Insurance agent

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as an insurance agent for Pohjola Insurance. In other words, I sell insurance to corporate and private customers. I differ from a traditional insurance agent in the sense that social media is a very big part of my work and my customer acquisition.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I studied for a degree in hospitality management and then worked at a bar and hotel reception. Both jobs involved night shifts, which I didn't particularly like. During one night shift, I had time to look at job vacancies and noticed that OP Cooperative Bank was looking for a customer advisor. I applied for the job and was short-listed in the top two in the interview round, but was not selected. Luckily for me, the interviewers called back and offered me the chance to try out for the job of insurance agent, because they thought I could do well in that job as well.

Describe your typical working day or week.

I spend the first few moments of the working day reading e-mails and replying to messages. I usually start contacting customers in the morning after 10 a.m., which I do by calling or messaging them online. At the same time, I sometimes update my social media. A client meeting often starts with an interview to go through their situation in life, assets and insurance needs. I then calculate a quote for the customer. Usually everything is done remotely, but sometimes there are business customers whose insurance issues require an on-site visit. Once the offer has been calculated, it's discussed with the client. Sometimes you also have to call for a response to your offer.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work from home and also sometimes at the client's premises. I get to decide my own working hours, which are driven by sales targets rather than the time of day.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

It’s difficult to describe a typical insurance agent, but all are required to be self-directed. In this job, you have to constantly remind yourself that the result depends only on you. You can't get carried away for too long with the euphoria of closing one big deal, because you always have to think about the next week and month. The freedom of the work can be a stumbling block for many, especially if you come to the sector from a familiar and secure paid job.

Finding your own working style is important. Different customers like different sellers. I myself use social media, but others don't feel at home with it at all. They may prefer to visit companies and events to introduce themselves and make use of their existing contacts.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best thing is that I can influence the amount of work, income and working hours myself.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

Working on commission is stressful when you're having a hard time in your personal life. If resources are scarce, achieving performance targets is challenging. An insurance agent is also not paid holiday or maternity allowances, for example. This means that you have to take care of many aspects of financial security yourself.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of an insurance agent?

The first year as an insurance agent can be challenging when there’s a lot to learn and you haven't yet established regular client relationships. You should give yourself time to learn and find your own working style.

If you’re interested in insurance, it's not worth dwelling too much on the suitability of your background or qualifications, as people come to this job from very different backgrounds. The pool of insurance agents has diversified a lot over the years. The proportion of women in the sector has increased and, for example, an insurance agent from an immigrant background is no longer an exception. 

How do you see the future of your profession?

The role of online transactions will grow and this will change the industry. It’s not a substitute for all face-to-face interaction, but it emphasises the specialist role of the insurance agent. The role of the insurance agent is to look at the whole picture and identify the need for changes, for example, due to overlapping insurance policies.

Photo: Tuomas Mäkelä