I'm Planning on Becoming an Agent.

[WLTHKR8R]

Hey SEMichigan..
What made you go into this business? Are you not happy with your current position? Need more pay?
For me, I got into it for the freedom. No boss to tell me why I came in late or I cant do this or cant do that..I can close up my shop and still get paid while on a 2wks..3wks..heck a whole month vacation..
This business does take time and effort...

The test like most have stated, it's just a test for you to be licensed..Like a drivers license, you need it to drive but does everyone know how to drive? Drive well that is! Not really..and just because you have the license, doesnt mean you are good at selling..

I would advise you swing by an agents office and pick his brain..Maybe he can hire you for the weekends while you study for the test. Trust me, you don't need a live class to learn...You can do this online...If you really want to get into this busines, you have to think outside of the box-no employee mentality..
Good luck in your search!

 

[SEMichigan]

Hey SEMichigan..
What made you go into this business? Are you not happy with your current position? Need more pay?
For me, I got into it for the freedom. No boss to tell me why I came in late or I cant do this or cant do that..I can close up my shop and still get paid while on a 2wks..3wks..heck a whole month vacation..
This business does take time and effort...

The test like most have stated, it's just a test for you to be licensed..Like a drivers license, you need it to drive but does everyone know how to drive? Drive well that is! Not really..and just because you have the license, doesnt mean you are good at selling..

I would advise you swing by an agents office and pick his brain..Maybe he can hire you for the weekends while you study for the test. Trust me, you don't need a live class to learn...You can do this online...If you really want to get into this busines, you have to think outside of the box-no employee mentality..
Good luck in your search!

Thank you sir. This is the type of advice I was seeking.

I have friends who have taken tge series 7 exam and they required 40 hours of class time plus another 80 hours of studying. So I figured this exam would be a similar commitment.

I don't understand what was do hard for people to just tell me that the licensing is a big deal and I don't need that much time to prepare.

 

[WLTHKR8R]

SEM...
Series 7 and the P&C license are on the opposite spectrum..
The 7 requires you be sponsored by a brokerage firm to take the test and you become a stock broker advising investments on stocks, bonds, mutual fund,etc... P&C, you are selling auto/home insurance and most can be studied online without any sponsorship.
If you really put the time everyday for 2hours and 6hours weekends..I say you can complete the study within 2 wks...All these tests really don't teach you much in the real world..Yes, there are rules and regulations that you need to know but you really learn on the job..
Don't know how others think about your situation but I'm here to give you any guidance I can so feel free to ask...

 

[scagnt83]

I don't understand what was do hard for people to just tell me that the licensing is a big deal and I don't need that much time to prepare.

You had been told that already multiple times. I think my second post responding to you said it was not a hard test.

But since it was in combination with advice you didnt like... you chose to ignore it.

The Series 7 is much harder than the life/health exam. Though most people still study for it online these days.

If you are wondering why people came down on you so hard, it was your second post. DHK gave you a very accurate response initially (and polite). The question you responded with displays a mindset that is not what agencies look for in agents. (and comes across as very immature)

 

[Web320]

I don't understand what was do hard for people to just tell me that the licensing is a big deal and I don't need that much time to prepare.

I provided you the name (Kaplan) to local insurance prep courses which outline the simplicity of the entire process.

 

[scagnt83]

I provided you the name (Kaplan) to local insurance prep courses which outline the simplicity of the entire process.

You didnt say it in a soft and comforting manner.... LOL

 

[DHK]

I don't understand what was do hard for people to just tell me that the licensing is a big deal and I don't need that much time to prepare.

COMPARED to what?

Compared to your MBA thesis/capstone/whatever? Licensing is a piece of cake. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't study and take it seriously. I took my 52 hour live class for L&H (because I wasn't working anywhere else) and took another week to study/create terminology flash cards and practice exams. I took the exam the following week and passed.

But I passed it the first time because I took it seriously.

I did the same thing with the Series 7. I took a live review course for an entire week, studied and took practice exams for about 6 weeks. The series 7 was a 6-hour course... passed it in two hours (with a mandatory 30-minute break) with an 80%.

Licensing is your first "hurdle". And compared to the rest of the insurance business, it's a piece of cake. Almost any moron can get a license.

Well, almost. California will let you fail the exam 10 times before requiring a 12 month wait.

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...sing-forum/hilarious-email-ca-doi-t86019.html

And if you're making a "mountain out of a molehill" out of this little first hurdle... you clearly don't yet understand what you're trying to take on. Getting a license is your first TINY step into a far larger world.


Let me also tell you that I barely passed High School. I don't have a college degree other than my financial planning studies. I finally learned how to study later in my life. And I'm telling you that if you're DRIVEN to find solutions, you'll find them. But if you're driven to finding PROBLEMS or OBSTACLES, you'll find them too.

----------

You didnt say it in a soft and comforting manner.... LOL

If you need a friend, get a dog.

 

[scagnt83]

If you need a friend, get a dog.

Coffee is for closers.

ABC.

You drove here in a Hyundai.

Deadbeats.

 

[jaygreen002]

Time management is the key. You can go and get you license without quitting your current job. You just need to balance both, good luck!

 

[Matthew King]

In a nutshell, the first step as you already know is to get licensed. It is an advantageous position to already have a job while looking for another. In fact, anyone looking to hire sees that as a good sign.

As far as advice on preparing for the exam and setting up to do it. You'll need to make yourself have a deadline. Such as, I will take the test on this date, then stay accountable to it. With a deadline in place, it will help to keep you accountable and motivated. Since you do have a full-time job, the only way to take the exam while working is most likely on your downtime whether that be during vacation time, free-time, weekends, during lunch breaks, etc.

The test is honestly pretty easy. As long as you properly study you'll be fine. The part where people generally "wash out" is in the day to day operations of getting in front of prospects and dealing with rejection, getting past the NO's and onto the Yes. Normally, it's from getting too wrapped up in trying to learn product knowledge rather than building up a rapport and solving real problems for the customer.

After licensing and passing background checks, you'll be looking into either applying to work at an agency that gives you training, going independent, or trying to start your own agency. The third option is after you've been successful at it for a while.

We recently wrote a pretty extensive article about this if you wanted to give it a read on ILIAA: How to Become an Insurance Agent in 2017 | ILIAA