When natural disaster strikes, or a car accident happens, insurance professionals are called in to help start putting the pieces back together. When people have an insurance policy for their health, home, or car, and they become injured or their property is damaged, they make a request —called a claim— for payment to cover their costs. Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators evaluate insurance claims, to decide whether an insurance company must pay a claim, and if so, how much. Appraisers estimate the cost or value of an insured item. Most are auto damage appraisers— they inspect damaged vehicles and estimate the cost of repairs. Adjusters inspect damaged real estate properties and automobiles to determine how much the insurance company should pay for the loss. They gather evidence and report it to examiners. Adjusters negotiate with the policyholder to arrive at a final payment amount for their claim. Claims examiners review claims to ensure guidelines are followed properly. They review health-related claims to determine whether to pay… deny… or refer a claim to an investigator. Insurance investigators handle potentially fraudulent claims or suspected criminal activity such as arson, staged accidents, or unnecessary medical treatments. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators spend time in the office, and out in the field to inspect damaged properties. Auto damage appraisers spend much of their time at automotive body shops to estimate repair costs. Entry-level claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators need a high school diploma or equivalent. Auto damage appraisers require either a certificate in the field, or work experience estimating the cost of car repairs.
What they do:
Appraise automobile or other vehicle damage to determine repair costs for insurance claim settlement. Prepare insurance forms to indicate repair cost or cost estimates and recommendations. May seek agreement with automotive repair shop on repair costs.
On the job, you would:
Evaluate practicality of repair as opposed to payment of market value of vehicle before accident.
Review repair cost estimates with automobile repair shop to secure agreement on cost of repairs.
Examine damaged vehicle to determine extent of structural, body, mechanical, electrical, or interior damage.
Business
customer service
administrative services
Arts and Humanities
English language
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
mechanical
Basic Skills
talking to others
writing things for co-workers or customers
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.
They do well at jobs that need:
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Initiative
Self Control
Concern for Others
Dependability
You might use software like this on the job:
Electronic mail software
Email software
Microsoft Outlook
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Project management software
Cost estimating software
Web-Est estimating software
some college or certificate after high school usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.