CPCU and Opportunities

[paulbennings]

Hi all,

I was wondering what those of you in hiring positions or with relevant experience in the industry think about the advantages of having a CPCU. Is it as advantageous as The Institutes proclaims it to be? Would you consider a CPCU or an MBA to be more advantageous in the industry? For perspective, my goal is to move from the agency side of the business into underwriting and perhaps other operations on the company side.

I was planning on pursuing an MBA but decided on the CPCU instead, thinking it is more insurance-driven (and therefore relevant) and of course, easier to complete than an MBA program.

Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance,

Paul

[alx730]

I only hire producers, so I'd much prefer a CIC to a CPCU. But for the jobs you seem to be interested in, I think what you're doing is right. I'd rather personally have a CPCU or ARM to an MBA in insurance or risk management, respectively. You can always get that MBA in the future, in a discipline like finance or such, and use your CPCU toward some credits.

[ReinsProf]

If you want to get into Underwriting I would start with the CPCU and perhaps pursue an MBA after the fact if you really, really wanted to. I have found the CPCU will get you further (generally speaking) in the industry. However, some companies, like my current employer, prefer both if you want to eventually move into management. I just recently completed my CPCU and am pondering my next move. I am looking for Masters Programs with Insurance Concentrations and I stumbled upon an online degree at BU that looks intriguing. Good luck with your decision.

P.S. Don’t discount the level of difficulty of the CPCU program. It’s a lot of information to take and it’s basically self study unlike an MBA program which has more structure around it. They have changed the formats of most of the exams over the last few years and I think made it easier, but it is still a challenging degree. As long as you put in the time, you’ll be fine though.

[paulbennings]

Hi All:

Thank you for the thoughtful replies. You are both in line with what everyone else has said thus far.

I have 5 courses finished and plan to have it completed by June or July. I have already applied to a few u/w jobs but haven't heard anything yet but I know it is a matter of time and persistance. Also, with the current state of the economy it only makes it harder. Finally, I am hoping to get more bites once the CPCU is actually finished.

Thank you again for your replies!

PXB