How to Get a Job as a Catastrophe Adjuster
When a hurricane, hailstorm, earthquake or other natural disaster strikes, catastrophe insurance adjusters are often the first on the scene after government personnel. It is their job to assess the damages caused and send estimates in so insurance companies can release payments. To get the job, you will need some training and certifications.
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Things You'll Need
- Resume
- Work ethic
- Willingness to live in difficult conditions
- Willingness to travel
Instructions
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Consider your background and experiences. For catastrophe adjusting, a college degree is nice, but experience and training are much more important to most adjusting companies. If you have experience and training, you can skip to step 4. Keep in mind that you can be a regional catastrophe adjuster, specializing in things like hurricanes in the Southeast or hail in the Midwest, or you can be a national catastrophe adjuster with broader training and willingness to travel all over the country.
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Get training. To succeed as a catastrophe adjuster, you need adjuster training and preferably an adjuster license. Hiring managers at adjusting companies see plenty of "wannabe" adjusters with absolutely no background. Without training and licensing, you'll just fall into that category. There are a few subjects you'll need training in: estimating software, like Xactimate or Simsol, scoping and photographing, and policies and forms. Many training companies offer a weeklong comprehensive package that will include all these areas. If you're really serious, consider getting an associate's degree in claims certification.
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Get licensed as an adjuster. To get an adjuster license, contact your state department of insurance. They can give you an application and tell you their requirements. The Texas adjusting license and Florida adjusting license are two of the most common and useful.
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Now that you have training and a license, start making contact with companies. Send out your resume to any independent adjusting firm you can find. Call the hiring or claims manager to follow up. Ask them to review your resume and let you know if there's anything you can do as far as adjuster training or licensing goes to make yourself a stronger candidate for deployment.
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Once in contact, keep your networks strong. Learn a little about everyone you talk to, and take notes so you can remember for next time. If you talk about children with a hiring manager, the next time you can ask how Junior is doing. Forming this personal connection will help them remember you. In catastrophe adjusting, hiring managers deal with hundreds or thousands of people each year. You need to make yourself stand out to make it to the top of their list.
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At the beginning of hurricane and hail seasons, call the hiring or claims managers and let them know you're available to be deployed if anything comes up.
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When the call comes, go! Do an excellent job. Provide the best customer service you can. These are the best ways to keep the jobs coming!
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Tips & Warnings
Catastrophe adjusting income is often seasonal, so be careful when you manage your personal cash flow.
Catastrophe adjusting isn't for everyone. You have to be able to work under pressure, sometimes under difficult physical conditions, or you're not going to make it.
References
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