How to Obtain a Position as a Branch Office Manager in the Insurance Industry

The insurance industry is one of many industries with branch offices in many cities and states throughout the country. Each of these offices requires a branch manager to handle the operations and report back to the head office. In order to obtain such a position, you do need to be well experienced in the insurance industry itself and in the policies and the procedures of the specific insurance company that hires you. The job duties of this position involve hiring and training office personnel, including office administration staff and insurance agents.

In order to hire the office staff you need as a branch manager in the insurance industry, you only need to know what administrative personnel you need to have for typing, data entry, reception and for handling the financial aspects. You do not need to have an in-depth knowledge of each of these positions. However, in order to attain this position, you do need to be fairly well experienced in the insurance field and as such you do need to know the ins and outs of insurance to hire the best agents to work for you. You will also need good interviewing skills so you can ask the right questions to hire the right people.

Being the branch manager in the insurance industry requires being able to develop an annual budget and monitor it closely to ensure that you have the funds available if unexpected situations develop. Leasing office space will require you to be knowledgeable about contracts and negotiating with owners to get the best possible terms. If you have an office in a large building, the cleaning staff may be part of a contract with the building as a whole. If not or if you rent a building, then you will have to contract out the janitorial and maintenance services that you need.



Before you can get the office up and running, you will need to have all the necessary equipment installed. As branch manager, you are responsible for having the computer technicians from the head office install the appropriate software and establish a remote connection to the system database Then you will have to make sure you can operate this system because you will have to train the staff you hire in how to access the date that they need.

Although your duties will be mainly supervisory in nature, you will have to oversee the recordkeeping, submission of documents to the head office and making sure accounts are kept up to date. You will have to travel to the head office for meetings and conferences and to other locations for additional training as the company determines is necessary. Good interpersonal skills, communication skills and customer service skills are essential in this position for dealing with your superior managers, the staff of your office and the clients.

As an insurance agent, you know that you require licensing in your state. This means that as branch manager, you will have to ensure that the sales agents you hire are also licensed or eligible for licensing.