There’s more to a job than just having the license or certification. In order to really thrive, you want to be an expert in your field and have room to grow. Insurance adjusting is a challenging, yet rewarding career path. It requires a lot of time and commitment to learning the skills and picking up experience. We have listed 5 habits insurance adjusters need to succeed.
Time Management
As an independent insurance adjuster, you are in charge of your own time. Therefore, in order to be productive, you need to set a specific amount of time each day to accomplish your work. Some tasks can be done right from home, such as paperwork and finding new claims to work on. Other parts of your job may require you to travel, especially if you are a natural disaster insurance adjuster. If that’s the case, you need to schedule your week(s) accordingly.
Effective time management will minimize stress and maximize productivity and profits. Multi-tasking, managing expectations, and handling hundreds of cases during catastrophes all require you to use your time wisely.
Communication Skills
When you are dealing with a claim, you are the middleman between the claimant and the insurance company. You need to be clear with the insurance company about what the damages are and what you assessed. When communicating with the claimant, you need to be understanding of their situation, but direct about what their insurance can cover. You will also need great interviewing skills. Part of your investigation is to question the claimants about their property and damages, and assess the situation accordingly.
Patient and cordial communication should always be one of the habits insurance adjusters prioritize, especially when things get tough during these catastrophic events. You may also encounter spotty phone service, unreachable claimants, power lines that are down, etc. These pose a challenge to communication, which is why you should hone in on your people skills.
Computer Proficiency
Almost every insurance carrier requires that claim estimates are delivered electronically. The days of hand-writing claims and paperwork are over. Everything is kept neat on a computer. In order to close claims quickly, you need to be proficient in basic computer skills. Navigating and utilizing Microsoft or any windows-based program should come as second nature.
Construction/Engineering Knowledge
You should be able to understand the makeup of the property you are investigating. If you don’t know what’s behind a wall in a house or under the sink, then that will make your job a lot more complicated. It will impact the way you evaluate the claim and the property. As an insurance adjuster, you should understand how properties are constructed, from foundation to roof, so you can come to a fair and accurate claim settlement.
Insurance Policy Knowledge
Lastly, knowing how to read an insurance policy is crucial for proper insurance claims adjustments. Excelling in adjusting is like a science. Formulas and rules can guide you most of the time, but when there’s a grey area, you will need to trust your intuition, experience, and good judgement.
This knowledge isn’t something you learn overnight. 2021 offers comprehensive online classes to prepare you for this career path, as well as continuing education courses to keep you up-to-date with the rules and your license.
Begin Today with 2021 Training
Apart from these habits, insurance adjusters should get trained by the best in the industry. 2021 Training offers all the resources you need to ace the Texas insurance licensing exam on the first try. Get in touch with us today, and let’s get your career started!