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Insurance Claim Adjuster/Examiner

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AVG. SALARY

$68,760

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EDUCATION

High school (GED) +

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JOB OUTLOOK

Decreasing

Interviews

Insider Info

Jenna Rowlett knows the physical and emotional damage natural disasters can cause all too well. She is an adjuster for a large insurance company. And as a member of the company's national catastrophe team, she has witnessed a lot of carnage.

She has been in Georgia, Kentucky and Texas helping tornado victims. Such destruction can leave a deep emotional impact on everybody involved.

"Any time you ever go to a disaster zone, it is very hard because people have lost things," she says.

But Rowlett has little time to think about her personal feelings when she arrives at the scene of a natural disaster. She has to track down policyholders and give them all the help they need.

"My main priority is to check on [clients] and make sure they are OK, to make sure that they have some place to stay, and that they and their family and their things are safe."

The next step is to assess the damage and settle the claim. This requires great communication skills and sensitivity, because you are dealing with people who have just lost everything. You do not want to make the situation worse by appearing unsympathetic and ruthless.

You must be able to develop a personal relationship and a feeling of trust with them, she says. That will make the claim go much smoother. Most importantly, you have to be honest with them. Pandering will not get you anywhere.

Rowlett became an insurance adjuster right after she graduated from college. She says she took the job because she wanted to learn about construction and travel around the country. She has certainly done that.

Such a lifestyle can take a heavy toll. A lot of adjusters burn out quickly, she says. "The turnover rate is high," she says. "You cannot do this kind of traveling forever."

But a high turnover rate also means that it is relatively easy to find an entry-level job in this area of the insurance industry. And a job in insurance adjusting can open up opportunities in other areas of the insurance industry.

Anybody who is interested in a career in the insurance industry should have experience handling claims, Rowlett says. Rowlett majored in communications before she became an adjuster.

When Donno Popow graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a liberal arts degree, she had her sights set on becoming a police officer. Popow is a senior director of Knowledge Resources at The Institutes.

"I wanted to be a police officer, but my eyesight was so bad no one would hire me. I looked into other careers that involved investigations and insurance was one of them."

She has been an insurance adjuster for 25 years. "I was an insurance defence attorney for about 10 years. Now, I produce educational materials for adjusters and give presentations to adjusters, on behalf of The Institutes. We are responsible for the Associate in Claims designation and the CPCU [Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters] designation, as well as many others."

Popow stayed in the insurance industry in some form or another her entire working life. She's glad she did.

"There is something satisfying in helping someone through a loss. It is also satisfying to find the person who is trying to defraud your company. The losses that occur can be mundane or horrific. There is always something new happening and something new to learn."

She has interesting stories to tell about her life as an insurance adjuster. In fact, it is difficult to pick just one.

"I have handled claims as small as a storm door torn off in the wind to as big as the coverage case on the Exxon Valdez. I have met wonderful people and criminals. I have been in manufacturing plants that most people never get in to see. I have been all around the country handling claims. There are too many stories to just pick one."

Michael Orazi is also satisfied with his career choice, even though he admits he fell into it. "I did not have an interest in the industry when I started. I was offered a job. Most people I speak with who are adjusters fell into the position. They did not go looking to be an adjuster." .

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