What Young Agents Like and Don’t Like

Overall, young agents seem happy with their career choice. They enjoy the freedom and challenges that come with the job of an independent agent. That’s acording to the 2017 Young Agents Survey where nearly 600 young agents nationwide shared their views on the insurance industry and their experience as an agent. (see the April 3 issue of Insurance Journal magazine for the full report).

But what do young agents like best? What do they like least about their jobs? Here are two top 10 lists taken from the survey on what young agents like MOST and LEAST about their job.

1. The freedom. Being able to work from almost anywhere.

2. Having access to so many products allows me to be able to assist with any risk.

3. The ability to help people and make as much money as you want.

4. The ability to differentiate myself and my agency from the other competitors by responding to clients’ specific needs with creative options.

5. Ability to control my book without having various people looking over my shoulder.

6. Work/life balance.

7. I get to learn daily and help people every day.

8. Access to markets.

9. The diversity of our clientele and the challenge that comes along with that.

10. Career advancement opportunities.

1. Competing with branding and big marketing (overpriced companies).

2. The outside perception of being an insurance agent.

3. Underwriters that are looking for reasons to decline accounts rather than reasons to write them.

4. Low brand awareness of our agency.

5. Technology/educational support is lacking.

6. Other brokers can be frustrating when they act less than ethically. It gives all of us a bad reputation.

7. The paperwork! Wow. The push for agents to do more paperwork and rating, and we get lower commission and put in more effort.

8. First two years are very tough. It’s hard to generate revenue as a young producer.

9. Technology limitations of client management interface and carrier systems.

10. Resistance to change in the industry.