I just finished studying for and taking the final exam for the continued education portion of my insurance industry responsibilities as a licensed Life & Health agent here in the State of Oklahoma. I had 24 hours of study to complete, and like an idiot, I went the entire two years under my current license before attempting them. Well, I finished, and I completed the test. I passed the test with a very good score, thank you, and when I uploaded it the powers that be somehow (intentionally, I'm sure) shared my information with at least 2,094 life and healthy agencies because that's how many phone calls, emails, and social media contacts I received today! That has been my day!
I hold my license to sell Life, Health, and Accident insurance. I also hold my license to sell Property & Casualty insurance. I also, because I am that way, have a license to sell Workers' Compensation insurance, as well as being a Property & Casualty Adjuster. I need to get my Life & Health Adjuster's license -- but I digress. When I decided to get into the Financial industry, I immediately began studying for, and then passed the Securities Industry Essentials exam, and I would love to work for a firm and be sponsored to take Series 66 and Series 7. I don't actually need to be sponsored for the 66. I took it once, and I failed by 2 points. That really really sucks. I would rather bomb the whole test than come up that close and miss it. I was too close, and they don't tell you exactly what you missed, so you have to just assume you need to study all of it again!
After taking about 12 calls this morning, and answering as many emails to let them all know I would LOVE to be a part of their GREAT companies and organizations, but I won't work for free, and I don't do commission work. I began answering texts and online questionnaires being sent to me. In this economy, we do salary plus commission if we work at all in that industry. So many people have dropped their insurance since they work from home with groups and have group insurance. It's a game. You see 100 people ask for an appointment, you get 10 appointments, 6 keep that appointment, you sell 1 or 2 maybe. There's no way I'm going to put out the effort and not be paid. Sorry. Fix your metrics! No one wants to give up more than they receive in return. You can't blame us.
After a few hours of fielding, I took a walk with the dog! I took a well-deserved walk with the dog! Outside my house was parked a lovely black SUV with an armed and uniformed Oklahoma City Police officer. Since I knew I hadn't been doing anything illegal, I wasn't afraid to approach him to see if I could be of assistance. I'm that person. I ask cops if I can assist. I don't run from them, call them names, want to defund them, or any way harm them. Nope, I'm a cop-loving kinda gal! The officer was very happy to see me actually. As it turns out the person who called the police was unsure where she lived. She had stated it wasn't an emergency but needed help. The officer told me what the lady said her name was, but that person doesn't live in our complex. I know this because, unlike so many communities, we know all of our neighbors here, at least their first names. We know them more by their dogs than we do their names, to be honest.
Turns out the lady was living in another complex close by. The officer was called on his radio and told the correct location, and he literally tipped his hat at me and got into his car. That made me happy. We live in a city where the police officers will still come and check on people. They will be cordial, and polite when they are treated well. Tipping his hat meant that he was born and raised as a Southern gentleman, and I really appreciated that gesture. It did make me think and rethink my job opportunities and how I could and should approach them. I'm going to take the one offered to me since I need to work. I'll work it and if it works out I'll keep it. If I find a better position, a better-paying position as well as a better fit (more suited to me) I will resign giving the proper notice, and take up the next assignment. I don't know when the gears switched, but it just seems that people today are too wrapped up in themselves to be polite and courteous. If they're not being paid they don't do anything - - I see that, but I also know that some things are just expected in a civil society.
I'm about to pay for the continuing education series for my Property & Casualty license. I assume once I finish it and submit it, that dozens of P&C companies will contact me again. I hope so. I need to feel that I am working for the company I want to work for. I want to be an adjuster so I can earn enough to trade my own money on my own for myself. When I get to the point that I am earning more on the trade than I am as an adjuster (about a year) I will quit and work the trade or continue to be an adjuster and make the trades as well, but giving the trades more of my time and more of my effort. I believe I can do both. I can multitask -- it's not that hard. When I have the money and the expertise, I'll either pick up and move to Scotland or visit for 3-6 months and determine if that's what I want to do. OPTIONS.
I love it -- it was and is a good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment