Life Insurance Agents and Brokers

High School

Formal requirements for the life insurance field are few. Because more mature individuals are usually better able to master the complexities of the business and inspire customer confidence, most companies prefer to hire people who are at least 21 years of age. Many starting agents are more than 30 years of age. If this field interests you, there are a number of courses you can take in high school to prepare yourself for college and this type of work. Naturally, you should take English classes. These classes will help you improve your research, writing, and possibly speaking skills—all communication skills that you will use in this line of work. Business classes will teach you how to interact professionally with others and deal with customer needs. If your high school offers economics or finance classes, take these as well. Working with insurance means working with money and numbers, and these classes will give you this exposure. You may also benefit from taking sociology and psychology classes, which can give you a greater understanding of people. Finally, take math and computer classes. Undoubtedly you will be using computers in your professional life, so start becoming comfortable with this tool now.