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    I believe that the claims industry can be very misleading to most outsiders because it has all of the outward appearances of a blue collar job when in fact it is truly not. 

Example:  six years ago while working a hail storm in San Antonio I overheard a home owner tell his son "that is the kind of job that you will have to take if you don't go to college"  as they watched me setting up my ladder to complete a roof inspection.

For the record, at the time of this incident, I had a four year college degree, that was the requirement for the staff adjuster position I held. Furthermore, I had fiercely competed with other white collar professionals for at least sixteen months and went through five interviews before I was offered a twelve week (no pass / no job) training process.

   People (students) typically prepare for white collar jobs, a process that among other things involves significant amounts of education. Most blue collar workers do not become students of their profession until the actual job begins. Outsiders who have made the assumption that the claims industry is a blue collar profession are also prone to the assumption that they can learn after the opportunity to work (and when it comes to catastrophe claims it will) is offered.

[u]Fact:[/u]  Some people ( a very gifted and well mentored few ) have been known to defy all laws of preparation by what appears to be the equivalent of grabbing ahold of their own boot straps and lifting themselves up to successful careers within the industry.

I personally would not have been capable of doing this as in many ways I was barely ahead of the wash out curve even with all of the education and $100,000+ free training that I received.

Once I terminated my staff adjuster position and was reborn as an independent, I looked around and noticed that the majority of other independent adjusters do not have four year degrees. Maturity, commitment, organization  and claims specific preparation are crucial components to success within this industry, however, educational demands of this job rarely exceed that of a high school diploma.

[u]Fact:[/u]  There is an extremely large difference in the earning potential from one independent to the next.

The independents within a high level understanding and dedication (on an average storm year ) consistantly generate income greater than that of  physicians and attorneys, there are those (even those with significant amounts of experience) who will simply make a living on the industry, those who struggle to make a living and many who are consistantly overwhelmed and eventually quit. This in a nutshell is what makes this career path so great! There is no political advantage to the independent venue when it comes to getting paid. Simply put, the greatest asset to your earning potential is the amount of dedication you deliver to this profession.

<< Edit - Removed by RC >>

Good post Kevin.  Your thoughts are very well rounded and insightful.  I hope many will benefit from your book.

Scott:  Pilot Catastrophe, if you are on their list and can get in their system, offers online training for Earthquakes.  Good luck.

Meg and Kevin,

Thank you for pointing out the reality behind the perception that many have of our industry. 

I personally enjoy every once in a while when someone asks what training I have for what I do, and I get to tell them that the guy who just crawled off their roof has a Master of Divinity degree.  And then I get to the short list of all the training I've had to get where I am.  The surprise is almost palpable.  I don't go out of my way to tell people unless they ask.  Or, if they are talking down to me, I enjoy slipping it into the conversation that I quit grad school one year before I would have gotten a doctor's degree.  The doctor's degree would have made me completely unemployable once I left my field.  It was hard enough to get a job with the Masters degree.  The State Farm supervisors who first hired me to work claims were the only folks in over a year of looking for employment who thought they could offer enough challenge that I wouldn't be leaving in six months.  And this is the only employment I have ever had that presents something new on a regular basis -- sending me in search of an answer even 17 years into the profession.  Education isn't everything in our line of work.  Intelligence is fairly indispensable, however, for a successful catadjuster.  Add a lot of training, a great deal of dedication, and some experience to the mix and it becomes a winning formula. 

When I started years ago, most carriers or IA companies would not even look at you if you did not have a degree.  Unfortunately, due to the last few years (excluding 2006), many carriers and IA's needed to hire "warm bodies" and, as we all know, many were not at all qualified.  Due to the stories from the media and the negativity within our own ranks, the industry as a whole has incurred a bad rap.

Due to the lack of coverage issues in most cat claims, I do not feel that a degree is absolutely necessary but one who pursues this line of work must be fairly intelligent and possess good communication and analytical skills.  Along with proper training and experience, such will enable one to be successful in this job. 

Another obstacle we must deal with is showing up to a home or business in a vehicle with a license plate from another state.  Many times the insured would question what qualifications we have to work in their state.  I just returned from conducting inspections in Florida and I cannot count how many times this question was asked. 

What Steve's post is pointing toward is the stigma that hiring personell often have regarding degrees that overqualify you for the job versus those that suffice.  Once you get in the door, your previous training is no longer an issue anymore as mgt. will (or, should) be evaluating your performance from then on. 

The first question that comes to my mind when the degree is there is why aren't they doing the thing they spent so much time working toward?  Most of the time, the answer is that they are just ready for a change and see the risk/reward in this field is a stimulating combination.  For example, one thing I've seen are those with JD's.  This degree amply qualifies anyone to be a claims adjuster, but hiring mgr's have to beware if they actually have one, were disbarred, and for what reasons, etc.

There are many occupations out there that think twice before hiring those who are exceptionally overqualified.  Yet, plenty of carriers still require that you have a college degree (BA or BS) in order to get the staff job even today.  The last time I checked, that number is still increasing.

The thing that got the general public worried is the group individuals who jumped into the catastrophe arena as a "fogger" after they saw a generous reward.  Katrina and large events like it (4 in 04, Isabel, Andrew, etc.) created extenuating circumstances for hiring personell and don't reflect a pattern.  These foggers overlooked the price tag you need to pay upfront.  They served to answer phone calls and as someone to go to until those with enough training were able to meet customer & claim specific needs later on.  They had very little, if any, job specific training and lacked other skills that make the long time catastrophe adjusters successful- excellent communication, good attitude, continuous improvement, hard work, multiple training courses, etc.  Sounds like the recipe for success in most anything.

Most of us have been to many 7AM "orientation" for all adjusters. Most of the meeting will be taken up by about 20% of the attendees asking how can they get out of doing the work the vendor requires them to do. The rules will take about 20% of the meeting and the last 30% will be consumed by "tree debris removal".

So if you want to get out early, learn to be" a tree debris expert"

You left out the other 30% for standing in line for coffee & rolls, while waiting for late arrivals.

Do they still grade off on business casual dress code if male and female adjusters toe nails are exposed?

Just make sure you do not make a mistake on the trees , plants and shrubs limitation on windstorm coverage and your license allows a single adjuster to handle the interior coverage for a flood through the roof.

* this is satire folks*

Life ain't no easy ride
At least that's what I am told
Sometimes a rainbow baby
is better than a pot of gold, well
You've got to stick it out
whether you're wrong or right
And you can't give in without a fight
to make it baby

Poison ~ 1986

We should be getting some feed back soon on the millions of dollars the water restoration contractors saved the flood insurance carriers on the multi state floods. Yes I am sure they will show before and after photos and some kind remarks by the flood adjusters.