Posted On: April 3, 2008, 3:13 pm CDT

Posted By: Big Dog

I started out in 1980 as a CSR trainee at a small SoCal agency. At the time, my dad had taken ill, I had to quit college and be the breadwinner.

From 1980 to 1990 I worked at several agencies, continuously taking courses to increase my knowledge of coverages, underwriting, and client presentation.

In 1990, I flipped to the company side as a W/C underwriter. I loved the analytical part of determining what the exposures were, what controls were in place, and properly pricing an account. Life as an underwriter was good until open rating hit in 1995 and almost every W/C carrier got greedy and underpriced everything, and agents became...anal and always demanded more.

From 1990 to 2001, the two carriers I worked for were ceased by the CA DOI and subsequently liquidated.

From there, I went back to the brokerage side working for one of the largest international brokerages in the world. After going through multiple restructurings (read layoffs, downsizings, moves) and being relocated from CA to TX, in 2007 this brokerage announced they were closing down their service center in TX (that should give you a hint of who I worked for) and moved everything to Glenview and...India.

I now work for a large, non-profit healthcare provider in their risk management department.

My assessment of the industry - up until the mid 1990's, it was great. But things started to change. Everyone got greedy, stupid and didn't give a rats pajama's about support staff. Many "sold their soul" just to make a sale.

If someone was to ask me if going into insurance as a career was a good choice, I'd say NO WAY.