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Crafting a resume for a life insurance agent role isn't just about showcasing your sales acumen. The industry has been evolving lately with a stronger focus on customer relationships and digital marketing. So, in addition to sales, it’s vital to highlight your interpersonal skills and tech-savviness. Many firms are also increasingly looking for agents who can educate customers about complex insurance products effectively. Therefore, your ability to distill and communicate complex information clearly should shine through your resume.
You should highlight your proficiency in using digital tools like customer relationship management software, email automation, and social media platforms. These skills demonstrate your ability to adapt to the evolving insurance landscape and effectively engage with today's tech-savvy customers.
Potential employers value agents who can clearly explain complex insurance products to customers. So, emphasize instances where you've educated clients about their policy options and helped them make informed decisions. This approach demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and ethical sales practices.
As the name suggests, life insurance agents sell life insurance. Like other agents, you can work for one insurance company or act as a broker and sell life insurance from multiple insurance companies. This is a particularly difficult profession with over 90% of agents leaving the profession within one year. Contributing to the difficulty in the profession is the fact that you will most likely not be officially employed but will probably be retained as a contractor. In addition, you will most likely be based on a commission basis which means you will only receive wages for completed deals. Add to that, the fact that life insurance unlike motor insurance, is not compulsory to have, and is not considered important by large sections of the population.
On the positive side, this profession has low barriers to entry. You do not necessarily need much more than a high school diploma. What you must excel in is networking, sales, and negotiating. Ensure your resume stresses your success in these areas most of all. Take a look at this strong life insurance agent resume.
To survive in this profession you have to make sales. To put yourself above the multitudes of other applicants, highlight your success rate if you have been particularly successful thus far. How much money did you bring in for your previous employer? How many sales on average did you make per month?
A potential employer would appreciate an applicant who can show that their career has grown in the industry. It shows dedication to the profession and affirms a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry.
We spoke with hiring managers at top insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, and New York Life to understand what they look for when hiring life insurance agents. Based on their insights and our analysis of successful resumes in the industry, we've compiled a list of essential tips to help you craft a compelling life insurance agent resume that will catch the attention of recruiters and land you more interviews.
Recruiters want to see evidence of your ability to generate revenue and meet sales targets. Quantify your sales achievements on your resume, such as:
Avoid making vague statements about your sales skills without providing specific examples or metrics. Instead of saying:
A well-written summary can be a powerful addition to your life insurance agent resume, especially if you're changing careers or have extensive experience to highlight. While a summary is optional, it provides an opportunity to contextualize your skills and experiences in a way that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume.
However, it's crucial to avoid using an objective statement, as these are outdated and fail to provide value to potential employers. Instead, focus on crafting a concise, targeted summary that showcases your most relevant qualifications and sets the stage for the rest of your resume.
Your work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you'll showcase your professional achievements and skills, and it's what hiring managers will focus on the most. Here are some key tips to make sure your work experience section is top-notch and tailored for a life insurance agent role.
When describing your work experience, use strong action verbs that are relevant to the life insurance industry. This will help showcase your skills and grab the attention of hiring managers.
Examples of good action verbs for a life insurance agent resume:
Avoid using weak or generic verbs like:
The education section of your resume is important for life insurance agents. It shows hiring managers that you have the necessary knowledge and training to succeed in the role. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when writing your education section:
Your skills section is a critical part of your life insurance agent resume, as it showcases your unique abilities and qualifications to potential employers. Hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) will scan this section to determine if you have the necessary skills for the role. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling skills section:
Here are examples of popular skills from Life Insurance Agent job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Life Insurance Agent job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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