A career as a catastrophe claims adjuster can entail some challenges that may not occur to those outside of the sector. Working on a varied schedule presents challenges of its own, but most claims adjusters will need to grapple with that at some point. The stress, volatility, and drama that’s attached to working with homeowners in distress can create a slew of roadblocks and challenges that may not be apparent at first glance.
Four Challenges Catastrophe Claims Adjusters Face on the Job
1. Emotionally-Charged Scenarios
Looking over insurance claims.
The word catastrophe is literally in your title– need we say more?
You’re likely going to be dealing with people who are experiencing one of the worst times in their lives. Catastrophe claims span the range of damage from hail storms and flooding through to the devastation that tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters leave behind. Even if you are only running out after a battering of hail, the damage it caused is going to be impacting the lives of the people you’re visiting tremendously.
This doesn’t even touch on jobs where you come into contact with people who have undergone outright calamity. Catastrophe claims adjusters are normal people; but they’re expected to connect with and help people who have lost property, land, and even loved ones. You’ll witness a sizable amount of grief as a claims adjuster, and you need the mental fortitude to handle it effectively.
2. Managing Your Time
While not as exciting and compelling as the above point, the fact of the matter is that time management can be tough for catastrophe claims adjusters. Your job affords you the opportunity to rake in some serious cash– you’ll deal with some of the worst damage that any type of adjuster sees, but you need to get out and make it from home to home to actually benefit from the situation.
Time management is tough enough for most of us– and that’s doubly true for claims adjusters– but time is really of the essence after a catastrophe. Not only do you want to maximize your earnings, but homeowners need assistance getting their lives back on track as soon as possible. Damage left to compound and spiral out of control is much more harmful than the damage that’s addressed immediately.
You’ll need to implement good time management skills if you want to see success as a claims adjuster. Find a scheduling app or software that fits into your workflow and use it constantly. Plan everything that you possibly can ahead of time and never try to overexert yourself.
3. The Coming and Going of the Tide
Not literally– unless maybe you’re somewhere prone to hurricanes and storm surges.
Working in the catastrophe business has its ups and downs. You’ll get to make a sizable impact on your clients’ lives and stand to make a pretty penny, but it comes at the cost of some uncertainty. Disasters don’t happen often– that’s why we’ve got a special name for them.
Certain seasons are known to bring about the potential for certain disasters to occur, but even then there’s no guarantee that anything truly severe will happen. If you’re a catastrophe claims adjuster, you’ll need to come to terms with the fact that your job entails a feast or famine mindset.
If you struggle with stagnation at work, you’ll probably have a hard time between catastrophic events. Actively budget and plan around assumptions that money will be tight during certain seasons, and always have cash stowed away for later.
4. Doing Business Isn’t Cheap
You’re going to have to cough up the funds for a lot of what will make you successful as an adjuster. If you’re on the hook for your own licensing and continuing education, for example, you could be looking at hundreds or thousands of dollars a year going down the drain to pay for those certificates and training.
You’ll also need gear– and it doesn’t fall from the sky. Laptops, estimating systems, and cameras are essential to getting the job done; and that doesn’t even touch on anything that you might need for your office at home or within a company. You’ll need to budget smartly if you want to last in this business, and those skills don’t always come easy. Consider using free applications to help you track spending and manage your funds.