2023 Could Be The Year For a Career Change!
Making the Transition – How to Become a Claims Adjuster After Teaching
Already have teaching experience? Take your skills to the world of insurance claims adjusting with this comprehensive guide! Developed for those looking to make a career change or add supplemental income, you’ll find helpful tips and advice on making the switch.
For teachers looking for a new challenge or who are retired from the classroom but don’t want to retire completely, a career as an accredited claims adjuster could be the perfect opportunity to use your teaching experience in a new setting. This guide will provide you with insights on transitioning from teacher to an accredited insurance claims adjuster, so you’ll have all the necessary information required to make an informed decision.
Understand the Role and Responsibilities of a Claims Adjuster
Prepare for Licensure
An accredited claims adjuster is responsible for investigating and evaluating insurance claims, determining the value of the claim, and making a payment if necessary to the claimant. Accredited claims adjusters must also stay up to date with changes in state and federal laws related to insurance coverage, as well as possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. Both of these skills teachers have extensive experience doing daily. Teachers stay up to date on changes from their administrators, from their state department of education and from federal changes. They are constantly updating lesson plans to reflect the changes and communicating with their students, the families of their students and their teacher mentors and administrators. Additionally, a claims adjuster may be called upon to testify in court cases and provide expert information on claims issues. Becoming an accredited claims adjuster means your expertise is valued in all areas from the initial review to court testimony.
In Florida you will need to obtain a license as an insurance adjuster. All states require adjusters of certain types of property and casualty claims – such as those related to fires or storms – to be licensed. Through Educational Services & Consulting our Accredited Claims Adjuster designation course will prepare you for your earning your All Lines Adjuster License. Licensing usually involves submitting an application, passing written exams and background checks, and obtaining fingerprints. When you take our Educational Services & Consulting ACA course, passing the end-of-course final exam means you are exempt from having to take the state licensing exam and can immediately apply to the State of Florida for your All Lines Adjuster License.
Research Companies to Find Open Opportunities
Before formally applying for a job as an ACA, it is important to research the types of companies that hire claims adjusters. With your teaching experience in hand, you may be able to leverage strong industry connections or glean details on open roles from former colleagues who have transitioned out or who have had prior claims and already worked with an ACA. Networking resources, such as LinkedIn and various insurance professional associations, can also be valuable sources of information when looking into potential employers. Additionally, searching job boards such as Indeed and Glassdoor and others are effective methods for discovering current job openings.
Refine Your Resume for Appeal in the Field of Insurance Claims
Insurance companies are looking for applicants who understand and can effectively carry out the fundamentals of the role. As such, when preparing your resume and making a transition into the field, it is important to draw emphasis on claims-related achievements over teaching experience. Additionally, you should tailor language or text highlighting your transferable training skills to jargon that aligns with industry practices. For example, renaming “guide student learning” as “instruct others in loss mitigation practices” speaks volumes to claims-driven recruiters while also showing relevance and fluency in the scope of work. In preparing your resume, think of ways you can use descriptors to show how you can help others through challenges. This could be related to teaching students and helping them overcome obstacles in their learning.
For more information on how to earn your 6-20 ACA designation, we invite you to call our Clermont, Florida office at 1-800-309-2459 or read more about the accredited claims adjuster certification process on our website.
In Florida, once you earn your 6-20 accredited claims adjuster designation, you can apply to the state for your all-lines adjuster license. This will enable you to work on home insurance claims, auto and RV insurance claims and property insurance claims. You would have the flexibility to work as a staff claims adjuster or an independent insurance adjuster as well.