Getting claims adjuster training can be expensive and time-consuming, but it is ESSENTIAL to get started and having a successful career. One of the best things you can do is to seek out the best free insurance adjuster training and study resources, to further expand your knowledge base and skill set.
I know you are working super hard to find your way into this amazing industry, so I took some time out to find the best FREE claims adjuster training resources and study material on the internet.
In this article, you’ll learn the types of training you need to become an independent adjuster, whether you want to work in property adjusting or auto damage appraising.
If you’re not ready to invest money in training just yet, keep reading! I follow up with a list of the best resources where you can get a lot of that training for free. Enjoy!
What type of training do claims adjusters need?
First, let’s talk about what type of training you need to become an insurance adjuster. Having good training and information is vital to a successful career.
Insurance adjuster licensing training
The first type of training most adjusters get is pre-licensing or exam prep training. Before you can start working, you’ll need to learn the insurance adjuster licensing requirements for your state and pass the exam to get licensed.
If you want to skip the classroom and study online, you can purchase pre-licensing and exam prep courses at AdjusterPro. Passing your adjuster licensing exam is the first big step to being a successful adjuster, so choose wisely!
Tips for studying to get your adjuster license
Here are my best tips for studying and passing your licensing exams on the first try.
1. Take your time
The pre-licensing and exam prep courses require that you study at least forty hours. That is an entire workweek, but I wouldn’t recommend cramming it into one week. Most who are successful spend a month or two studying the material in preparation for their test.
2. Realize you won’t have to use much of what you learn
Many adjusters stress out thinking they’ll need to remember all of the weird policy nuances in their day-to-day work, but it isn’t true. Most adjusters use very little of the knowledge they gain from studying to become a licensed adjuster when they are working as an adjuster.
It isn’t a skills test, but a test of your comprehension to make sure you understand how insurance policies work. Once you have your license, most of that hard-earned knowledge can float away freely. Don’t get discouraged if insurance feels like the most boring thing on the planet. The actual job is MUCH BETTER!
3. Use the Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique has you set a timer and work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoro sessions, you take a longer 15-20 minute break.
This is great for breaking up long study sessions. Taking short breaks can keep the blood moving in your body and your mind sharp. Sitting for hours straight is a bad move and not very productive. Try it out!
4. Get a study partner
This may sound like a tip for grade-schoolers, but I had a study partner when studying for my adjuster license. My friend and I studied every night until we were confident we could pass the test.
Having someone else to laugh with, make fun of, and cry with about the miserable state of the study materials helps break up the monotony.
If you are looking for a community of adjusters who might be willing to be a virtual study partner, check out our IA Path Community.
Job training
Getting training on how to actually do the job is likely the most important thing you will need to skyrocket your adjusting career. Many people skip this step, wrongly assuming that most job opportunities include on-the job training.
DON’T WAIT FOR OTHERS TO TRAIN YOU.
If you already have a skillset, you are much more valuable than other job candidates and more likely to get work for years to come.
Pursue this type of training yourself. Whether it’s how to estimate vehicle damage, how to climb and measure a roof, or how to talk to the insured parties, job training is a must.
At IA Path, we offer online and adjuster job training and mentorships so you can learn in the convenience of your own home and avoid the expense of traveling to in-person classes.
Software Training
If you aren’t good with computers, don’t fear. You can learn how to use estimatics and claim management systems with practice. However, YOU MUST PRACTICE, and to practice, you must learn.
Nothing is more embarrassing than getting a job where they assume you know how to use the software and to sit with a look of shame that you lied on your resume. Don’t be that hire.
Learn how to use Xactimate if you want to become a property adjuster. Get training for CCC One, or Audatex if you are going to become an auto adjuster. Being familiar with the software will make your career much easier in the years to come.
Education
Getting a job as an insurance adjuster does NOT require having a degree from a college, but many job opportunities at insurance companies do prefer a degree.
For independent insurance adjusters, a college degree isn’t required. In fact, it doesn’t really help your resume when trying to land claims and deployments. The independent adjusting industry is mostly driven by who and what you know.
If you have good training and connect with the right people, you can have a thriving career. Sitting at home, waiting for a phone call, and avoiding interactions with people is a great way to get nowhere.
Be proactive, follow up, get trained, and NETWORK. These actions will far outweigh a lack of a degree.
It isn’t always about who you know, but about who you are GETTING to know. If you need help getting connected in the adjusting industry, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I have over 6000 connections in the insurance industry.
Mentorship for adjusters
The best form of training any adjuster can ever get is mentorship. My father-in-law did this for me when he let me shadow him and learn about estimating damaged vehicles for MONTHS.
Being able to watch someone else do the job and advise you on how to do the job better is a practical and refreshing way to learn. It stops being a theoretical exercise and becomes a reality. It is also amazing to be able to ask any questions at any time to someone who likely has the answer!
Mentors also are a great source for getting job opportunities. Most of my first opportunities came from my father-in-law vouching for me to hiring companies. His recommendation went a long way to me getting work.
Insurance companies who hire new adjusters often assign them mentors, but many people struggle to find adjusters willing to mentor them as they get started.
At IA Path, we created virtual adjuster mentorships where we bring aspiring adjusters under our wing as apprentices and provide software and job training. We also introduce apprentices to companies that WANT to work with them. Once they start working, we support adjusters for their entire career, answering questions and helping them advance in the industry.
Adjuster job skills
Before we dive into all the amazing free adjuster training resources, I want to give you a list of adjuster job skills that are important for your success.
Although I list some excellent claims adjuster training resources below, I believe there is much more you can do to improve your skills and become more successful in your career. These are some of the job skills that will help:
- Communication
- People
- Computer skills
- Mobility
- Estimatics (estimating)
- Customer Service
Like most careers, adjusting isn’t about damaged houses or cars. It is about the people that are affected by damaged houses and cars. Our job as adjusters is to help restore people who have suffered a loss back to their pre-loss condition.
Supporting the body shops, restoration companies, doctors, lawyers, and anyone involved in the claims process is a huge part of our job.
We are in a PEOPLE business, so people or soft skills are a must!
Free claims adjuster training and study material list
Now that you know all the skills and training you’ll need to get started and get ahead in your adjusting career, here are the best places to start, absolutely free!
AdjusterTV
Mathew Allen and his AdjusterTV YouTube channel is by far the biggest, and dare I say BEST, free claims adjuster training and study material available on YouTube.
Mathew Allen’s channel has been focused for years on catastrophic property claims, but he has recently added a weekly auto claims adjuster show in collaboration with IA Path.
Whether it’s deciding what adjuster license to get, learning about vehicle parts, hearing interviews with hiring companies, or getting tips on what gear to get, AdjusterTV is the best place to get free claims adjuster training on YouTube.
IA Path
IA Path and its founder, Chris Stanley, are focused on the mentorship of independent auto damage appraisers and adjusters. We also help adjusters learn about using auto claims to kick start and fund a property claims career.
Our 90-Day auto appraiser mentorship program is the quickest way to get started in the business. However, we offer tons of free resources, like this Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Auto Appraiser.
IA Path has 170+ episodes on our Independent Adjuster Podcast, an extensive blog (which you are reading now), and the Auto IA Show video series.
You can also check out our FREE claims adjuster video training package that shares how to get work WITHOUT experience. These training videos will teach you how to get started and provide a plan for becoming a successful independent adjuster without having to spend a dime.
Our free guides and templates are sprinkled throughout to help make the job of being an insurance adjuster EASY.
AdjusterPro
The LEADER in online claims adjuster pre-licensing and exam prep training is AdjusterPro.com. If you already know which state license you need, check out AdjusterPro’s virtual classroom.
Even if you’re not ready to take a course, this site is a must-bookmark resource! You can click over to their homepage for a ton of excellent free resources!
AdjusterPro has an interactive map that shows you which state adjuster licenses are reciprocal, so you can avoid taking tests in multiple states, which is super useful!
They walk you through everything, and you only pay when you are ready to do your state-mandated pre-licensing adjuster training or to study for the difficult adjuster or auto appraiser exam.
AdjusterPro also has an extensive and helpful blog for adjusters.
AdjusterTalk Podcast
Jason Heenan, the owner of Royal Adjusting, has an awesome collection of interviews and podcast episodes with and for adjusters.
If you want to get pumped up about your chosen career, or you want more information about being an insurance claims professional check out the AdjusterTalk Podcast for FREE.
Adjuster University
Adjuster University is led by Jeremy Rettig, who focuses on the marketing side of being an independent property adjuster. His mindset is very different from others, which can give you a distinct advantage on how to get hired if you don’t have any experience.
He has recently ramped up his Adjuster University YouTube channel and added some GREAT free property and Xactimate training videos, including inspecting and writing an entire flood claim!
Major Adjusters
Major Adjusters is focused on helping you pass your adjuster licensing exam and also offers some Xactimate and proper adjusting videos.
They offer free guides and email newsletters, as well as the Claims Adjuster of the Year YouTube channel, to keep you busy learning with dozens of free videos.
Making the Most of the Best Free Adjuster Training Materials
If you are struggling with how to become an independent adjuster or auto damage appraiser and overwhelmed with training options, I highly suggest you start with our free video course for adjusters.
The video course explains how the industry works, how to get started, and lays out each and every step you need to take to become an independent insurance claims adjuster in an easy to understand format.
Best of all, IT’S FREE, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Keep walking your path and claiming your life.
