Life & Health Insurance Sales Careers

Life and health insurance sales careers involve providing customers and prospective customers the information they need to make an informed choice. Those wanting to get into the field of sales should be comfortable working with established customers and prospecting for new customers. While many companies will provide qualified leads, some may also expect the insurance sales representative or broker to come up with their own leads.

Types

Brokers and agents are the two main type of career choices in life and health insurance sales positions. Though the two jobs are very similar and may be salary- or commission-based, a big difference does exist. An agent works for a particular insurance company and only sells products from that company. A broker is an independent agent able to sell packages from many different insurance companies.

Requirements

Those wanting to get into the insurance field should go to college and major in finance, marketing or business administration. The courses needed in those degree paths will provide a good background for working in the insurance field.

Internships

While in college, taking internships is a great way to understand what may be required in a real-world employment setting. Those interested in insurance sales should seek out opportunities in that field. Even if not required, internships could provide valuable contacts for students upon graduation. Often, internships directly lead to that first job for the new college graduate.

Licensure

In nearly all cases, anyone wanting to sell life and health insurance will need to be licensed in the states in which they will sell insurance. Fortunately, life and health insurance are usually packaged together, so two separate licenses are often not required. Also, some states may have reciprocal agreements, where a valid license in one state can be used in another.

Salary

Depending on the company, the pay for those in life and health insurance careers could either be salaried or based on commission. If the position is commission-based, many companies will offer a supplemental salary until the agent is able to built a client base.

Potential

Though many individuals may spend their entire careers as sales agents or brokers, the potential may be there for advancement. Some may be promoted to supervisors or even regional sales managers. These opportunities are often based on performance, experience and education.

References

• Investopedia Insurance Agent

Resources

• Burea of Labor Statistics
• Insurance Agent Career Center