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dub
2 Posts |
 Posted - 10/03/2002 : 19:15:25
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| I have been trying to get into the adjusting field now for over a year. I have owned my own body shop for 10 years, so I figured auto adjusting would be my best approach as far as trying to start a new career. I have seen many posts on the net while trying to get my career started, but most positions require 2 years of actual claims handling experience. I have not had much luck thus far. I have had a few offers, but nothing solid. I would like to do property adjusting as well. If anyone can give me some helpful advice or direction, I would greatly appreciate it. I was hoping for a trainee position. I figured if I was fortunate enough to get on storm duty a few times that would be some great needed experience in a fairly short time. I dont know if I am jumping the gun or not, but I was planning on going to an adjusters school and getting licensed. Again, any input would be helpful. Thanks. |
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Ghostbuster
476 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 21:47:37
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(I'm gonna be a real stinker here so just hold your nose for awhile.)
Sooo, ya wanna be an adjuster, huh? Ya wanna be a trainee and get a few storms under yer belt, huh? With ambitions like these, why doncha go to the head of the class and try yer hand at brain surgery before ya go to medical school. Sure can't be much difference twixt that and catastrophe adjusting and the intracacies of the body shop world, (just throw some more bondo on there, they'll never know).
Yeah, that's how ya pay your dues in life.
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 22:32:09
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Dub, lets look at your request from the view of you owning your bodyshop - as you have for 10 years.
Lets say a smart looking person, showed up at your shop door today, and said he wanted to start in the body repair business. You gave hime the time of day, and quickly concluded he had some smarts for the business, and he convinced you he had his own tools, and would work any hours you wanted him to. Further, you could get him for a cheap cost. Everything added up, except it was clear to both of you, your new recruit had never done body work before; but he swore that he would go to the tech schools next year and eventually get the necessary licenses. So, you being a great guy, hired him, you were pretty busy anyway and could certainly keep him busy.
So, you point our the jobs to be done in the shop - a paint job on the right side of a 2002 Caddy, a frame pull on a 1999 Explorer, and r&r the left side and dash of a 2000 Lexus - and you tell him start where you want and let me know when you are done ????
A long round about way Dub, to try and make it clear, you can not "cut your teeth" in the claims world, by jumping into actual storm cat work. You have to have at least a sound basic knowledge of the policies you will encounter, experience with an acceptable estimating system, and a clear understanding of the methodology of claims handling - before I venture to suggest anyone is going to hand you an arm full of property claims, or auto for that matter.
Those things, I'll call prerequisites, come from attending training sessions / schools, certification processes, licensing preparation, a lot of self study, and some "tag along" with an experienced storm adjuster; or alternatively a good foundation established while "apprenticing" as a staff adjuster for a carrier.
Is is really any different in your auto body profession? |
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dub
2 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 23:08:01
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| thanks to both of you for the replies.... i am supposed to be going to an adjusters school the 21st of this month. i have been told that the school was a good idea by some people and others have said bad. they say the reason is because some companies would prefer i had no prior knowlege so they could teach me "their" way. i was told that the best way to learn was to get hands on experience and that some companies would actually hire people and train them onsight. i just thought that would be a lot more interesting and insightful. i just want to get my foot in the door of "claims adjusting" and this seemed like a good way to do it. sorry if i have been out of line. i just didnt know where to start. |
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KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 23:13:40
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Guys, don't be so hard on Dub. I happen to know from experience that anyone with a decent dose of common sense can be taught to write a good auto hail estimate in a very short time.
Dub, this is the wrong time to be trying to get into the business if you want to start in Auto. Auto cats fall into two catagories, Hail, and flood. Those are really the only two natural disasters that happen quick enough and are widespread enough to do damage to cars. Wind doesn't really hurt hundreds of cars at a time and unless an entire parking garage collapses when it is full, earthquakes don't damage alot of cars. So when spring comes around and those little frozen balls of gold start falling out of the sky denting every piece of sheet metal Detroit and Japan have ever made you may get your shot.
Do you know how to write an estimate on a computer using either Mitchell or ADP? If you don't you better learn. Find out if there are any vendors in your area and maybe they can get you into one of their carrier's certification programs.
To get into this business from a standing start you have to be fearless to the point of stupidity and more confident than a fighter pilot. The secret, as any good high school running backs coach would say,is to keep your legs moving.
It isn't an easy business to break into, you really have to want to do it and be ready for anything, because it will happen. |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 00:02:01
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Dub, there is nothing to apologize about - you are not out of line, at all. Kile probably had the best reply of the 3 of us, that answered your query. When you say "some companies" like to take a person without experience - that is normally an insurance company (carrier), and quite a few of them have training programs that they put new people through.
I don't know spit about auto claims, been away from it for too many years. But I remember vendors sending me mail in the past year, about their training programs they were offering for auto claims. If I recall, Pilot Catastrophe had a pretty good program from what I saw, maybe have a look at their web site. What advise / help can the appraisers that attend your shop give you? Who do they work for and how did they get started? They would know their own "grapevine" from the carrier side pretty well - as to any staffing shortages or surpluses on the auto side.
I'm prejudiced, because of my work background - on where to start (be it auto or property). I'm a believer that you have to find a good carrier, get in on the ground floor - absorb and learn, be aggressive and have initiative.
If your first 50 files came from a pile of new storm related claims, where it is highly likely no one has the time to "hold your hand" for all the "A to Z" processes and functions, and they basically turn you loose; and all there looking for starting the next day is a pile of proper closings and no phone calls from anyone about your files - well Dub, that story just cann't have a pretty picture with it for either you or the vendor I/A firm that gave you the files.
Slick up a good resume, stuffed with your acquired auto technical skills, make a list of insurance companies and I/A firms in your radius - and hit the pavement. If you have the time, let them see who is behind the words on the paper. In between those travels, use CADO to your advantage. Review all the extra sections that CADO offers. Print off the "employers list" and mail each of them as good a technical resume that accurately reflects your technical skills. Then use the web to get the addresses of insurance companies in the next radius out from where you are - and mail them a resume. That could be in all about 200 envelopes to stuff and mail, and another 50 to deliver.
There will be enough in that volume that will respond and give you further more specific direction, other leads, moral encouragement, that all important interview - and maybe that elusive chance you seek.
Best of luck. |
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Dancatman
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 00:13:00
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Hey Jack I assure you anyone of importance has seen your post. Everyone is just a little testy right now. 6000 plus adjusters just found out we wont be working again this Hurricane season. Myself and hundreds more have lost an awful lot over the last two years. That includes homes, cars, credit, and friends.
Use this site to get the address to all the employers and email them a resume or snail mail it. That way tou wont be taking up a page and a half on your post. |
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TackyMan
2 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 07:52:55
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Dub, since you know nothing about adjusting at the moment, why don't you just start out as one of the A-1, top notch, professional mold adjusters working for Snake Farm? No experience required and you start at $31,200 per year and the sky is the limit!
Just make sure you have your unlimited first dollar E&O insurance in place before starting.
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AWalker
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2002 : 14:13:39
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In reply to "Hold on to your day job" , too late; got laid off Friday from the local body shop in the bay area. Insurance companies are on a freeze (they just load up all the existing adjusters) I have called a few of my previous co workers at the Farm and they say they are overwhelmed and will not be hiring any independant adjusters due to costs. So I sit here reading your website hoping how to get my feet wet in one of the worst economies around. I can write a good sheet in Mitchell, ADP and Pathways. I have no property damage experiance or Xactimate. But I do believe I have paid a lot of dues in ten years of claims, and have aquired that common sense and determined attitude to get things done. I would appreciate any replys specifically to how realistic it would be to start with a company such as Crawford or Wardlaw doing Hail storms and floods for auto only. I also mean no disrespect to the oldtimers,but change is here, I am still young and must adapt. I consider myself a professional in the auto field and I am here for the long haul and am willing to adapt, but need some feed back for direction. Currently I have applications to all the local daily estimating companies in the bay area. I am sure a shake down will occur and the professionals who stay will be compensated in the long run. This is how it has always worked for me as an independant adjuster. I am highly regarded at the local agency for auto. When there is work, I am given work,when there is not work, we all suffer a while. Maybe this is the way it will be from now on? It appears this way in other industries too dont you think?
Regards.
AWalker |
Amy Walker |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2002 : 16:42:13
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Amy, Sorry to hear the bad news, it must be tight all over for independants, and I have not even started yet. Oh well it wont effect me too much,except I wasted a lot of money. You could try Tina Lehman at Eberl,s in Colorado, I think they do a lot of hail work. She is a very nice person to talk to. Her email is: tlehman@eberls.com What you could do is go on their web page and get the ph number and talk to her in person. They do work for State Farm and Farmers.
I am just getting started myself, so maybe some of these CATS can give you some contacts. I need to get two more certifications before I can even consider going out in the field. I want to get the State Farm and Flood certifications. I may even take the Vale course this spring.
I wish you the best of luck Amy, don't be a stranger and keep us posted. Oh yes you can find Tina's phone number at: eberls.com |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2002 : 17:06:51
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| Dub, if you can work a little while longer and can afford the schools, do that and get all the certifications you can. Depending on how much effort and money you put into this, with your experience you should get where others are. And it looks grim. The attitude of this site is it ain't gonna get better. Its like digging in a pile of horse manure looking for a pony, thats optimism. If you want it, go for it, you may get lucky. |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2002 : 21:28:41
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Newt, something came to mind while I was reading your last post.
You say you want to get your SF and Flood certs, I presume the latter is the NFIP.
Hopefully, from the posts relative about SF, you have a clearer view of what is required, and the importance of having and studying the study guide.
Flood, if it is the NFIP you are referring to, unless things have changed a lot in the past years, there is a protocol for that as well, that you may not be aware of.
Unlike the FWUA cert - was and is now - the NFIP cert "system" is different.
You have to attend a day long "meeting", which in my opinion was of little value and not professionally presented, it certainly was not a training session at the one I attended; but it is the required first step. There you get the big NFIP manual, a typical government manual, not real user friendly. Then in the back of the manual you have a 2 page "adjuster application" that you must complete and forward to NFIP and APPLY for certification.
This app is then reviewed by them, and verified by them, regarding some of the statement you make for the questions asked.
This app asks, years of adjusting experience, years of property experience, have you adjusted a flood loss, what specific type of NFIP cert you are applying for, in the category you are applying for what dollar limit of estimate have you prepared, what is the largest combined loss you have adjusted, have you ever adjusted condo loss, give the names and numbers of people they can call to verify what you said, and what are 3 names of insurance claims personnel that can be called to reference your adjusting professionalism.
With that, the NFIP will decide whether to certify you and for what category.
Quite a different process than the FWUA etc.; unless it has changed radically. |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2002 : 08:22:00
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I have the study guides and working on them. For the most part, I find it easier than I thought it would be. I retain a lot by association, past experience and what I have studied these few months have helped me in understanding the differences. If the association doesn't work I use a numerical method, which is hard to explain. Important things like types of trusses they descibe. If there are eight, I remember the number associated with trusses, then I memorize them. Then when I name off the different items like trusses and do not come up with eight I know I left one or more out. That may not work for everyone.
The NFIP may go the route of FWUA, this is a rumor and I don't know if it is true or not. If it is true, its a good plan. I got the two CD's (FWUA) and thought they were well done and good references. They covered salvage which I didn't really understand before. Anyhow government programs have their rules and red tape. They also have waivers for all the rules and do it like they want to, so that bridge is yet to be crossed.
I have the complete SF study guides on the way. What I am studing from is a condensed version, just enough to pass the test. That is not what I am after, I need the whole ball of wax for reference material. I still have the class to attend before I take the test.
Oh yes the book and Cd on policies should be here in a couple of weeks, I will keep everyone posted on this because I can see it being a valuable tool to load on my laptop. I have not figured out how I will load the exclusions, addendums etc.,that will be another bridge to cross. First I have to have that material before any plans can be made how to incorperate them. |
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j6407
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2002 : 10:18:16
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Ref NFIP & SF certifications:
CCAR & NEWT: The seminar for NFIP should be one of the steps you take to get certified. I attend the sessions every year. It is always diffrent. The more you work floods the more you understand the policy. It also helps you to know what questions to bring up at the meetings. Hands on experience is the best way to learn about the policy. No matter what is written, after the first major hurricane or flood of the season, the guidlines change. I've been in storme when NFIP has changed a procedure after a couple fo weeks and you have to start all over again refineing your understanding of what is or is not covered. The money makes it worth it. I've found that every change they make usually increases your billing.
As to the SF certification, SF has meetings yearly to review their process. It is by invitation only and you get invited by on of the adjusteing firms. After their orientation, you take a test at Sylvan learning centers (about $50.00 each). If you pass you will be on their call list. You can take the test as often as you need too. There are five of them (flood, wind& hail,commercial,fire, earthquake)
I was fortunate in passing all 5 when they gave them to us at the Ewin(?) ranch in Dallas back in '95 or '96. That was a 3 day sesion at no cost to the adjuster.
Amy Walker: Concerning your predicament,I feel for you. We have all been through the slow down. Your comment about things being better in the long run reminds me of a famous economist (Kensington I belive) who said "the short run is tommorrow, in the long run we are all dead"
These are my entries of widom for the day
Juannonly |
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is there much need for auto in cat adjusting???
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