Your resume must be your first sales pitch, but convincing recruitment managers is easier said than done, especially when you have an average of 6 seconds to have them read your application. Not to mention, dozens and dozens of applications to compete against.
We’ll make it easy for you.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to write an insurance agent resume from zero, walking you through:
- How to write your resume step by step (even if you don’t have experience);
- How to fill in the sections of your resume;
- Tips to get more chances;
- Common mistakes to avoid;
- The best ways to level up your application.
Example of a Resume for an Insurance Agent
Insurance Sales Agent
565-544-632
georgemitchell@gmail.com
Anniston, AL
linkedin.com/in/georgemitchell
Dedicated Insurance Sales Agent with more than six years of industry experience in life insurance. Proficient in risk management, rate quoting, and building strong working relationships with teams and brokers. Provide recommendations to customers regarding products and benefits with a commitment to maintaining high standards of personal and group performance. Ability to recognize opportunities to increase sales and improve business profitability.
Work Experience
Liberty Mutual
Insurance Agent
April 2018-Date
Communicated with prospective clients to discuss their financial needs and coverage.
Arranged for and maintained all types of personal and life insurance policies within the company.
Produced and implemented new agency underwriting guidelines in the organization.
Hub International
Insurance Agent
March 2016-March 2018
Managed online requests from potential clients and communicated with them.
Researched coverage options and premiums to provide clients with the best coverage.
Delivered quality service and followed up with clients to ensure high client retention.
Educational qualifications
Bachelor of Business
Auburn University
September 2015
Skills
Credit and collections
Excellent customer service
Organizational
Cross-selling and upselling
Multitasking
Product development
Applied systems experience
Teamwork
Activities
Volunteer once a week at the Bevin Nursing Home.
Job Statistics for Insurance Agents
According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, the employment of insurance agents is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations at a rate of 5 percent from 2019 to 2029.
The industries with the highest levels of employment for agents include:
- Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance-related activities
- Insurance Carriers
- Management of Companies and Enterprises
- Management, Scientific, and Technical consulting services
- Credit intermediation and related activities
The average yearly salaries for insurance agents, including tips, overtime pay, and bonuses, include:
- Entry-level $33k
- Early-career $36k
- Mid-career $41k
- Late-career $43k
- Experienced $48k
The average salary for an Insurance Sales Agent is $39,000 (Payscale).
How to Make an Insurance Agent Resume (Even without Experience)
Most employers require something different, so it is essential to check the job description and see exactly what you need to have in your insurance agent resume. You can follow the general rules of writing a resume but constantly personalize and tailor each resume to suit the specific job you apply for.
It’s a serious mistake to use one resume for all your job applications. So, to personalize your resume effortlessly, just follow these tips:
- Using a resume format that presents your experience and skills in the best way to the recruiting manager.
- Adding all the necessary keywords and action verbs that will help you beat the applicant tracking system.
- Adding all the crucial sections to your insurance CV, including the header, resume summary/objective, work experience, educational qualifications, skills, and an additional section (volunteer work, awards/honors, interests, languages, certifications, and computer skills.)
If you don’t have experience…
In this case, follow these resume formats to organize, structure, and fill your resume.
The functional resume is also known as the skill-based resume because it allows you to focus on your skills. The combination/hybrid resume mixes the best features of the functional and reverse-chronological resume formats and flawlessly shows off your expertise.
The structure of your insurance agent resume should have the following sections:
- Header section
- Resume summary/resume objective
- Work experience
- Educational qualifications
- Skills section
- An additional section (Certifications, interests, Awards/honors, conferences, languages, and volunteer work)
Start with the Header of the Insurance Agent Resume
The header section is the first section in your resume, and it has your full name, job title, contact information, and a link to your Linkedin profile or website. The information in this section should be accurate so that the recruiting manager can reach you.
Here is an example
Insurance Agent
512-334-784
anncarstens@gmail.com
Miami, FL
linkedin.com/in/anncarstens
Example of a bad header
Here is an example
Insurance Agent
512-334-784
anncarstens@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/anncarstens
Date of birth 02/03/1997
4154 Marigold Lane
House number 44
Miami, FL
Professional Summary for a Life Insurance Agent Resume
A professional summary statement allows you to introduce your resume to the recruiting manager by summarizing your professional achievements, and experience. The short paragraph should interest the recruiting manager in reading the rest of your CV, so ensure that it is well-written.
Demonstrate Your Experience as an Insurance Agent
The work experience section is a critical section in your resume which allows you to show your potential employer what you can do based on your employment history. Viewing a real-life sample insurance resume is always a good reference if you don’t know how to add this section to your resume. You can also check out our resume builder templates.
It is always better to add your relevant work experience under this section. If you don’t have any relevant experience, you can add any other experience you have and mention the unique abilities you gained related to the position.
Experience examples for beginners/juniors
Here is an example
Insurance broker
August 2014-January 2018
Produced $10 million in annual sales by up-selling insurance company products and services.
Collaborated with car dealers, loan processors, and other insurance professionals to develop positive business relationships.
Achieved high client retention by providing quality service and follow-up, helping the sales department to get an award for the best performing department.
Examples for senior insurance agents
Here is an example
Insurance Sales Agent
June 2015-December 2017
Worked with the claims adjuster to investigate claims and assist clients, ensuring they got the best customer service.
Supervised a team of six customer service agents in the retail office and was tasked with offering additional training every once a month.
Performing applications, cancellations, payments, corrections, and product endorsements.
Education in the Insurance Agent Resume
This section can help set you apart from the other applicants and make you the top candidate. It is not always a requirement, but it is vital to have it when applying for a position at an insurance company. If you have a high school diploma or a college degree, you will add it to this section. You don’t have to add the high school diploma if you have a Master’s degree.
So how to list your education correctly?
When listing your educational qualifications, you will start with the name of the degree, the school’s name, the location, and the years spent in school. You can add your GPA if it’s impressive and will help your insurance agent resume stand out.
Here is an example:
University of Hartford, Connecticut
December 2017
Skills in an Insurance Agent’s Resume: What skills to Include?
Your skills are the unique abilities that help you perform your duties diligently. An insurance agent should have a particular expertise that allows them to be successful in their job. If you don’t have these abilities in your insurance agent resume, you will probably not get the job. You can check the job description for some of the skills your potential employer requires and add them to your resume.
Hard skills
- CRM software
- Computer proficient
- Renewing Insurance policies
- Applied Systems(TAM) experience
- Cross-selling and up-selling
- Quoting and pricing policies
- Lead Development
- Client account management
- Knowledge of competitors’ insurance products
Soft skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Detail-oriented
- Communication
- Excellent customer service
- Time management
- Listening
- Teamwork
- Decision making
- Problem-solving
Skills for entry-level insurance agents
- Organizational
- Critical thinking
- Creative problem-solving
- Negotiation proficiency
- Analyzing data
- Client retention
- Cold calling
- Product knowledge
Skills for Seniors
- Policy adjustment knowledge
- Insurance sales strategy
- Quoting and pricing policies
- Territory Sales Experience
- Casualty auto insurance
- Asset protection expertise
- Developing policies
- Skilled negotiator
Additional Headings for your Insurance Agent Resume
The additional section allows you to add more information about who you are and what else you can do. It’s not enough to have worked at many insurance companies when the competition in the job market is exceptionally high. The recruiting manager wants to know what makes you unique and the best candidate for the position.
Many candidates do not know how to incorporate this section. You can check out our resume templates which will help you write a resume that includes all the vital information and gets the attention of the recruiting manager.
Some of the sections you will add here include:
Computer skills and certifications
While it is acceptable to add your computer skills and certifications in the skill section, it is advisable to list them separately. This ensures that the recruiting manager sees them even if they only take a glance at your CV.
Some of the certifications that will help your insurance agent resume stand out include:
- Certificate in general insurance
- Chartered Property-casualty Underwriter(CPCU)
- Associate in Claims (AIC)
Languages in an Insurance Resume
Most hiring managers love a bilingual candidate, so you don’t want them to miss this skill in your resume. It’s always better to list your languages in a separate section and use the official language reference as follows:
- DELF for French (with a score of 70% and above)
- SIELE for Spanish
- Goethe Zertifikat for German (with a score of 60% and above)
Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Insurance Resume
Let’s look at a breakdown of the main points from this article
- Always choose a layout that best represents your skills and experience and is also easy to read.
- Remember to add the keywords and action verbs.
- Constantly tailor your resume and avoid using a generic for multiple job applications.
- It is essential to proofread your resume to ensure it does not have any typos and other errors.
Write a Cover Letter that Goes with Your Insurance Agent Resume
If you want your job application to stand out, you should accompany your resume with a cover letter. Cover letters are the perfect way to introduce yourself and some of your achievements while also expressing your interest in the position.
Not sure about how to create your cover letter? We’ve got you covered.
Check out our cover letter examples, guidelines, tips, and resources and complement your resume masterfully. All you have to do is to:
- Download your already-filled resume template;
- Choose from our cover letters repertoire;
- Follow the instructions of the resume builder;
- Personalize your cover letter so that it matches your resume elegantly.
- Click download.
