How to Become an Insurance Adjuster
Insurance adjusters, by definition, are those who determine whether an insurance claim is valid before the insurance company pays out. When the insured person files a claim of property damage, bodily injury, theft or the like, the insurance adjuster is the one who evaluates the situation fully and reports back to the insurance company. This is the person who determines whether or not the insurance claim is valid and how much should be paid to the claimant.
Education
The formal education requirements for becoming an insurance adjuster are not set in stone, for it varies from state to state and company to company. Most places like to see the insurance adjuster applicant already have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related finance field. This is not always a requirement, however, for many insurance company employees begin in the company, gain experience and become insurance adjusters. Experience is an important part of the job. While there is no formal certification process for this career, many insurance companies have in-house training in order to educate their adjusters as they see fit.
Skills
The skills needed to be a successful insurance adjuster are people skills and analysis skills. Insurance adjusters deal directly with people for a big part of their job, they must be able to communicate well, connect and negotiate with all kinds of people from all walks of life. Analytical skills are necessary in this career, for analyzing a situation and the accompanying data is what the job is all about. Adjusters must be able to look at the circumstances, the physical evidence and the reports and draw a conclusion as to what actually happened.
On The Job
There is no typical day for an insurance adjuster, for no two claims are the same. That being said, the job typically involves evaluating a claim by talking with the claimants, with witnesses, law enforcement, and anyone that might be connected to the claim at hand. The adjuster will spend time examining any and all documents related to the case, from police reports and court records to medical records and anything else that is connected to the claim. With this varied mix of field work and paperwork, the insurance adjuster rarely has a day that is the same as the one before. Workweeks can be anywhere from calm to an insane amount of hours if there happens to be a wave of claims, such as those that would follow severe weather or a natural disaster.
Salary
Becoming an insurance adjuster can begin at the college level, in pursuing a bachelor’s degree, or it can begin at the insurance company where experience and education is gained on the job. The typical salary for insurance adjusters varies according to the company and the economy from time to time but is often found to be between $50,000 and $80,000. In this day and age, a career as an insurance adjuster seems to be one of the stable careers out there, with opportunities for growth and advancement in various insurance companies.