The average student profile of those seeking to be adjusters is somewhere in the neighborhood of the late 40's. Most of those who learn about the exciting career of insurance adjusting have done so because of someone they know or someone they've met in their current career that is an adjuster. Many come from professions that involve remodeling or roofing and other types of construction that interact with adjusters from time to time. Although this isn't an absolute, it is generally a good characterization of most entering the field of adjusting.
So once you've become curious of what it takes to be an adjuster, one of the first things on your list is to get your adjuster license. To be an adjuster, you must first look to your home state for your resident adjuster license. There are a few states that will allow you to get a non-resident adjuster license without getting your home state adjuster license, but I would highly recommend you start with your home state. If you happen to live in a state that doesn't require an adjuster license, the most common state to get licensed in is Texas as a "designated home state".
So you go to Google and type in "Texas Insurance Adjuster License" and you are hit with page after page of people offering licensing classes. What you may or may not realize, though, is that there are a few that offer online classes to get your adjusters license. I've looked at many offerings of both live and online classes and more often than not, have seen poorly done classes. All of them do what they say, though. They get you your certificate to submit to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and get your insurance adjuster license. What they differ greatly in is getting you the knowledge that you need to be a successful insurance adjuster.
I've looked at online classes that provide you with questions that have nothing to do with insurance or the topic being discussed. They are obviously written by some poor guy in a cubicle that was told to get the class out there and had no knowledge of being an adjuster. Did the state approve the class? Sure. But would you learn anything from it? Probably not.
As a general guideline, look for classes that are taught by actual adjusters. They will give you real world information that is practical for someone in the field.
So why look at online training? Many who find these online classes are not initially looking for online training, but they find it is an incredible value. Online classes are generally cheaper as far as initial cost. Online classes can also be done at any time. So you will not have to take off 3-4 days to take a live class somewhere. This can be a huge cost savings in and of itself. Finally, with online classes you eliminate travel and hotel expense of traveling to a major city where they are being offered. Adding this all together, the cost difference between a live and online class can be $1,000 - $2,000.
Most people only look at the initial cost of the class and forget all the other expenses that go along with traveling to and from the training location. A common objection of some is that they are not good with computers. Online training is simpler than it has ever been in the past. Technology has come a long ways. I know my company strives to create a live classroom feel in its online classes. Not all companies do this, though, so ask questions before you put your money on the table. As an adjuster, you will need to develop your computer skills to a competent level to be successful in the field. This is just another reason to look toward technology and not shy away from it.
More and more duties as an adjuster rely on technology. We are even starting to see carrier certifications move to online environments. Embrace technology and learn all you can for a successful career.
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