An insurance assistant works in an insurance office to provide administrative support, collaborating with senior agents and other staff to meet the needs of current and prospective insurance customers. Working as an insurance assistant may require a license, and some offices prefer to hire people with bachelor’s degrees for these positions. This type of work can prepare people to become agents in the future, and some offices will offer support and assistance with the exams required to become an agent or broker.
The insurance assistant works at the front desk of the office, answering questions via phone, email, and in person. Customers can get basic information about insurance policies from insurance assistants, and they can also assist customers who need to file claims or make changes to their policies. They must be able to communicate effectively as representatives of the agency. Bilingual employees are preferred in some areas to reach customers who may not speak the local language.
Filing paperwork with the head office, reviewing policies to ensure they are in order, and maintaining the office filing system are all possible aspects of the job. The insurance assistant must document these changes and issue new paperwork to reflect the changes to insurance policies as customers update their policies and accounts. An insurance assistant may supervise and delegate some tasks to other administrative staff so that they can focus on more complex and sensitive work.
Each agent has a unique working style, and an insurance assistant’s responsibilities can vary. Anticipating the needs of agents and ensuring that the information they require is available when they go into meetings and discuss issues with clients is part of the job. Insurance assistants can also conduct research on behalf of agents to assist them in comprehending all of the issues that may be associated with a specific customer or policy. This research can include a variety of activities such as tracking down real estate ownership records, reviewing medical records from a doctor’s office, and so on for complex and large policies.
Insurance companies hire assistants on a regular basis and include information about what they’re looking for in their job postings. In addition to meeting educational and licensing requirements, offices may prefer applicants with prior insurance experience. Before applying for assistant positions, a person interested in becoming an insurance assistant should work in an office as a member of the administrative staff to gain experience and references.