Great Insurance Jobs’ Cofounder Roger Lear is here to help you overcome obstacles to your career and job search. This month, he offers tips on finding new opportunities in the midst of a pandemic.
Q: I have an OK claims job, but since COVID-19 started, I don’t see any way to grow with my current company. If I look for a new job during the pandemic, what advice would you offer?
A: Starting a new claims job search in normal times can be challenging. All COVID-19 has done is throw up an additional wall to make the job search process harder to understand. Thankfully, the insurance industry is still hiring, but make no mistake, both companies and job seekers are dealing with so many factors that can make the job search much trickier.
The first thing you have to do is determine if you have to make a job change. Claims professionals worldwide have been moved to their homes. Since the pandemic is lingering, companies have been slow to decide on promotions, benefit upgrades, advanced training, face-to-face coaching, and encouragement. Before you start a job search, go to your supervisor and express your concerns. This information will help you determine if you should stick it out or leave knowing that COVID-19 has many companies just holding tight.
Doing a job search during COVID-19 is undoubtedly possible, though. One of the biggest challenges all job seekers have in any crisis is not assuming no one is hiring and, therefore, not doing a complete job search. Many insurance companies have been on hiring freezes, but many jobs have been added just in the last month, so don’t sit back and wait. Here are some other strategies to consider:
1. Many hiring managers are working remotely. Use LinkedIn and search for claims managers or supervisors in your city and send them an InMail or connection request letting them know you are open to opportunities. Your LinkedIn profile should be optimized to your skill set because it will now become your resume. If someone you reach out to has an opening, they certainly will reach out to you!
2. Recognize that not all jobs are posted on boards like GreatInsuranceJobs.com. Some of the best job openings are located on the insurance company’s website under their “Careers” tab. These jobs are gold, since many job seekers don’t do the research to find them.
3. Optimize your resume for each job so you get noticed. This makes a big difference. It may be the most important thing you can do for your job search to ensure your resume gets attention from both humans and applicant tracking system robots.
4. Search for remote claims positions. If you live in Philadelphia, search for “remote” or “work from home” claims jobs in Dallas and see what happens. Try this for numerous cities. You will be amazed at the job leads you will receive.
5. Consider jobs in Insurtech. Billions of dollars are being poured into these companies, and while many of them are startups, they are well-funded and may need your insurance claims background.
6. Send a quick note to all of your claims contacts in your LinkedIn network and ask them if they know of any job openings at their companies. People love to help, and you should be able to get a few leads using this method.
If done right, job searching during COVID-19 will allow you to optimize your resume and online profiles, find jobs that no one else is locating, and identify remote opportunities that, just eight months ago, never existed.
Got a question for Roger? Email him at Roger@GreatInsuranceJobs.com.