Every weekday on our Nerds Daily Dispatch newsletter we ask our readers a question. Here are some of our favorite responses from the last few days:

 

What keeps you in the insurance industry?

Stable income.

 

My insurance career has included an extensive amount of time teaching other agents and answering questions for those who have contacted me. Currently my teaching is restricted to an agency where I act as a part time employee teaching people, answering questions and mentoring. At my age of 75, I am primarily interested in preparing others to be replacements for me when I can no longer contribute. The industry has been very good to me and I want to leave as great of a contribution to it as I can.

 

Helping people.

 

Is there a creative or innovative employee benefit you think the employer of the future needs to offer?

Identity Theft Insurance should become a common benefit

 

A sabbatical benefit — say every 10 years of service you earn a 2-3 month unpaid sabbatical. Similar to a maternity leave, but available to everyone, for any reason you want. Right now there aren’t many ways to take a small break from your corporate career.

 

Budgeting time and money for reading and learning.

Many carries provide money budgeted for learning, but not time. I would like to see people have the opportunity to unplug from the desk, the phone, the day-to-day and be able to go somewhere and read a book or to spend time learning. How much money would it save if a company kept 2-3 copies of the current CPCU curriculum available for reading and study. With that, the company can keep an actual library and the team can check out a book for an hour, sit in a comfortable chair and read. I envision a library that includes books that the company buys (insurance related books, self-study guides (like CPCU), and business books mostly. The company should also take recommendations (and donations, or loans) from the team. I’ve got books in my library that my team could benefit from and I could still get access to it at the library.

 

Did you relocate for a job at some point in your career? Did it end up being the right decision or not? Why?

Relocated to Chicago for work, moving from main stream media into targeted industry-driven media. Totally the right move – the paper I used to work for cut their editorial staff in half yesterday. Plus, the people in insurance can’t be beat!

 

I relocated from Cairo to Nairobi with a large multinational insurer.  While I’ve enjoyed myself tremendously and have learned a tremendous amount about working in different cultures, I wonder if it was the right move for my career.  Being an expat is expensive for a company and when a reorganization occurs you are often the first to go and finding a comparable position is difficult due to labor regulations.

But all in all I highly recommend it!  If you get the opportunity, do it!

What is your biggest professional challenge right now?

My biggest professional challenge right now is prequalifying leads and staying focused on those with the most potential for income.

 

As a young producer newer to the business, gaining the respect & approval of older & established business owners to write their insurance program.

 

What did you learn this week?

Never trust a weather forecast when you’re moving. Always get a covered moving vehicle.