The adjusting industry has experienced unprecedented growth since the 4 in 04 and hurricane’s Katrina/Rita in 2005 and hurricane’s Gustav/Ike in 2008.
There has been an explosion of newly licensed Independent claims adjusters in almost every state that requires adjusters to be licensed.
Is this influx of new adjusters a good thing ?
It depends on who you ask !!
If you are one of these folks that just received your adjusters license, of course it’s good thing and your ready to take the adjusting industry by storm (no pun intended!!)
Most brand new adjusters are finding out that most IA firms are looking for adjusters with a few years of experience and you start to wonder how you can get that experience without somebody giving you a chance.
So pretty soon you decide to ask an existing adjuster to mentor you and ask if you can ride along with them to get an idea of what being an adjuster out in the field is all about !!
I strongly believe having a mentor and riding along with an experienced adjuster is an essential part of the learning process and can increase the chances of success when an IA firm does give you a shot because as most in the industry know, the learning curve is very steep for a new CAT adjuster as most IA firms mantra is “sink or swim!!”
I want all newly licensed adjusters to know being mentored and being able to ask a seasoned adjuster any questions you have is one of the most important ingredients in the recipe for their success .
While some will disagree with my belief that it is our duty to pass on our knowledge and experience to the next generation , most experienced IA’s are more than happy to assist you.
So,
how does the new adjuster go about finding a mentor ?
You can start by looking at some of the most popular adjuster websites like Well-Adjusted, CADO and FROM ONE ADJUSTER TO ANOTHER and start posting on the forums that you are a newly licensed adjuster looking for a mentor in your area.
I also need to tell you to be prepared for the possibility of a less than enthusiastic response and to not take it personally as
I have great respect for all the adjuster forums that can be found on the Internet and the experience of the adjusters who are communicating on these sites, but there are a few that seem to be responding with a great deal of contempt and hostility to inquiries from new adjusters.
Here is why I believe the resentment
Many new adjusters come to the business after being lured by ads from some training companies that are screaming from the rooftops to take our 5 day course and start making 1200.00 a day or some hear exaggerated stories and tales of making 50,000.00 in 3 months from some “adjuster” they meet at a truck stop or construction site.
So these folks go through a 3 to 5 day course and get on the adjusting sites forums asking where should they start working as they are ready for the big bucks!! It is not the new adjusters fault asking these kinds of questions because that is what some of these schools are putting in their heads, but the guys on these sights who are experienced and knows how tough this industry can be and are rightly proud of their accomplishments in the adjusting industry and the livings they have made for themselves and their families feel slighted by “newbies” expecting to start tomorrow making big bucks.
Do they have a right to be upset , maybe, but I think most adjusters realize that it’s not the new adjuster’s fault to assume they can make the big bucks right away !
There has been an influx of “Training courses” and “schools” that are popping up everywhere telling tall tales of big bucks overnight and are churning out hundred’s of folks with a shiny new license and a false sense of success and I think to some degree the experienced adjuster, especially during the lean times when many experienced adjusters are sitting for long periods of time, take it as an insult and take it personally when a person with no experience and a 2 week old license
is asking who should they start working for as they have studied for a month solid and state they are hoping for a hurricane so they can take their place next to them waiting for the “Gravy train”.
Most of the good ole’ boys will gently and quietly point that energetic excited newly licensed adjuster in the right direction with “get on a few rosters and get a few certs , see if you can ride along with an older adjuster and hope for a “EVENT’, BUT THEN THERE ARE SOME WHO WILL TEAR YOU A NEW AS@#$%LE FOR ASKING THE SAME QUESTION THOUSANDS HAVE ASKED THE DAY BEFORE !!
I was one of the fortunate newly licensed adjusters who was taken under the wing of a great bunch of good ole boys and they taught me from square one.
I was not allowed to go near any adjusting software (Xactimate, Integra-claim, SIMSOL) until I was able to scope a risk from top to bottom, including scoping a roof with nothing more than a pad of paper , a pencil and a calculator.
Once I learned how to competently scope a risk , they allowed me to put the adjusting software knowledge I learned in my training to good use.
I want all newly licensed adjusters to succeed, I am writing this blog post to give all new adjusters a realistic look at becoming successful in the adjusting industry and to debunk all the talk of overnight riches.
Breaking into the industry is hard, very hard !!
But new adjusters have , are and will continue to get there shot at becoming successful claims adjusters !!
Some will succeed and some won’t
If you come to the industry with dollar signs in your eyes, you wont last long!
If you come to the industry thinking all you need to know about adjusting is what you learned in your license class, you wont last long.
If you come to the industry and can’t handle rejection, you get the idea !!
In the beginning , you will fail more than you succeed !! PERIOD !!
Remember this, In baseball, a lifetime batting average of .300 will get you in the hall of fame !!
That’s one hit for every 3 at bats, that also means you failed 2 out of every 3 attempts !!
I live by this quote and it sums up the attitude that new adjusters must have to become successful in our industry
SUCCESS IS NOT FINAL, FAILURE IS NOT FATAL, BUT TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT IS WHAT COUNTS THE MOST !!
All new adjusters must realize that what they have learned in their licensing classes to receive their adjusters license is not the end of the learning process, not by any means, as it is just the beginning.
If you continue to read everything you can get your hands about the industry, if you spend a couple hours every day contacting IA firms and emailing and sending resumes to get on rosters and you are dedicated to spending hours practicing on your adjusting software, YOU WILL GET YOUR SHOT !!!!
Once deployed
when you get back to the hotel after a long day scoping risks and taking copious notes, be the one that goes to work building your Xactimate /Integra-claim reports and not one of the guys having a few cold ones at the bar trading stories.
Don’t be one of those guys that spends 50% of their day hanging around the claims office, the only valid reason to be at the claims office is to drop off and receive claims or for mandatory meetings.
Always remember to temper your skills as an adjuster with kindness and compassion for the insured .
As adjusters , it is our job to handle the financial costs of a Catastrophe, but we can never afford to forget the human cost when dealing with the insured.
In many cases , we are the only person from the Insurance company that the insured will ever see !
So remember no matter what kind of day you are having , remember that you will be the face of the Insurance company and how the insured views you is how they will view the industry.
Most new adjusters will not see that 6 figure income promised in school or that they saw in some want ad, but if you commit to learn , commit to yourself, commit to your family , commit to understanding that the 6 figure income is the fruits of the experienced adjuster who has put their time in, who has paid their dues and who knows their job as an adjuster backwards and forwards, you will be successful and a whole new world awaits you.
Most will help any new adjuster who understands this philosophy and who is committed to do what it takes and to put in the effort required !
I can promise you it won’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever is !!
Robby Robinson
FROM ONE ADJUSTER TO ANOTHER