Insurance Broker

Typical Salary

£16,000 To £80,000

Typical Hours

41 to 43 a week

weekends

How To Become a Insurance Broker

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards the role
a graduate training scheme

College / University

You could take a degree before applying for a place on an insurance company's graduate training scheme. Relevant degrees include:

business studies
finance
surveying
engineering

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could get into this this job through an insurance professional higher apprenticeship.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Employers often prefer to take on trainees with a minimum of GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths, and A levels. IT skills are also important.

You would usually start in one of the following jobs:

insurance technician
junior account handler
trainee broker

You could work your way up to broker as you get experience and insurance industry qualifications, for example, through the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

The CII qualifications offer study units relevant to the insurance areas you specialise in, for example marine, commercial or general insurance. Examples of qualifications include:

CII Level 3 Certificate in Insurance - for trainee brokers
CII Diploma in Insurance
CII Advanced Diploma in Insurance

Other Routes

If you have a degree, you could join a large insurance broking firm's graduate training scheme.

Most degree subjects are accepted, but a business or maths degree may give you an advantage, as there is often a lot of competition for places.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

customer service skills
the ability to sell products and services
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to use your initiative
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
persistence and determination
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

gathering information from clients to assess their insurance needs and risk
researching insurance policies
arranging insurance cover for clients, and submitting details to insurers
negotiating the best policy terms with insurers
renewing or changing existing policies
making sure the cover and paperwork you provide meets legal requirements
collecting premiums and processing accounts
advising customers who are making a claim
keeping records using IT systems
issuing documentation
preparing reports for insurance underwriters and surveyors in complex cases

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

You'll find it useful to have experience in office work, sales or financial customer service.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Chartered Insurance Institute for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about working in insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute and Discover Risk.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.