Insurance Sales Resume Example

The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your insurance salesman applications. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your insurance sales resume.

Key sections for an insurance sales resume

A successful insurance sales resume will typically include each of the sections listed below, with some optional sections. If you're a candidate without much experience, you may wish to present your resume in a way that draws attention to your most valuable skills. These might not be in traditional work settings, so sections like education, projects, hobbies and skills can be more prominent.

You will have some choice over your resume layout and structure, but be sure to include these sections as the core of your document:

Resume Header

A insurance sales resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.

Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Profile

In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for insurance salesman roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for insurance salesman roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

The best resume summaries reflect the job description and focus on qualities that are relevant to working as an insurance salesman, while highlighting elements of your personality that make you an ideal candidate. They also quantify the information provided with evidence. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a insurance sales resume summary in the graphic below.

On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.

Skills

In your skills section, list any skills you've acquired or developed that are relevant to insurance salesman positions. Consider adding risk assessment analysis, communication skills or any other necessary skills for the job. Once more, review the job description and pick out any key insurance salesman skills listed that match yours. Focus on these skills and any other key transferable skills that make you a strong candidate for the job.

Listing hard skills on your insurance sales resume

For your hard skills list, include any technical abilities or specific industry knowledge that's essential to working as an insurance salesman. These could be skills gained through work experience or qualifications. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your insurance salesman job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the insurance salesman role. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.

You'll make more impact with your resume hard skills list if you focus on technical skills that reflect your unique expertise and specialism, and that match the key requirements in the job description. See the graphic below for some tips on hard skills for an insurance sales resume.

How to list soft skills on your insurance sales resume

In your list of soft skills, add any personal strengths, qualities or transferable skills that make you a good fit for the job. Soft skills are often less specific to different industries, but that doesn't make them any less important. In fact, as technology develops, soft skills are growing in importance for recruiters and employers, so be sure to add several of these to your resume. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.

An effective insurance sales resume soft skills section should be targeted to include skills that reflect your personality and unique characteristics, while also matching the job description. The graphic below includes some examples of good resume soft skills.

Educational Achievements

In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to insurance salesman roles.

If you're applying for insurance salesman positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your risk assessment analysis or cold calling techniques.

Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Certifications and Training

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional insurance salesman certifications, licenses or qualifications. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as an insurance salesman. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as an insurance salesman.

See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for an insurance sales resume:

Work Experience

Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as an insurance salesman. For each entry, list the job title, the name of the employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Add each job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role.

Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to insurance salesman roles.

An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to insurance salesman jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.

In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. A poor resume work experience section would typically use vague descriptions of activities in previous jobs, while focusing too much on responsibilities rather than achievements. Failing to focus on the skills and experience that match the job description is likely to harm your chances of success.

Optional Sections

In addition to the core sections of an insurance sales representative resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Your hobbies and interests are useful for an insurance sales representative resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. If you're thinking about adding hobbies and interests, just make sure they add something unique to your application, and showcase your personality and interests in unique and interesting ways.

Volunteering

This section can be valuable for an insurance sales representative resume, if you've done any voluntary work that showcases your relevant skills. Write your volunteer section in a similar format to your work experience, including your role, the organization name, relevant dates and the details of your contribution.

References

References aren't a standard insurance sales resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.

Best words to use in an insurance sales representative resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Add strong verbs from the list below to create a greater impact with your work experience section.

For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.

Sample resume for insurance salesman positions

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your insurance sales resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

Making an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When drafting your insurance sales resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.

Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:

• Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
• Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
• Include clear headings in each section that match the traditional resume structure and format. This will make it easier for the ATS software to scan your resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.

Key points for your insurance sales resume

The best resumes focus on your skills and the value you've added to previous roles, rather than focusing on your duties and responsibilities. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in the job description.

Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications