need to engage in active sales. This means that you have to ring up potential customers, offer them your services, come to them or invite them to your office and, of course, conclude insurance contracts with them. Secondly, you will need to deal with the support of the client base that the company already has, that is, you will need to monitor the status of the contracts of existing customers in order to offer them the extension of the contract at the right time, as well as offer to expand it, that is, add new insurance items. Thirdly, you will need to consult with customers, during which you will need to talk in detail about a particular service, answer all customer questions and, of course, convince him to sign an agreement with you. Fourth, you will also have to do work that does not involve other people. This implies document management, which is now taking place on a computer. It involves documenting all contracts, invoices, and other papers that go through your hands while you work. Fifthly, your responsibilities will include the assessment of damage for further insurance payments. And finally, you will definitely have to deal with violations of insurance contracts, because they happen everywhere, so you will need to find out the reasons and take appropriate measures to eliminate them. At the same time, a serious company constantly audits the work of the insurance agent, and if you do not cope with any of these items, then you may have serious problems, starting with the deprivation of the premium and ending with the dismissal.
Possible Responsibilities
Above were given the duties that you will have to perform in any insurance company. However, do not be surprised that, in addition to these points, you will be given other tasks. For example, some insurance agents are responsible for preparing statistical reports on insurance activities, and this reporting can be either annual, which will not cause you any problems, or weekly, which will add a serious amount of work.
Also, in small companies, you may be liable for collection of insurance payments. What does it mean? This means that you will need to independently accept insurance payments from customers, and then transfer them to the appropriate bank with which your company cooperates.In general, this is far from the only additional task that may be assigned to you, so at the interview you should always ask what specific responsibilities will be assigned to you, so that in the end it turns out that you will work for three, but while getting one person’s salary.
Requirements
The effectiveness of the insurance agent for the employer plays a very important role, and only one who fully meets the requirements can be effective. Naturally, in each company these requirements may differ slightly, however, in most cases, you can identify specific criteria that will be required of you everywhere. So, if you want to become an insurance agent, then you need to have sales and negotiation skills. This does not mean that you should have rich experience. You just need to be able to communicate well with customers and convince them that they need to purchase exactly your service. Naturally, work experience will be welcome, but if you prove at the interview that you are capable of much, you will easily close your eyes to the lack of experience. Accordingly, it follows from this that you need to be an active and communicative person, because otherwise the number of contracts you have concluded will not be high enough to satisfy your superiors. Given the fact that you will work in a serious financial organization, you should always look as presentable as possible. Well, of course, for reporting and other similar tasks you need to have basic knowledge of a personal computer. The performance of insurance agents is what the employer cares the most about, so you need to get down to business immediately and prove that you can fulfill the norm under contracts, rather than try to smoothly join the organization. Only in this way can you succeed.
What else is welcome in an insurance agent?
The work of an insurance agent in Moscow and in a smaller city can be very different, and in the capital, of course, more stringent requirements will be imposed on employees, but the level of earnings there will be higher, and prestige also plays a role. Therefore, it is also worth mentioning that it is not a mandatory requirement, but that can play a role in choosing an insurance agent among candidates. For example, many large and prestigious companies look at work experience and do not take those who are just starting, so you have to start in a small company. They also often look at education: in fact, you will have enough secondary education to work as an insurance agent, but you will be accepted into a serious company only with a specific specialization. Well, and, of course, most often they take those people who are ready to learn new things, even if they are experienced specialists. The insurance industry is constantly evolving, so you need to be prepared to constantly learn something new that the insurance company can offer you. Work in large quantities is always offered to the agents of such enterprises, and everything will depend on you and your activity.
How to become an insurance agent?
Naturally, working as an insurance agent at Rosgosstrakh or any other large and prestigious company will require specific education and even work experience, but if you don’t aim right at the top, then all you need is a desire to work. Small insurance companies themselves can arrange basic training for you, and if you do it yourself, then you will have even more chances. It is also worth noting that in recent times, work as an insurance agent at home has become increasingly available. MTPL and other similar policies do not require you to be permanently present in the office, so working in this specialty has become even more convenient. So, if you have a sense of purpose and no lack of hard work, then you can easily start a career as an insurance agent.
Salary
Is this job well paid? The RESO insurance agent and the insurance agent in a smaller company, naturally, can receive different salaries. And the reason for this is the fact that you will almost never have a fixed income. This means that you will receive an agency commission from your contracts. In small firms, it usually amounts to about 10 percent, but if you break through to the top, then you can get up to 30 percent from each contract. If you need specifics, then beginner insurance agents earn about twenty thousand rubles, the average salary of an experienced agent can reach 60 thousand, but the limit does not really exist. There are such masters of their craft who manage to receive up to 300 thousand rubles a month. But what will bring you the job of an insurance agent at Rosgosstrakh? Reviews will help you figure it out.
Reviews
And finally, it’s worth considering what the job of being an insurance agent prepares you. The feedback of people experienced in this field will greatly help you. Many employees willingly leave their opinions about work in this specialty. You can take advantage of this to see if working as an insurance agent suits you. Reviews are honest opinions that will actually tell you what to expect from work, not marketing announcements that promise mountains of gold with a minimum of effort.
In general, people like working as an insurance agent; they leave mostly positive reviews. They note a huge number of advantages, starting with huge financial opportunities and ending with getting valuable connections when communicating with customers. If you look at the average, then the work of an insurance agent is extremely positively evaluated by employees. Reviews highlight only a few drawbacks, among which there is a lack of salary, that is, a lack of confidence that every month you will receive a certain amount of money, regardless of the circumstances. Also, many note that it is extremely difficult to find customers, and no one will help you in this, you must do it yourself, and it is precisely on this that your earnings depend.
