r/InsuranceProfessional

Hi all, looking for some real advice. I graduated in 2024 (BBA, International business) and have been trying to break into underwriting for a while now but I've got zero direct insurance experience, my background's actually in hospitality/care work for over a year. I'm based in Philly.

I've had a few callbacks and made it pretty far in the process for a couple insurance associate roles, but didn't end up getting either. Been actively job searching for underwriting/insurance associate roles for about 2 to 3 months now.

The problem I keep running into is almost every underwriting assistant or trainee posting wants 3+ years of experience. Which feels backwards for something called "assistant" and internships seem completely gatekept for recent grads only, which I'm not anymore.

I did take a couple intro courses through The Institutes just to get familiar with the terminology. I know it's not gonna carry much weight at all, but figured better than nothing while I keep applying. Really interested in eventually getting into E&S or specialty lines specifically cuz that's the direction that actually excites me.

So genuinely asking, what am I missing here? Is there a way to actually get my foot in the door without the 3 years everyone wants? Should I be looking at certifications more seriously even though I feel like most companies just sponsor that stuff once you're already in? Anyone break in a similar way, would love to hear how.

Appreciate any advice, thank you.

Currently I’m a remote renewal UW making $80k (incl bonus) for middle market policies with premium between $100k-$200k. Ideally I’d like to stay within middle market for a production/senior UW role. There’s an open role for everything I’m looking for EXCEPT it’s for small business vs middle market; Lead UW role and base salary of $115k.

Would it be a mistake to go from complex middle market policies to small biz? I’m thinking this would give me a lot of insight on the production side of things and leading a team. I just am not trying to get into an area of underwriting where AI could take over. Example; automated selections, low risks, etc.

Thoughts?

This just happened and it's a nightmare. A commercial client claims our broker didn't explain a policy exclusion. Our broker says he did, verbally, during a call 8 months ago. There's no written record. No email, no file note, nothing. The broker is probably right but it doesn't matter we can't prove it. Now we're dealing with a complaint that could've been killed in 5 minutes if we had documentation.Our current process for documenting client interactions is basically "write a note in the file after the call." We need a system where documentation happens automatically or at minimum makes it so easy that there's no excuse not to do it.

Curious as to what you make and what Your role is. I am getting to the point where I’m ready to look at other positions but the pay scales seem low. I am grateful for what I have, just ready to branch out.

I have 15 years experience- 4 years at current company and currently a senior underwriter. Base is $86k and I get about 20k in bonuses from my production underwriter I work for/under. I am fully remote but that’s because I work for an office in another state

What are the most important licenses, skills, and abilities to put on my resume to get an underwriting position? Also, what’s the best way to get an in into an underwriting position, with no connections at a company?

Couple months ago, I interviewed at a company that seemed promising. They’re remote, great culture, & have good benefits. Unfortunately, I didn’t interview well & was rejected. Since then, I noticed there are open roles on their site I’m interested in. Would it be weird if I re-apply? Has anyone done this before? How did it go?

This is more of a vent post.

I’ve been feeling quite exhausted from work. I want to throw my hands up & say I don’t care but deep down I do. There are things from last week I still haven’t taken care of & there are things today that keep coming in. I’m clearing emails but also seems like I’m not doing enough.

There’s pressure to push these accounts & put more money on the books, so someone else can have more money. But I’m so tired. It seems like working late is the only way I’ll be able to clear my inbox & catch up on my to-do list. I feel guilty for complaining when my coworker does so much more.

I want to leave this job but this market is so daunting. I feel miserable.

I've been in the industry for over 15 years and I'm contemplating a career change. I know I have transferable skills but I'm feeling totally adrift at what to even consider might work for me. I'm interested in hearing from others who are here, who have been here, I'm even interested in knowing what your former colleagues moved into!

It feels a bit pathetic to still not feel called to do something meaningful but here I am.

Hi,

I'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity to join a large carrier's training program to end up on the Inland Marine or Technology team. I'm torn on which to choose. I've been an UW assistant for 3 years and have decided UW will be my long-term career, so want to make sure I make the right choice.

Tech appeals to be simply because it sounds more interesting. I've always been into software, computers, etc. Inland Marine does sound a little more boring, but I'm aware that it's a more "stable" and predictable book.

Thinking long-term, I'd want a solid work-life balance, but also not be working with accounts that are so dry to me that my eyes glaze over everyday.

From my point of view, both are fine specialties to be in and have their pros and cons, but I wanted to see if anyone could offer any insight as to something else I might want to consider when choosing between these teams, or if I'm missing an obvious choice here?

Thanks.

I am completely green to all of this. I’ve done some research but figured what better way than to ask real people. I don’t have a college degree but I am currently working towards my license. What roles do you recommend that aren’t involving sales? I’m looking at claims adjuster but I’m open to other roles and definitely could use some guidance on how to start out once I get to that point.

Hey Everyone,

I work for a legacy carrier as a Production UW. I am able to keep pretty solid work life balance, around 40 hours a week and I'm not expected to check email or get calls on my PTO.

I am looking at an opportunity as a Senior Production UW at UFG and I've seen some Glassdoor reviews that raise questions about their worklife balance/underwriter workload.

Does anyone have any experience there/have any insight on the overall workload expectation of their UW's? And any idea if their UW's actually get to unplug on PTO?

I appreciate any insight, its a huge pay swing but I worry the money comes with huge quality of life trade offs.

I had an interview at a carrier for an underwriting job. I have only claims experience. I currently have a pretty good job in claims. Well the recruiter is trying to get me to interview for a claims job with them also. I’m not super interested in the claims job, but I’m not sure how to respond. I’m assuming them wanting me to interview for the claims role means I’m likely not getting the underwriting role. I’m just not really sure how to handle the situation.

I’m 22 and pretty early into my career. I graduated with a degree in Operations Management and I’ve been working in insurance underwriting for a little over 3 months now.
I actually like insurance so far and I’m not looking to leave my current job anytime soon. Right now I mostly want to learn as much as I can, get experience, and understand the industry better.

At the same time, I’ve been thinking a lot about where I want my career to go long term. Data analytics is something that keeps standing out to me.
Rather than completely leaving insurance later on, I’ve been wondering if I could eventually combine the two and move into some type of data analyst or analytics role within the insurance industry.

I feel like having actual insurance experience could potentially be useful compared to trying to break into a completely unrelated industry, but I honestly don’t know how much underwriting experience translates to analytics.
On the technical side, I’m basically starting from scratch. My plan is to get really comfortable with Excel and then start learning SQL and Power BI. Eventually I’d like to work on some projects and build enough technical knowledge to actually be qualified for an entry level analytics role.
I’m also not trying to rush this. I’m thinking more about what I can do over the next couple of years while I continue working in underwriting and gaining experience.
For anyone who works in insurance analytics or has made a similar transition, how realistic is this?

Are there certain analyst roles within insurance that would make sense for someone coming from an underwriting background?

Would it be better to eventually try to make an internal move into analytics rather than applying elsewhere with no professional analytics experience?

And if you were in my position, what would you focus on learning over the next year or two?

I know Excel, SQL and Power BI are commonly recommended, but I’m curious if there are other skills that are especially valuable within insurance.

I’m really just trying to take advantage of being early in my career. I don’t expect to take a couple online courses and suddenly become a data analyst. I’d rather spend the next few years gradually building the right experience and skills so that when I do decide to make a move, I’m actually prepared for it.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who works on the analytics side of insurance or has seen people make this kind of transition.

Hey all, long-time lurker, first post here.

I’m based in Toronto and currently working through my RIBO Level 1. My goal is to become a commercial insurance producer. I don’t have direct insurance experience, but I’ve got a solid sales background in property management and telecom, mostly relationship-driven, longer-cycle sales rather than transactional stuff. Im 25 years old if it matters.

Couple questions for anyone who’s been through this:

**1.**	With no insurance experience but a decent sales track record, is it realistic to start directly in a junior commercial producer role, or should I expect to have to cut my teeth in personal lines first before anyone lets me touch commercial?  
**2.**	I want to specialize in a niche early rather than go generalist, but I want to avoid anything oversaturated (seems like contracting/trucking are pretty picked over already). The niches I’m personally most drawn to — mostly out of genuine interest/passion — are advertising/marketing agencies, rehab (drug addiction, eating disorders, etc.), and cybersecurity. From what I’ve looked into, each has its own problem: advertising premiums seem too small to build real income on, rehab seems hard to get underwriters to even write, and cyber is oversaturated with specialty MGAs and big brokerages already all over it. Realistically, could any of these get me to $180k+ in commission within 8-10 years, or should I be looking elsewhere entirely?

Appreciate any honest input, especially from people actually working commercial lines day to day. Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone, I’m mapping out my CIP course load and I’m trying to figure out if the Insurance Institute has two semesters per year or three? The website currently only shows a Fall semester and a Spring semester. I’m wondering if there’s a summer semester I can plan for as well? 🤞

we’ve all been there because we’re human. What were some of your biggest mistakes you’ve made? For example, in my 27 years in the industry I have:

1. booked an appointment without writing down the name of the person I was meeting with. It was awkward but worked out in the end.

2. rated something based on $75k in revenues when their actual revenue was $7.5 million (I honored my quote and they were very happy until renewal)

3. used some inappropriate words without realizing I was on a speaker phone. luckily everyone thought it was funny.

I could go on…

What actually made the difference? Where did you start? What did your progression look like and what got you from one level to the next?

Hi everyone,

I am looking to switch careers into the insurance world- specifically underwriting. I’m late 20s and have a masters degree in psychology. Did that for a few years and am now working for a business as their financial secretary. I’ve been at my current role for 2 and a half years.

I have several family members in the insurance business who own a small independent agency. Underwriting interests me for many reasons and I’m looking for some advice on how to get started. It seems many large carriers only hire once a year and I’ve missed the window?

I’m just in the early stages of thinking about this switch, ideally the end of this year or beginning of next I’d like to make a move. Any encouragement welcome.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice from people who have been in the insurance industry for a while, especially anyone who had a difficult time landing their first position.

I'm 24 and graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Risk Management & Insurance. I also have my Georgia Property & Casualty license and am located in the Metro Atlanta area.

I chose RMI because I genuinely found the industry interesting and saw it as something I could build a long-term career in. The problem is that I've had a much harder time getting my foot in the door than I expected. I've been searching since around the time I graduated and have applied to underwriting assistant/associate roles, underwriting trainee programs, client service positions at agencies/brokerages, claims, risk analyst positions, insurance operations, etc. I've had a handful of promising conversations and interviews along the way, but nothing has turned into an offer.

One issue I keep running into is experience. For example, I interviewed for an entry-level client service position and was told during the interview that my lack of Applied Epic experience wasn't an issue because it was an entry-level role. I was later told they decided to move forward with candidates who had Epic experience. I completely understand why an employer would prefer someone who already knows the system, but I'm struggling with the catch-22 of figuring out how you're supposed to gain that experience before someone gives you the opportunity to use it.

Most of my actual work experience comes from working throughout college. I worked in customer service at Publix and spent over four years in a high-volume restaurant. I worked and paid my way through college myself, so while those jobs aren't directly insurance-related, I do think they taught me a lot about communication, dealing with people, working under pressure, reliability, and just showing up and working hard. I'm not expecting to walk into a glamorous position or make a huge salary right out of school. I'm completely willing to start at the bottom,learn the business, and prove myself. I'm particularly interested in underwriting, risk analysis, commercial insurance, and client/account management. I'm much more interested in the analytical/client-service side of the industry than pure insurance sales. At this point, I'm trying to figure out whether I'm targeting the wrong positions, presenting myself incorrectly, or simply dealing with a difficult entry-level job market.

For those of you already in the industry; If you were in my position today, what would you do to get that first real opportunity? Are there certain job titles, types of agencies/carriers,wholesalers, MGAs, brokerages, or areas of insurance that I may be overlooking? Are there skills or relatively attainable certifications that would actually make you take an entry-level candidate more seriously? And if you struggled to get your first insurance job, what eventually got someone to take a chance on you? I'm not looking for sympathy, and I haven't given up on the industry. If anything, the process has made me more determined to figure out what I'm doing wrong and improve it. I know I'm capable of doing the work once someone gives me the opportunity to learn. I'd genuinely appreciate any advice, criticism, or perspective from people who have been on either side of the hiring process.

Any input helps, Thanks!!

I’ve received an offer for $60k as an underwriter in Agribusiness. I have 1 year experience as an assistant underwriter, 1 industry cert and no prior insurance experience. I’ve been at the company coming up on 4 years. First 2 years help desk testing our quoting system, training agents virtually, and helping with IT issues.

I live in a pretty affordable Midwest state. I plan on negotiating but would love advice on the number.