Insurance As A Career Choice
In 1968, during the Vietnam War and amidst all the civil unrest here in this country, I became a college graduate and began my chosen career – and it wasn’t insurance! Actually, it was teaching on the Elementary School level. Basically, I had followed the advice of my parents and studied to take a job that could give me security and a career path I could follow even when I had children someday. The trouble was that I never bothered to consider what other choices were available to me. The choice of career, in our culture (although very important in later years) is very understated in one’s early 20’s, and most young people today are just interested in trying to find a job so that they can begin to pay back those school loans they find themselves saddled with after graduation.
It feels as though years ago there was a tremendous emphasis on what college and graduate schools to attend, where one would make their home, who they would marry, etc., but the choices seemed more culturally based then driven by a need to make a lot of money. Today, however, I am told by young people that most of their peers are “chasing the money”. The fact is, the choice of career is too important to make in haste or without considering multiple alternatives when you think of how many years you will spend supporting yourself in your chosen field. In other words, you better like what you do for a living, because chances are you’ll be doing it for a long, long time!
Recently, while interviewing prospective employees, I was amazed at the discrepancy between what they had prepared for in terms of their education and what they were pursuing in terms of a career choice. Is this just a function of a challenged economy or was this always the case?
As for me, after only six months in my chosen career, I knew what I had prepared for was in a field I didn’t enjoy, held no interest for me, and could not face going to on a daily basis for the next 43 years of my life (albeit the retirement age was a definite 65 at that time). Quite by accident I found myself in the insurance business and there I have stayed up until the present. And, believe or not, I’m still only in my 30’s!
I am not going to tell you that I love my chosen profession every day of my life; however, for the most part I really like what I do. I find it creative, challenging, informative, social, and just packed with other positives where my talents are put to good use. And, yes, it has afforded me a very nice lifestyle.
With everyone looking for young talent, don’t ignore the possibilities of a career in the insurance business and what it can offer you. Ours is an industry that is aging out. No matter what our high tech world wants us to believe, we still need a real person with the ability to talk to us, offer suggestions, and consult with us when purchasing insurance. We also need young talent, bright minds and quick thinkers and yet despite our professionalism, our need for continuing education credits, licensing, etc. young people are not naturally drawn to choose insurance as something they’d like to pursue. It is just not glamorous or sexy as a career choice.
Well, I am here to tell you not to knock it if you haven’t tried it!
Have you thought of being an intern? Do you enjoy working as a team?
At our agency, we even have a social media team and we are always looking for new and creative ideas to help us stay connected with our clients and offer them excellent information. We make our own videos, write our own blogs, have a presence on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. And we do it all while still underwriting, servicing and selling insurance.
Who knows, you might just like it as much we do! For more information about pursuing a career in the Insurance Industry, go to www.pohsinstitute.com as these people can prepare you for insurance licensing exams and provide you with some idea of what the insurance industry is all about.
The fact is that insurance is “here to stay” and has been around for a very long time. If you are looking for a stable, professional, rewarding career choice, I say give it a try… “you might like it!”
– Karen Skoler, CPCU
