Updated
If you’re committed to becoming an insurance claims adjuster, there’s no bad time to start your training. But when things around us feel uncertain, making that decision can be a little tougher. So while it’s important for every individual to make the best choice for him or her, I wanted to share some reasons why I think now is a good time to get your adjuster license.
#1: It’s Better to Be Prepared
Too often, I see potential adjusters waiting for the ‘ideal time’ to start their education. Usually, it’s the next big hurricane. When that happens, the person will take our course, apply and wait for their license to be processed, and then start joining IA Firm rosters. But in my experience, it is always better to start now so that when the next ‘thing’ happens, you already have your license in hand and are ready to go.
Remember, those who held a license prior to Hurricane Harvey – even if they’d never worked – were sent out en masse during the storms. In fact, hundreds were deployed before the storm even made landfall.
In addition to licenses, adjusters with Xactimate training were able to hit the ground running, writing and scoping claims from the get-go. Our owner, Adam Gardiner, wrote a great piece about his experience, (or lack thereof) on his first deployment during Hurricane Charley. It’s worth a read.
At the end of the day, time is money in this industry. The faster you can get in the field (meaning you have your license and are ready for deployment) and the faster you can write and close claims via Xactimate knowledge, the more customers you will help and the more money you will make. To put it plainly, having your license in hand is always better than, well…not.
#2: Insurance Claims Don’t Stop
As many of us know all too well, insurance claims don’t care about uncertainty or the economy or what you need to do that day. Pipes burst, fender benders crunch, and house fires spark regardless of what else is going on in our lives or businesses.
Another example is the pandemic. Coronavirus put nearly everything in our lives on hold for a while. But not insurance claims. Those actually increased with so many at home 24 hours a day. The industry couldn’t simply stop settling claims because because of the pandemic. The policies we sign with insurance companies are binding legal contracts that require certain actions to take place within specified time periods.
That’s not to say that everything moved ahead exactly as did during normal periods, but it did move. Companies started getting creative on ways to meet their obligations while making sure that both claimants and adjusters stayed healthy. Whether the solutions are technology-based in the office or safety-related in the field, insurance companies and their adjusters must continue settling claims regardless of the circumstances around them.
#3: ‘Tis the Storm Season
In this industry, hurricanes and their resulting claims receive the most attention, and rightfully so. They do account for a huge amount of insured losses and they certainly receive the bulk of headlines. But at any given point in America, it is some sort of storm season, somewhere.
In fact, using the term “season” doesn’t make as much sense as it has in the past. The “California wildfire season” has recently started far earlier and lasted much longer than ever before. It has also extended far beyond California, with states like Utah, Montana, Washington, and Oregon all fire-threatened more in today’s climate.
Flooding is another weather risk that seems to have jumped in recent years with more floods reoccurring in more areas than ever before. Tornados are still a threat in ‘tornado alley’ but the past few years have also seen a big increase in tornadic activity in the deep south.
All this is to say, there is much more to weather-related and catastrophe insurance claims than hurricane season. Regardless of the time of year, there are weather threats all over the country, all year round.
Join my free live webinar
Want to learn more about getting your license and going to work? Join my free live webinar about claims adjusting. I’ll cover everything you need to know about the industry, licensing, and answer all your questions live.
It’s also important to note that our weather is more volatile and less predictable than ever as well. While the number of disasters still varies, experts agree that all of these disasters are causing more damage than ever before. Insurance Business Magazine’s Are Billion-Dollar Storms the New Normal? looks at some of these issues in detail.
Unfortunately, storms and catastrophes will occur every year. If you are serious about a career in insurance claims, getting your adjuster license now means you’ll be ready to help when the need arises.
#4: Whenever you’re ready, we’re ready to help
One of the best parts of online education is that you can complete the courses on your own time, when and where it works for you. And no matter when that is or how long it takes, I want to assure you that AdjusterPro is ready to assist you.
All of our courses are 100% online and available to you 24/7. Additionally, your course will remain available in your classroom until you complete it. Whether that takes you a few weeks or the better part of the year, there is no deadline for our courses. (With the exception of annual, state-specific CE courses.)
You can be confident that you’ll have our support behind you every step of the way.
It can be tempting to wait for ‘the ideal time’ to get your insurance adjuster license. But in my experience, sooner is always better than later. The sooner you have your license in hand, the faster you can start getting on employers’ rosters and getting to work.
