The 2014 catastrophe season is almost upon us - so as a claims adjuster, are you ready? For many, the beginning of summer means relaxation and vacations, but if you’re an adjuster then summer usually entails new career opportunities and long hours. Whether you’re a veteran adjuster or just getting your feet wet (literally!), this week TheBestIRS recruiters suggest asking yourself these five questions:
1. Are my licenses up-to-date?
When a CAT adjuster applies for one of our open positions we need to know what states they are licensed in. Those licenses need to be up-to-date! A lot of times, we will have candidates say they’re licensed in every state but then we come to find out some of those licenses have actually lapsed. Even though it’s not usually difficult to obtain an emergency license, show TheBestIRS you’re prepared - so you can deploy immediately.
2. Are my Continuing Education credits current?
Within the insurance industry, Continuing Education credits are very important to keeping licenses in good standing. Before you apply for an open position, how are your CE’s coming along? Are they current? Have you fallen behind and need to spend a few weeks catching up first? To be properly prepared to handle catastrophe claims, take a look at where you stand for your CE’s.
3. Will I be committed to the assignment?
If you’re a veteran CAT adjuster, you know that depending on the catastrophe season, some assignments can last anywhere from a few weeks to a year. When Super Storm Sandy hit, we had lots of assignments that lasted longer than first expected. Will you be committed to your assignment for the long haul or do you strictly want something that will only last a few weeks or months? Be honest with your recruiter so you can both be prepared for catastrophe season.
4. How many assignments am I comfortable with?
While there is typically high demand for claims adjusters during catastrophe season, and as tempting as working multiple assignments simultaneously sounds, we don’t recommend doing this. We need committed adjusters out in the field for our clients, so stick to one assignment and finish strong. Keep in mind that many of our adjusters do such great work; they end up on back-to-back assignments during the season.
5. What certificates do I currently have?
In addition to licenses, our recruiters need to know what
current certifications you have. For example: TheBestIRS will be working with ABC Client and they will require being "ABC Client Certified" through our company to be considered for any upcoming CAT work. Do you have the ABC Client certificate?
A few other tips:
- Try not to plan summer vacations around catastrophe season. If you want both a vacation and to work as a claims adjuster, try and plan your vacation for the beginning of summer - so you don’t miss out on some great opportunities.
- Actively monitor the news for upcoming super storms and/or catastrophes.
- Check and answer your phone or email. Once a catastrophe hits, be ready to deploy.
- Take your car in for a maintenance check before catastrophe season starts. You don’t want something like bad spark plugs ruining your opportunity to make some big bucks while out in the field.
- And lastly, stay in the know throughout catastrophe season by signing up to receive TheBestIRS Insurance Job Alerts!
What other ways can claims adjusters prepare for this upcoming catastrophe season?