The Resume Writing Guide Every Insurance Account Manager Needs

Sometimes as insurance professionals we tend to get too specific, forgetting the big keywords that must be at the top of a resume. I’ve scoured resumes of people who I know are insurance professionals simply to confirm if their expertise is property and casualty or life and health. My advice is to start simple and then get into the weeds like this:

• “I am a large account, commercial lines expert in construction (aka OCIPs, wrap ups, and even some contract surety).”
• “My self-funded health & welfare expertise includes an account average of 500-2,500 lives with some level-funded business too.”
• “80% of my career has been handling private client group/High Net Worth personal lines accounts including niche clientele like family offices, athletes, and coastal property.”

Don’t give up trade secrets, but a resume should highlight your client service knowledge and accomplishments rather than your responsibilities. Share details on the book of business you directly managed with statements like:

• “I directly oversee a $1MM revenue total book with approximately 30 middle market accounts.”
• “My average account size is $50,000 in premium.”
• “My typical client pays range from $50k-$100k in premium.”

Insurance is a small industry, so a lot of hiring managers will recognize the companies you’ve worked for. That’s why giving some context around the details of your employment ensures no one assumes how things were arranged. More importantly, you can insert key details about your employment that a new company may also be looking for.

• Were you in a home office, part of a field team, or 100% remote?
• Is your expertise in small business, middle market, or national accounts?
• Do you have niche, vertical market experience?
• How large or small of a team did you work with, 3 or 300 coworkers?

Sidebar- I am often asked if you should list all your employers. The general rule of thumb is that you don’t need to list employers further back than 10 years, but it won’t hurt you to do so if the experience is relevant to the job you are applying for.

Titles vary from one insurance agency to another, with some including extra responsibilities that may be overlooked at first glance. Use statements like this to clarify all that your role entailed:

• “My title is Account Manager II. What that means is…”
• “I am listed as an Account Manager, but I take on Account Executive tasks, which look like…”

Insurance agencies will qualify or disqualify applicants solely based on systems experience. Add a section at the bottom of your resume listing all technology experience like Sagitta, AMS360, EZLynx, Zywave, etc.

Any continuing education, in-progress or completed, demonstrates to potential employers your commitment to building a lasting insurance career. Create a section that can be a catch-all for designations, academic coursework, and other achievements like speaking engagements and published articles.