There are many sales-type positions within the insurance industry, described variously as sales advisors, agents, consultants and administrators. Employers tend to be insurance brokers, with much of the selling taking place over the phone
Duties include generating and retaining business as well as carrying out basic administrative tasks. The type of insurance to be sold varies according to the individual employer but typical areas include home, building and motor insurance. Ideal candidates are ambitious negotiators with good communication skills. The working environment may be competitive and hectic, and there will be set sales targets that need to be met, which calls for confidence and resilience
Salaries, which often depend on experience and sales performance, range from £16,000 to £30,000 per annum. It is possible to progress to management level for those with team-leading abilities. Trainee managers need good GCSE grades in English and mathematics, and sometimes A levels, in order to get onto certain training schemes. Management positions offer average salaries of between £27,000 and £42,000 a year.

• Being sincere and honorable
• Being thoughtful and ambitious
• Being positive and passionate
• Being encouraging and cordial
• Transmitting information
• Time management
• Written and oral communication
• Being persuasive
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Dealing with huge budgets

A number of qualifications at the Masters or Bachelors Degree level are appropriate for a job in Insurance Sales. A number of these qualifications are typically from the finance area and have to do with numeric information and calculations; other business related courses are valid as well and may include:
•    Accounting
•    Economics
•    Statistics
•    Mathematics
•    Banking
•    Marketing
•    Sales
•    Business administration
Selling insurance is one of those jobs that depend largely on your sales abilities and not your educational accomplishments. It takes skill to convince people to buy something. Therefore other qualifications are accepted by employers, because their emphasis is on skills such as negotiation, motivation and sales. Insurance Sales agents with a High School Diploma, GCSEs, BTEC, NVQ or SVQ qualifications are accepted in these jobs.