How Do I Become an Insurance Agent?


 

Think you’ve got what it takes to succeed in the insurance industry, but aren’t sure how to become an insurance agent? Here at America’s Professor, we pride ourselves on preparing our students for a career as successful insurance agents. If you’re ready to become an insurance agent, take a look at the following simple guide on becoming an insurance producer.

insurance agent with car

Requirements for Being an Insurance Agent

Most people would normally expect a career that has as much potential for financial gain to have a high barrier of entry, but that’s not the case with insurance. Unlike many other potentially high paying jobs, there are very few requirements to becoming an insurance agent. In fact, there are really only two firm milestones that a person has to meet: passing the appropriate licensing exams and passing a background check. While many insurance agents have previous backgrounds in sales and have obtained a college degree, it is entirely possible to become a successful insurance producer with only a high school diploma. A college education and previous related experience can help with a job search, but not having either isn’t an unconquerable obstacle, either; in fact, taking the initiative and becoming licensed without previous experience shows initiative that many employers are looking for.

Insurance Pre-Licensing Courses and Exams

As we mentioned above, becoming an insurance agent includes completing the appropriate licensing courses and passing the corresponding exams. Some states require students take an approved course and obtain certificates of completion while other states allow students to study on their own, be sure to understand your state’s requirements. The insurance agent licensing process is outlined by their state government, meaning that the exact requirements and details of the exams vary from state to state. In order to make sure that you are learning the correct information and understand the material, you will need to take an insurance pre-licensing courses specific to your state. As you’d expect, the quality of your pre-licensing courses can have a big impact on how well you understand the material, how well you do on your test, and how many times you have to take the test.

America’s Professor offers online video pre-licensing courses for several states, taught by insurance industry veterans who have the experience it takes to help students studying for their insurance licensing exams master the required knowledge. And, because our video courses can be taken at home, you can work them into your schedule, as opposed to working your schedule around them.

Once you’ve taken the appropriate pre-licensing courses and have an understanding of national and state insurance laws, it’s time to take the exam. Test takers need to schedule their exam dates ahead of time by contacting the agency that administers the tests in their state, finding a scheduled insurance licensing exam date that fits their schedule, and then appearing at the appropriate location on that date to take the test.

After the Examination

Once you’ve passed the appropriate insurance licensing exams and received your license from the state, you are legally able to sell insurance in your state. How you proceed after that is up to you! For most new insurance agents, the obvious choice is to apply for a position with an insurance agency. Like with any job, this requires applying with multiple companies in order to find an open position and, eventually, get hired by an insurance agency. And, as with all job hunts, making yourself as attractive a candidate as possible increases your likelihood of being hired sooner rather than later. Spend time perfecting your resume, collect letters of recommendation from appropriate sources, and get professors, former employers, or other appropriate mentors and authority figures to act as references that your new employer can contact.

Learn more about becoming an insurance agent by contacting America’s Professor today at 800-870-3130.

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Insurance Pre-Licensing Courses

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