Jenna Rowlett knows the physical and emotional damage natural disasters
can cause all too well. She is an adjuster for a large insurance company.
And as a member of the company's national catastrophe team, she has witnessed
a lot of carnage. She has been in Georgia, Kentucky and Texas helping tornado
victims. Such destruction can leave a deep emotional impact on everybody involved.
"Any time you ever go to a disaster zone, it is very hard because people
have lost things," she says. But Rowlett has little time to think about her
personal feelings when she arrives at the scene of a natural disaster. She
has to track down policyholders and give them all the help they need.
"My main priority is to check on [clients] and make sure they are OK, to
make sure that they have some place to stay, and that they and their family
and their things are safe."
The next step is to assess the damage and settle the claim. This requires
great communication skills and sensitivity, because you are dealing with people
who have just lost everything. You do not want to make the situation worse
by appearing unsympathetic and ruthless. You must be able to develop a personal
relationship and a feeling of trust with them, she says. That will make the
claim go much smoother. Most importantly, you have to be honest with them.
Pandering will not get you anywhere.
Rowlett became an insurance adjuster right after she graduated from college.
She says she took the job because she wanted to learn about construction and
travel around the country. She has certainly done that.
Such a lifestyle can take a heavy toll. A lot of adjusters burn out quickly,
she says. "The turnover rate is high," she says. "You cannot do this kind
of traveling forever."
But a high turnover rate also means that it is relatively easy to find
an entry-level job in this area of the insurance industry. And a job in insurance
adjusting can open up opportunities in other areas of the insurance industry.
Anybody who is interested in a career in the insurance industry should have
experience handling claims, Rowlett says. Rowlett majored in communications
before she became an adjuster.
When Donno Popow graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1977 with
a liberal arts degree, she had her sights set on becoming a police officer.
Popow is a senior director of Knowledge Resources at The Institutes
"I wanted to be a police officer but my eyesight was so bad no one would
hire me. I looked into other careers that involved investigations and insurance
was one of them."
She has been an insurance adjuster for 25 years. "I was an insurance defence
attorney for about 10 years. Now, I produce educational materials
for adjusters and give presentations to adjusters, on behalf of The Institutes.
We are responsible for the Associate in Claims designation and the CPCU [Chartered
Property Casualty Underwriters] designation, as well as many others."
Popow stayed in the insurance industry in some form or another her entire
working life. She's glad she did.
"There is something satisfying in helping someone through a loss. It is
also satisfying to find the person who is trying to defraud your company.
The losses that occur can be mundane or horrific. There is always something
new happening and something new to learn."
She has interesting stories to tell about her life as an insurance adjuster.
In fact, it is difficult to pick just one.
"I have handled claims as small as a storm door torn off in the wind to
as big as the coverage case on the Exxon Valdez. I have met wonderful people
and criminals. I have been in manufacturing plants that most people never
get in to see. I have been all around the country handling claims. There
are too many stories to just pick one."
Michael Orazi is also satisfied with his career choice, even though he
admits he fell into it. "I did not have an interest in the industry when I
started. I was offered a job. Most people I speak with who are adjusters fell
into the position. They did not go looking to be an adjuster." .