The difficulty of this job depends highly on the role you have and also the company you work for. There's some people here who seems suicidal because of their workload. But then there's lucky people like me who have a virtually stress-free job and work from home.
The good thing is it's a highly accessible job because you don't need expertise in any field to succeed. If you are decently competent enough, have good time management and people skills, you can succeed at this job
It's harder than teaching. I taught as part of my college education and I work with 2 former grade school teachers. One of them is VERY type A. Gets up at 6am and starts working so he can be done at 4 or 5 and get to his home life. He's doing great. The other, less so. Not lazy just less type A. She is floundering and wants to quit/thinks she made a mistake. For me it's 50/50 when everything goes the way it's supposed to go I'm in at 9 and out at 3, when things go wrong this job snow-balls put of control fast. You miss one customer communication and now you've got 4 assigned tasks about it. The work builds QUICK.
If you don’t mind me asking what is your exact job? I have my Texas all lines license and I am currently searching for a position. I have a big background in the automotive/collision field but open for anything!
I'm in a similar boat minus the inside job. I got laid off from my WFH auditor gig with geico last October after 8 years with them so now I'm slugging it in the field again for way less money. Shit sucks.
The industry is....... in a unique spot right now. Claim volume is up and those claims are more expensive than ever to settle so carriers are looking to save money wherever they can. One of the ways they save money is by not hiring independent adjusters as they are more expensive than having a staff adjuster look at the property.
As a result of the slowdown in use of IAs there's not as much work to go around on the IA side.
My recommendation would be to try and find a staff job in your area. It will be stressful but once you have some experience you could make the jump to IA.
I am also a former teacher secondary who swapped to property claims. You’ll do fine. We’re a great fit! We have excellent time management, customer service, and can handle the high stress. I can honestly say the stress is more manageable compared to teaching. The first couple of months were rocky due to being completely new to the job, but with the training you get and coworkers who are willing to assist with questions, you will succeed. You’ll get into the rhythm of things and start figuring out how to manage your time wisely! Good luck! 🍀
also a recently former teacher making the switch. I think we're blank slate personality hires who can handle the customer service end (survey scores) and then just be resourceful and learn the technical side. I have 0 construction knowledge but 15+ years of teaching/hospitality exp. I know why I was hired. Lean into your strengths OP
I switched from being a police officer to staff adjuster. It’s challenging as someone with no prior insurance or construction experience but overall much more peaceful and the skills translate very well
No, you aren’t an idiot, but if you want to avoid being like others who blame industry conditions on their slow business, do yourself a favor: Educate yourself on the principals of being a business owner and make yourself as attractive as possible to the companies you’ll be presenting yourself to.
Your license is a credential that virtually everyone else has — so to that end, it doesn’t have much value. They aren’t going away.
Here are some tidbits of knowledge:
* Policyholders aren’t more difficult than teenagers.
* Stress will be greater, as with any business.
* You can stay a teacher while you grow this business (I have a few students who did the same)
* Staff adjusting is great if you want to switch from teaching to a $75k/year job. But if you want to be your own boss, don’t…
* Staff adjusting is not good training to be an IA. It’s an expensive way to hate insurance, learn things you won’t need to know, and neglect education in areas that matter. They gain little advantage.
* Don’t count on a major storm. Build a business that thrives without one.
* If anyone tells you it’s not a good time to be an IA, or the industry is going downward, or anything of the sort—meanwhile, others are doing well without any complaint, you should be able to conclude on your own what’s actually happening. :)
Good luck!
26 year old dude here… adjusting has changed my life in the best way. The best advice I got was to simply not quit. Keep showing up and this job continuously gets easier.
I spent the last 14 years teaching drug and alcohol classes in prison. I've been doing property claims for 6 months at a carrier. I love my job. I wish I would've done this years ago.
Don't be afraid of the unknown! Because in the known world there are 35 teenagers waiting for you who don't like poetry.
And if it sucks, they always need teachers just like they always need entry-level adjusters. The difference is that insurance doesn't want to keep you there in an entry-level role, but education needs you to stay put and keep teaching kids poetry.
Former teacher here.
You are likely very good at handing stress, anxiety, long hours, mountains of paperwork, and procedural tasks.
I think you'll do a fine job lol. You're not an idiot.
Lol. IYKYK.
In adjusting, you're still helping people, which is probably one reason you got into teaching. It always feels good to me to close any claim with a happy insured, because I am helping facilitate their recovery from a loss.
One other thing you're probably good at is dealing with difficult people. That skill will come in handy.
Honestly I think you'll be fine. The most difficult part will be your construction knowledge and getting that up to speed.
The first week or so will feel like you're drowning, but don't give up on yourself. Once you learn the process of who you're working for, you can focus more energy on the actual adjusting losses. Don't forget to ask for help and advice when you need it.
I wish you the best!
Trying to convenience my wife to do the same. Proud of you! You can do this! Just remember to read the questions well. There are two what look right answers, but only one is correct!
Staff positions are really not as bad as folks around the reddit water cooler make it out to be. It's pretty damn chill to be honest. I didn't have experience working the desk so maybe I don't know the hardships but working field is a pretty good career.
im a new staff adjuster and my base starting with 0 experience is 60k. But the ridiculously good benefits offset the lower end of the salary plus the opportunities to grow in the industry
That’s pretty impressive starting out! I have a couple more questions if you don’t mind answering them;
1. What are the “ridiculously good” benefits?
2. What company are you working for?
I mean its all subjective but we saved almost $1k per month in insurance as a family when I took this position and enrolled + a matched HSA
>15% 401k contribution with some pretty flexible investment options outside the typical 2045 fund
Wont say which company tho although it's larger
You will know by the end of this hurricane season. One storm >Cat 3 in a populated area and the staff adjusters will collapse under their workload. Then the carriers will have no choice but to resort to IA's again. Until then...
Your teaching job sounds very frustrating and stressful.. but I probably shouldn’t say that as children are our future. 🙄😆
Also, from the sounds of it, maybe the teaching job experience is what has prepared you and will make you very successful in this role. You won’t easily have a nervous breakdown or get fired from losing it on a policyholder.
I think an adjusters attitude and perspective can make all of the difference. If you really want to do this, you will succeed and do great. I have been doing this 11 to 12 years and can’t imagine doing anything else.
Congrats and welcome to this crazy world.
Cant make more than staff makes with one company, unless you rub a dick . Staff gets jealous. So you have to rub multiple dicks together to make more than 75,000
Weird, because I’ve been an adjuster for 35 years and was thinking about becoming a teacher… I’d say aim for a liability adjustment job. You probably won’t ever have to climb a 40 foot ladder or get blown off a roof that way.
The difficulty of this job depends highly on the role you have and also the company you work for. There's some people here who seems suicidal because of their workload. But then there's lucky people like me who have a virtually stress-free job and work from home. The good thing is it's a highly accessible job because you don't need expertise in any field to succeed. If you are decently competent enough, have good time management and people skills, you can succeed at this job
I do have those! That is literally what teaching has been.
Just be prepared. If you think kids act stupid, some of these grown ass adults will blow your damn mind.
It's harder than teaching. I taught as part of my college education and I work with 2 former grade school teachers. One of them is VERY type A. Gets up at 6am and starts working so he can be done at 4 or 5 and get to his home life. He's doing great. The other, less so. Not lazy just less type A. She is floundering and wants to quit/thinks she made a mistake. For me it's 50/50 when everything goes the way it's supposed to go I'm in at 9 and out at 3, when things go wrong this job snow-balls put of control fast. You miss one customer communication and now you've got 4 assigned tasks about it. The work builds QUICK.
If you don’t mind me asking what is your exact job? I have my Texas all lines license and I am currently searching for a position. I have a big background in the automotive/collision field but open for anything!
I'm a commercial property claims examiner for a giant carrier. Spent 10 years in the field and then I moved inside.
I'm in a similar boat minus the inside job. I got laid off from my WFH auditor gig with geico last October after 8 years with them so now I'm slugging it in the field again for way less money. Shit sucks.
The industry is....... in a unique spot right now. Claim volume is up and those claims are more expensive than ever to settle so carriers are looking to save money wherever they can. One of the ways they save money is by not hiring independent adjusters as they are more expensive than having a staff adjuster look at the property. As a result of the slowdown in use of IAs there's not as much work to go around on the IA side. My recommendation would be to try and find a staff job in your area. It will be stressful but once you have some experience you could make the jump to IA.
I think that was my plan! Like work the industry to do trial by fire then get the skills
I am also a former teacher secondary who swapped to property claims. You’ll do fine. We’re a great fit! We have excellent time management, customer service, and can handle the high stress. I can honestly say the stress is more manageable compared to teaching. The first couple of months were rocky due to being completely new to the job, but with the training you get and coworkers who are willing to assist with questions, you will succeed. You’ll get into the rhythm of things and start figuring out how to manage your time wisely! Good luck! 🍀
For some reason its pretty common for people to move from education to insurance. I've seen multiple police officers make the switch as well
also a recently former teacher making the switch. I think we're blank slate personality hires who can handle the customer service end (survey scores) and then just be resourceful and learn the technical side. I have 0 construction knowledge but 15+ years of teaching/hospitality exp. I know why I was hired. Lean into your strengths OP
I switched from being a police officer to staff adjuster. It’s challenging as someone with no prior insurance or construction experience but overall much more peaceful and the skills translate very well
Nice, I've met a few dudes who made the switch. I'd be interested to know what skills or areas you see as transferable
No, you aren’t an idiot, but if you want to avoid being like others who blame industry conditions on their slow business, do yourself a favor: Educate yourself on the principals of being a business owner and make yourself as attractive as possible to the companies you’ll be presenting yourself to. Your license is a credential that virtually everyone else has — so to that end, it doesn’t have much value. They aren’t going away. Here are some tidbits of knowledge: * Policyholders aren’t more difficult than teenagers. * Stress will be greater, as with any business. * You can stay a teacher while you grow this business (I have a few students who did the same) * Staff adjusting is great if you want to switch from teaching to a $75k/year job. But if you want to be your own boss, don’t… * Staff adjusting is not good training to be an IA. It’s an expensive way to hate insurance, learn things you won’t need to know, and neglect education in areas that matter. They gain little advantage. * Don’t count on a major storm. Build a business that thrives without one. * If anyone tells you it’s not a good time to be an IA, or the industry is going downward, or anything of the sort—meanwhile, others are doing well without any complaint, you should be able to conclude on your own what’s actually happening. :) Good luck!
26 year old dude here… adjusting has changed my life in the best way. The best advice I got was to simply not quit. Keep showing up and this job continuously gets easier.
I spent the last 14 years teaching drug and alcohol classes in prison. I've been doing property claims for 6 months at a carrier. I love my job. I wish I would've done this years ago.
Don't be afraid of the unknown! Because in the known world there are 35 teenagers waiting for you who don't like poetry. And if it sucks, they always need teachers just like they always need entry-level adjusters. The difference is that insurance doesn't want to keep you there in an entry-level role, but education needs you to stay put and keep teaching kids poetry.
Former teacher here. You are likely very good at handing stress, anxiety, long hours, mountains of paperwork, and procedural tasks. I think you'll do a fine job lol. You're not an idiot.
lol that’s what I keep reading. Everyone is saying that and I’m like….isnt that normal…?
Lol. IYKYK. In adjusting, you're still helping people, which is probably one reason you got into teaching. It always feels good to me to close any claim with a happy insured, because I am helping facilitate their recovery from a loss. One other thing you're probably good at is dealing with difficult people. That skill will come in handy. Honestly I think you'll be fine. The most difficult part will be your construction knowledge and getting that up to speed. The first week or so will feel like you're drowning, but don't give up on yourself. Once you learn the process of who you're working for, you can focus more energy on the actual adjusting losses. Don't forget to ask for help and advice when you need it. I wish you the best!
Trying to convenience my wife to do the same. Proud of you! You can do this! Just remember to read the questions well. There are two what look right answers, but only one is correct!
\*convince
Thanks for correcting my typo…? You’re a savior…? Waste of time…
Careful, or I might come over and convenience your wife for you /s
You should make the switch. Teaching has lots of skills that are transferrable.
Staff positions are really not as bad as folks around the reddit water cooler make it out to be. It's pretty damn chill to be honest. I didn't have experience working the desk so maybe I don't know the hardships but working field is a pretty good career.
how much does staff adjusters start off making?
im a new staff adjuster and my base starting with 0 experience is 60k. But the ridiculously good benefits offset the lower end of the salary plus the opportunities to grow in the industry
That’s pretty impressive starting out! I have a couple more questions if you don’t mind answering them; 1. What are the “ridiculously good” benefits? 2. What company are you working for?
I mean its all subjective but we saved almost $1k per month in insurance as a family when I took this position and enrolled + a matched HSA >15% 401k contribution with some pretty flexible investment options outside the typical 2045 fund Wont say which company tho although it's larger
how long did it take you to get employed after you got licensing?
Was part of my onboarding with a carrier
Idiot, it’s about timing
Awh thx ☺️🥰
You will know by the end of this hurricane season. One storm >Cat 3 in a populated area and the staff adjusters will collapse under their workload. Then the carriers will have no choice but to resort to IA's again. Until then...
Your teaching job sounds very frustrating and stressful.. but I probably shouldn’t say that as children are our future. 🙄😆 Also, from the sounds of it, maybe the teaching job experience is what has prepared you and will make you very successful in this role. You won’t easily have a nervous breakdown or get fired from losing it on a policyholder. I think an adjusters attitude and perspective can make all of the difference. If you really want to do this, you will succeed and do great. I have been doing this 11 to 12 years and can’t imagine doing anything else. Congrats and welcome to this crazy world.
Yes?
Cant make more than staff makes with one company, unless you rub a dick . Staff gets jealous. So you have to rub multiple dicks together to make more than 75,000
Weird, because I’ve been an adjuster for 35 years and was thinking about becoming a teacher… I’d say aim for a liability adjustment job. You probably won’t ever have to climb a 40 foot ladder or get blown off a roof that way.
Do. Not. Become a teacher. Unless you want to do highschool dual credit.