Forums

I am a "new adjuster", "fresh meat on the plate", or any of the other terms assigned to us "2 day wonders" that have popped onto the scene of adjusting.  Most of us had no concept of the divisions in the adjusting feild, we had just heard from our "wife's uncle's borther's sisters"s boyfriend that there was a ton of money to be made, and we jumped into the RED SEA.

All if not some of us expected to get our license and go to work right damm now.  After all we are trained, and licensed, are we not??  Many of us that do have a desire to become good at this have "tripped" onto the web site and the journels within.  I guess I could say congratulations, at least we are not sitting and waiting for someone to hold our hand and lead us here.  After "tripping" and holding the handkerchief to our bloody nose we started to read some of the information in the Journals.  I for one will state with the deepest conviction that "IF YOU CAN NOT GET HANDS ON, THEN READ EVERY JOURNAL ENTRY THAT IS POSTED".  From my reading, I have picked up more factual, nickle, opinated, or other information than I could pick up in ten years of talking with the COF's (Crusty Old Farts).  The reason for this post was that this AM, while drinking coffee, and waiting for all of the big 4 to call and fight over my immense service ability (have not worked one single claim), I found a thread that each and every rookie should read.

Under forums, General discussion, Page 5, subject  "First Assignment Went Wrong"  is one ton of material related the experience of a rookie adjuster out on his first assignment, that got yanked and sent home.  Some of the biggest guns in this forum have contributed mateial, including reflections on thier first time out.  When in reflective mode quite a few of these COF's have in very good detail revealed thier early mistakes.  Many other adjusters have replied with unvield critque observations of potential tripwires that the rookie hit and never saw.  In every case the experienced adjuster comment was positive to the rookie, a feature that can be absent in a good percentage of other training threads, with more advise (good) than a mother-in-law could supply in 5 days at the dinner table.

Summary

1. One of the most salient information points that I have found for us rookies is READ, READ, READ.........    You cannot adjust a claim until you have READ the DEC and The policy.  You can learn a ton during your off-time by reading all of the material that you can possibly find on any subject for which you were corrected on.  You can become much more competent by reading all of the material that you can find on any subject of building, in which you know you are weak.  READ, READ, READ, while you are sitting and waiting for the Big 4 to call you.  By the way if you are busy reading it makes it very difficult to have your mouth working telling everyone who will listen how "Smart you are".

2. DO NOT be afraid to chip into a thread and show your IGNORANCE.  At least you prove that you are not STUPID.  Boys I will attest, when you chip into a thread, you are going to get a bloody nose, expect it.  While seeming mean the COF's are testing you. If you cannot handle the pressure and sense of failure in these threads, I feel (might be wrong) you are NEVER going to handle the crap that will hit you in the face in the field, where everyone is under extreme pressure to produce.  When you get onto a thread ask your question.  There is NO STUPID or DUMB question, unless it is the same question you have asked before and DID NOT WRITE down the answer (if you FORGOT to write down the answer come back to the thread, ADMIT your erro, deop your drawers for a DONKEY BAB-B-Q, and politeltly ask for that information again.  A price is paid for everything one way or the other).  Continue to ask and learn under adverisity.  At some point if you can show some grit and inner fiber, with an appearance that you will not cut and run when the going gets tough, you might get lucky and have one of the COF's take you under his wing and show you the ropes, as the are really strung, over the nearest tree branch,  in the field.

3. I feel that I am extremely lucky, in that through the experience above I have been selected by one of the big guns as possibly worthy of his time.  The creme on the top is he and I live in the same town.  I will thank him right here and now for his efforts, should I fail in this endeavor, it will be no reflection on him, but rather a reflection of my lack of my desire to learn, rather than my desire to continually impress the teacher on how "smart" I am.