By Therése Palmiotto, commercial middle markets underwriter, The Travelers Co.

Let's face it: Most of us in the insurance industry didn't plan to have a career analyzing coverages and comparing property rates, but one way or another, we all got here. Success in this field is not just what is learned while on the job; it also depends on some of the valuable skills we picked up along the way, sometimes in seemingly unrelated experiences.

At age 14, I became very brand conscious. There were designers that I just had to have, but unfortunately my visions of luxury were not included in my parents' budget. I was the oldest of six and my parents were more concerned with feeding their children than my addiction to name-brand fashion. So I got myself a job babysitting so I could buy myself what I wanted. This self motivation, in my opinion, is the most important characteristic to possess in building a successful career–in insurance or any other line of work.

My second job only lasted one day: I was an assistant to a female clown. No, I didn't dress up, but I did travel around with her to parties, helping her create magic tricks and handing out whatever goodies she had for the kids.

On the very first day, we made an appearance at a little girl's party. It was all going okay until the clown asked me to pass out the “mommy balloons.” I handed out all of the little brown bags like a good assistant until I noticed that the women started to get upset. Unbeknownst to me, my employer was using me to hand out male organ-shaped balloons—that, not surprisingly, didn't go over well at all.

After this, I snuck out to the pay phone (yes, this was way before cell phones) and called my dad to pick me up. I cried the whole way home, but I learned an important lesson learned that day: have a strong work ethic. Acknowledge your principles and live by your values. Insurance professionals are sometimes unfairly labeled as unethical or making decisions that are not in the client's best interest. The only way to overcome this is to develop a set of moral standards and know your limits. If something doesn't feel right, don't do it.

When I was 16, I started working at a summer day camp. Parents dropped their children off in the morning and left them in the hands of what they assumed were qualified caretakers. They expected their children to be safe all day and to pick them up in the same condition later that afternoon. The skills I learned working here have certainly come full circle in my current career. Whether it is their home or their business, customers trust insurance people to take care of and make the best decisions to protect their most important assets. The most relevant aspect was recognizing the implications of being a trusted individual within my own community. Developing trust and respect in your local community is also important in the insurance industry. Today's definition of “local” has expanded thanks to technology and social media, but the principle is still the same: remember that someone is trusting you with their most valuable assets. Build trust and respect no matter how big your “community” is.

Another early job was working as a restaurant server. Here lies the seed to success in any role within the insurance world: develop successful sales skills. Although we may not realize it, we are all in sales. This doesn't mean we should be pitching something all the time, but there is an element of sales behind every interaction we make. The most relevant parallel to my time as a server is the notion that it's not about closing a deal; it's about helping. When you genuinely see your role as an advisor–there to help the customer–you put yourself in a category that is miles ahead of the creepy car salesman.

Patrons come into a restaurant hungry; they know they want to eat but they don't know what to order. Insurance customers come to us knowing that they need coverage but it is our job to help them understand the choices and options that are best for them. If a diabetic sat at my table, I would help them make a choice that best served their dietary need, much the same way that I would help a 24-hour bagel store choose the best business income coverage.

Finally, after graduating college, I landed a fascinating job as a CSR at an insurance brokerage, and the rest is history. I really wasn't sure of what I was getting into at the time and thought it would be a temporary position. However, I soon discovered that by majoring in history and secondary education, I had indeed picked up some of the skills that would help to build a strong foundation for a career in insurance.

Understanding which strengths help someone to succeed in the industry helps me realize that it doesn't matter how you got here; all that matters is the ability to apply lessons learned along the way to your future success.

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