Hiring someone new is always a big responsibility. Finding the best person for the job can end up helping the company tremendously. However, if you hire the wrong person, then the company may end up stagnant. You may potentially need to fire that person and start the hiring process all over again, utilizing valuable resources. In order to get it right the first time, you need to have a high-quality job description that accurately defines what the position entails. In case you need a starting off point, check out this insurance agent job description sample to get some ideas for your own.
Insurance Agent Job Summary
You will need to help a wide range of clients with any insurance needs. This can include recommending certain policies and informing clients why they would need to acquire certain insurance. You will need to be knowledgeable of the various areas of insurance in order to effectively address concerns and answer questions.
Insurance Agent Job Responsibilities and Duties
- Approach new clients by making phone calls, sending out letters and utilizing referrals
- Speak with clients in order to determine what policy would be ideal for their needs and figure out if they have the budget for such policies
- Ensure all applications are completed accurately and seek out corrections when needed
- Schedule follow-up appointments and re-evaluate coverages on a routine basis
- Help clients collect a claim when criteria is met
- Reassess clients’ needs after significant lifestyle changes have occurred
- Attend conferences and regularly read publications in order to remain current on any changes within the insurance industry
Insurance Agent Skills and Qualifications
- Commitment to meeting sales goals
- Ability to sell services to clients in need
- Being a people person
- Thorough understanding of the services available
- Proficient in verbal and written communication
- Background in math or statistical analysis a plus
Company Profile
Since 1982, ETO Insurance has been offering a wide range of policies to the community and helping people during times of stress and uncertainty. Numerous types of coverage are offered, including health, auto and death. For peace of mind, many people trust the professionalism found at ETO.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- While this insurance agent job description sample should give you a good idea of the kind of material you should include, there is still more that can be done. Here are a few dos and don’ts for writing your own job listing to ensure all the most important details are present:
- Do utilize the best search engine optimization (SEO) practices. You should figure out what keywords people are most likely to enter into search engines and include them within your own job description. Just make sure to use SEO properly or else you could be penalized.
- Do not talk about responsibilities that will not come into play that often. If you are expecting your new insurance agent to lead a seminar once every few months, then that kind of information can be left out. Stick to discussing the tasks that will be done practically every day.
- Do use bullet points. As you can see throughout the sample above, many of the sections utilize bulleted lists. This is done so that the material can be read through much easier. Make sure to use them on your own descriptions.
- Do make sure you check your agency’s policies when it comes to discussing salary and health benefits in the job description. Human resources may not want you to divulge that information openly to the public. It may not be that big of a deal for your organization, but it never hurts to check first.
- Do specify what exactly you need in an application. Sometimes a resume is all that is needed and then you can acquire additional information in the interview. It may also be helpful to ask for a cover letter or other items.
- Do make sure you spell-check before posting your description online for everyone to see. Everyone makes mistakes, but you do not want job hunters to think you slapped together a description in five minutes. Read it over beforehand. It may also be helpful to have someone else read it for you just to get a second opinion.
Every company is trying to get the best talent out there to work for them. These are the individuals who have multiple job offers on the table. Convince them that you are worth considering by making sure your job description accurately details the job at hand.
Insurance Agent Job Responsibilities
Jobseekers look to the job responsibilities section of your insurance agent job description to give them an idea of what it would be like to work for your company. As you write this section, be descriptive and engaging to entice potential applicants to want to know more about your company and the position. Attract your ideal candidates by making this section strong.
Because insurance agents frequently read through forms and paperwork, applicants can especially appreciate it if you organize each responsibility into a different bullet point. That makes it easier to see the difference between the duties as well as how many tasks you have listed. To help readers visualize the activities they could be doing each day, start your bullets with an action verb. You can provide an adequate amount of information to possible candidates without overcomplicating your insurance agent job description when you keep your list of bullets to 6-8 points.
These example insurance agent job responsibilities can assist you in writing your own:
- Contact potential clients to increase the company’s customer base
- Talk to current and prospective clients to discuss their financial situation and existing coverage
- Teach the clients about the features and benefits of various policies
- Examine the insurance policies of current clients to suggest additions or changes
Insurance Agent Job Specifications
Don’t underestimate the importance of the job qualifications and skills section of your insurance agent job description. Because insurance agents are direct representatives of the company, they can have a tremendous impact on the reputation and success of your business. If your list of necessary skills is too limited or brief, the quality of your applicants could be poor.
Rather than just jotting down the minimum requirements needed to perform the daily duties, take some time to come up with a second list of skills you would prefer your ideal candidate to have. By having a list of mandatory skills and an additional list of desired abilities, you can possibly narrow down the number of applicants to those more likely to be a good fit for your company.
It can also be wise to include some personality traits in this section of your insurance agent job description. Most insurance agents interact with clients each day, so it can be crucial that they have a winning character in addition to any needed technical, education or foreign language skills.
Read through this list of insurance agent job specifications to assist you as you write your own:
- Postgraduate coursework in public speaking, business, finance or economics
- State license to sell life and health insurance in addition to property and casualty insurance
- A passing score on the Series 7 exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills