A strong resume is the cornerstone of any job search. If your goal is to become an insurance agent, you’ll need a strong resume that showcases the skills that prove you’ll succeed in this field. Consider these tips to make your insurance agent resume shine.
Add Relevant Experience
Be picky about what you include on your resume. You don’t have a lot of time to make an impression. So, avoid irrelevant content and prioritize the information that directly applies to a role as an insurance agent. If you’ve used your resume to apply for work in other fields, you’ll want to revise it so it’s centered around the experience that applies to insurance.
If you have experience as an insurance agent, highlight your achievements in previous roles and how they apply to the company you want to join. Include any stats about sales growth, client retention or other successes.
If you don’t have experience as an insurance agent, you can still build a strong resume for an insurance agent position and land a job in this field. Highlight the qualities and experience you have that will contribute to your success.
If you’re changing industries, showcase the skills you’ve gained in this section of your resume. Be creative and think about how what you’ve learned in your current job can help you on your new journey as an insurance agent.
You can emphasize skills such as:
- Business experience
- Leadership
- Time management
- Community engagement
- Marketing
- Sales
- Prospecting
- Relationship building
- Communication
- Dedication
- Dependability
Keep in mind that you don’t need to limit your resume to professional experience. Do you coach a local team? Participate on the school board? Volunteer with a nonprofit? If so, you’ve likely gained valuable experiences that apply to building a business as an insurance agent. Showcase your unique skills and your commitment to your community.
Highlight Your Accomplishments
Instead of a simple job description, focus on the accomplishments you’ve made while in that position. In other words, don’t just include what you did, highlight why you did it well. Now’s the time to brag and present your best professional self.
Back up your achievements with facts when possible:
- If you met your goals, by what percent did you surpass them?
- If you led a team, how many people were on your team, and what was the outcome?
These numbers will give hiring managers a clear idea of your abilities and help them understand the benefits that you can provide for their organization.
You’ll also want to include awards, certifications or training. These accomplishments showcase your professional capabilities and the personal attributes that show you have the skills that insurance agents need.
Customize Your Resume
It’s important to customize your resume so it reflects what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. In fact, 63% of recruiters look for resumes tailored to the position.
Do some research about the company you’re applying to and figure out:
- What the company values
- What the position entails
- What they are looking for in an ideal candidate
Craft a resume that speaks to those needs. Use specific words and phrasing from the job description when you can, to demonstrate you have exactly what the company is looking for.
If it makes sense, include the job title and key skills mentioned in the job description. The right word choices may help your resume get past the “bots” that most companies use to narrow down a pool of applicants.
Review Carefully
You’ve heard this advice before, but it’s worth repeating: Read through your resume carefully for any typos, grammatical errors or formatting mistakes. Ask someone else to read it as well. Sometimes, phrasing that seems clear to you may seem confusing or awkward to someone else.
Working as an insurance agent requires careful attention to detail, so don’t let a careless mistake give a hiring manager a reason to eliminate you from consideration.
Are You Ready to Send Your Resume to Farm Bureau?
Farm Bureau insurance agents come from a variety of professional backgrounds, and they have all kinds of skills and experiences. However, there are two things many of our agents have in common — they have a professional, standout resume, and they are passionate about making a difference in the communities they live and work in.
Contact us today to learn about the opportunities for insurance agents at Farm Bureau!