Claims Rep application

"maybe" not "mate" haha

jonE in San Jose, California said: I had a political science BA.
I had never worked in insurance but I did have medical coding experience which I had been told was a plus since they get medical information in liability claims. And I had a wealth of customer service experience helping with patients and with clients at a fitness center.

The qualifications they stated that they needed I had. I was persistent with following up. I got through the interviews well, passed thw tests, and I thought I did a good job with everything, but I guess someone else just had it better.

If anything, I'm going to guess what did me in was perhaps my behavior. I'm a pretty laid back guy and mate they didn't think I could be enough of a prick to tell people when their claims wouldn't be covered? I told them though, as a bill collector at a doctor's office I had plenty of experience delivering bad news..but maybe that wasn't enough.

I have a BA in psychology and a minor in communications. I have over 3 years of insurance experience but on the agent side. I tried to 'sell' my agency experience and insurance knowledge. I think if someone beats me out for this job its most likely because they have prior experience directly in claims.

Just posting an update. I have not heard anything so far. My interview was 8/13 and as of today nothing. Their website where you have to set up a profile and search/apply for jobs still has me in "considering" status for this position (which I've been in since I first submitted my resume). I don't really know what to think either way at this point. I can only hope that they will give me the common courtesy of letting me know either way instead of leaving me hanging. Particularly because I got so far in the process and had to drive 4 hours each way to the state claims office for the final interview.

BenW,

I was wondering if you have heard anything regarding the position yet?

I am currently trying to get a position with Farmers as a property claims rep (it will be a field position). I have been extremely excited about this position since I heard about it; however, after reading numerous posts about the company I am getting a little discouraged.

Anyway, I received an email about 10 days ago regarding the position by the regional recruiter, so I went to the website and applied for the position. The very next day I received another email from her making an appointment with me to call me and speak with me about the position. The same day I was sent an email to take the first test online and was scheduled to go in to take the math, language, and policy and procedures test at the end of the week. I went in on Friday to take the test and by the time I arrived back home I already had an email saying that I had passed both tests and could move on to the telephone screening interview with the recruiter. So, I have scheduled that for later this week; I am extremely nervous. Any guidance with be greatly appreciated. Anyway, so far everthing has gone extremely fast for me with the hiring process and both of the recruiters I have been in contact with have responded very quickly and professionally, so I guess I am just hoping that this momentum does not slow down. I am hoping this hiring process does not take forever, because I cannot wait that long and might have to move on. Also, I was not told by the recruiter that there may be two in person interviews, she told me after the phone screening that there would be another in person interview, but I did not know that there was an additional one. Anyway, I was just wondering about how everyone else was doing and wanted any additional information that you may feel might be valuable to me.

Thank you everyone!

Superacidjax,

Thank you so much for all your help. I have read all your posts and have been researching behavior based interviewing skills and the STAR approach that you referred to; your suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am also glad to hear that you are enjoying the experience and working for Farmers; I have read so many horrible stories that I was getting very discouraged and was not even sure if I should take the time to try and go any further with this company. However, I am so excited about this possible opportunity, I believe this is the career for me and so I am going forward. My problem is, I normally get so nervous during interviews that I get have a difficult time finding the words that I am looking for, which is why I am trying to get as much info about the interview as possible. I want to be as prepared as possible. The only specific question I have is, Is the in-person interview a one-on-one interview, or are you in front of a panel of interviewers?

Again, thanks so much for all your help. Good luck to you on your first CAT assignment. I am from Texas and I know that the people there will appreciate any assistance they can get.

I will keep you all posted and let you know how it goes.

I actually had a pretty easy interview process as they REALLY needed property claims reps when I was hired and I had prior claims experience, so I can't offer you much there, I cannot remember even taking those tests.

I just wanted to let BenW and the other considering employment know how it really goes in the BCO's (the Farmers Claims offices). I could go off jobvent.com style, but I won't. Obviously some people are happy at Farmers (i.e. superacidjax), but I do not feel bad in telling you that most are not. The miserable-ness CAN BE office specific, but mostly it is due to Companywide policies that make us cringe. It is not necessarily the fault of management, they try sometimes, but in all honesty the claims morale gets lowe real fast. It is not that it is claims, that is nothing, done it before, it's how this company has gone from "We'll do what we can to help you" to "Suck it up" in 4 short years. Complaining is not always "sour grapes", I am a good employee, I meet my goals, my customers NEVER complain, and really, I don't think Farmers cares.

Something has happened to them over the past years, and it does not warm ones heart. They are cold, unfeeling, and I find myself fighting FOR my insureds against the higher ups. It is really unnerving. Maybe superacidjax has a different feel on the CAT side of it, but in the local offices, we are getting pummeled and no one cares. I hope, because you want the job BenW, that you get it. But be careful what you wish for. I don't know if it is Zurich or what, but something wicked this way comes.....

You get to the point where a cell phone, company car, and a computer don't matter; dome the solid of giving me a little respect. Unfortunately Farmers can have a habit of thinking that the "freebies" they give you mean they can have your dignity in return. Make no mistake, they WILL get to the point where they question your overtime and encourage you "not to claims it". I promise you this.

The cat side is different from the BCO side, to be certain. I know that there are policies in the BCOs that are a little strict when it comes to things like overtime. My satisfaction from the company is because I'm with the cat team and therefore have a better situation. Although, right now with Ike I'm working 16 hour days.. Of course, I'm getting well paid because of it, so it all works out. Also, I like the fact that I work out of my van or hotel rooms and I don't have to really deal with any day-to-day office stuff. When I am in an office, it's usually when I drop by Kansas City en route to another assignment, so I usually just get supplies. I am pleased though with the benefits of the company and I do like my opportunities for advancement. Like all companies, Farmers has its spots, but I'm pretty pleased so far. I got lucky and ended up with the perfect job for my temperment and ambitions. I wish everyone here the best, whether you end up with Farmers of not. I would highly recommend trying to get on the Cat team if possible, provided you can handle the constant travel and can work independently. Good luck everyone! Well, I'm back to the grindstone.. these Ike claims never seem to end!

How should I prepare for my pre-employment test on friday???

GuyInTx

There is really no way to prepare. They say to go online and use sample SAT questions, that does help; however, I did not find the test that difficult. The part for policies and procedures is just a matter of reading the information and answering the questions (pretty self explanatory). The math part was a little tricky, because you have to pay close attention to what exactly the question is asking you. There are some fractions on there, so I would freshen up on them if you have not dealt with them in a while. The language part focused on grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Just be sure to watch your time. I was told to watch my time and never leave any question unanswered, it is better to guess than leave it blank. I lost sleep the night before I went worry about this test; however, it was no where near as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I hope this helps.

RmyWife

Thank you for your response I will definately go online to at sample SAT questions. You were very helpful. Much appreciated!

This is for a claims position....

Well I've completed the phone screen, completed their pre-screen, test, went though the panel interview, then was invited to go on a ride-along. Then I was finally sent an email to complete the online application (which took well over one hour) I had to enter all the information from my resume and my address for the past 7 years, 3 references, my drivers Lic info, etc....

Now when I log-on to farmers application status next to my name it no longer says "considering" but now says "selected". Did I get hired (or about to get a job offer?)

Farmers is an interesting company... the bottom line is that the regions and districts and offices are all managed very differently and what works in one may not in another... there are a lot of farmers people at www.insurance-forums.net who all seem to echo this sentiment.

Does anyone know what the salary rage for property claims reps ???

I think it also depends on how fast they contact you if you have a employee referral. I had a acquaintance who told me to give their name on the online application. two days later I get a phone interview and the link to take the online tests. She calls back and says I passed all tests and wanted me in the next day for in person interview and two more tests. Passed those and today going back for the final group interview.

I know someone who started and he said 32,000 is the base and not negotiable. I find this hard to believe since I have been in a hiring position. Anybody else negotiate a higher starting salary, more pto, etc?

I would like to throw my 2 cents in on how the hiring process was with Farmers insurance. This website was extremely helpful with my job interview and I believe its important that I make a contribution.
The Story:
I applied directly on the Farmers Insurance website for the automotive physical damage position because claims adjustment is a job that I can do well and have an advantage over other candidates (high unemployment rate = many qualified candidates.)

I was contacted a week later by human resources to take a pre-employment test and personality test. The test consist of SAT like questions. The only hard questions where analysis of charts simply because of how much information was presented; but the answer easy. I pass all the tests and was called for a phone interview by human resources. I blew pass the phone interview and was scheduled for a panel interview a week later. The human resource person gave me tips on how to study for that interview.(quintcareers.com) I did fantastic on the panel interview to the point where the hiring manager felt I was giving canned answers. This is the point where the hiring process took a wrong turn. Instead of rejecting me and they decided to waste more of my time.
A week later I was scheduled to do a job shadow of a employee. That went well and I could tell the employee was going to give good feedback back to the hiring managers. My last step was a final interview with the district supervisor. In this interview, they wanted to dig into my personality and asked unconventional interview questions. The reason I was not hired was because I didn't have the right "corporate fit."

This whole process took over 2 months and required me to jump through hoops to make it to the interviews. Many times I had to call them to move me along the process; this was very unprofessional. Based on the reviews of ex-employees on the web and my perception of the hiring managers I was glad I was not selected.

Good Luck Job Seekers.

I don't understand why everyone is complaining about not getting calls or emails. In this day and age even if a company phone interviews you, you very rarely get any type of response after that. Sometimes maybe an email saying thanks but no thanks. With people applying for every job under the sun over the internet they get 1000's of aps. Complaining to 7 different sources will likely get you eliminated quickly rather than a job offer. Just keep sending resumes. This is the new market...nothing is automatic and companies know people are desparate. It's life.

If the interviewer thought you were giving canned answers probably not a good sign.

Thank you for all your postings. I am applying for the Clamis position and had a friend forward my resumue to her manager and then off it went to the recruiter. I have two current employees down as referrals and hope that helps to a degree. The recruiter directed me to apply online, I then had to complete another questionnaire and am now being invited to complete pre-employment testing. I am of course nervous but after reading the posts, am more worried about what follows. One of my friends, a Claims Supervisor has offered to go through a mock interview with me, I just hope I get to that point. The other friend was part of the CAT team. I have a Master's and background in teaching and social work but am looking to work for a company that will be intellectually stimulating and offer growth potential all in a professional environment. I just hope I can translate my past positions into relevant experiences for the position with Farmers. Anymore advice, tips, or just experience with the application and interviewing process would be great!

superacidjax in Olathe, Kansas said: Be sure re-read the earlier posts I made about the interviewing process, they'll help you quite a bit. I'm on the Catastrophe Team and I'm sitting in my hotel room in New Mexico getting ready to head to Houston to start the monster job at the Hurricane.. It's likely that it's a good time to join the company because this hurricane is going to keep us very, very busy for a long time to come. If you have any specific questions that I haven't already answered, I would love to help! After three solid months with the company, I have to say that I'm just as happy now as I was when I started. I am looking forward to working my first "Cat." Good luck to you!

I have just completed a phone interview with Olathe yesterday. I am concerned that being around my brother and his pot smoking friends could cause me to fail a drug screening. Does Farmers conduct drug screenings in Olathe?

I took the testing last Wed and was told I "was more than qualified." Uh-oh, I hate those words. The Recruiter called me the next day and set up an interview for Friday. I felt that I was prepared and did decent in the interview and asked plenty of pertinent questions during the desk ride. The employee who I sat with had heard of me already bc of my referral. The recruiter also gave me tips throughout the process of where to go to find information to brush up on skills if need be. They forgot to ask for my "business letter" assignment so I sent it as an attachment in my thank you email. I tried not to get my hopes up, but it sounds perfect for what I am looking for and I feel confident I could be an asset to Farmers as well. Its been a week and Ive heard nothing nor have my references. Should I follow up and when? Under my app status its listed as still "under consideration." What does everyone think?

superacidjax in Olathe, Kansas said: I love it here. I'm actually sitting in a training class right now, learning about roofs. I am a few weeks away from being finished with training. The training is very good and the company is honest to both customers and employees (based on my observations.) Good luck! I remember I felt like you did only a month ago..

I got a call from them saying they were just calling all the applicants and then they said they will call back closer to 3 weeks. Well it is now 3 weeks later. Do have a contact number I can call someone at?

Any luck yet Hopeful? I noticed that they recently closed a property office claims position.

Farmer's has been notorious for sending me unsolicited emails after I provided my resume and contact information. I politely replied that I had accepted a position with a different company several months prior, but the emails kept coming.

www.Free-Job-Tips.com

Olathe, I was sent an offer letter for the auto claims Rep. Will I be drug tested in order to determine emoloyment?

Hi,

i was wondering if being offered a ride a long during the interview is a good sign for the APD claims rep position, or do they offer everyone a ride a long

thanks

Yeah i applied online about a week ago and have yet to hear anything no email no phone call.. well actually take that back i have received two phone calls but both from Farmers on the Agency side, sometimes i wonder if theyre not realizing which position im actually applying for.. Anyway well see...

But honestly $32,000 is this accurate... If so I guess im not as interested as I thought i might be...

My last moving violation was feb 2008. I also had 2 in early 2007. Does anyone know if this will hurt my chances of getting a job as a liability claims rep.

Anyone know what the odds are of getting a Property Claims Rep after being offered a ride-along or is that something offered to everyone during the interview process?

Thank you.

Stay away from Farmers Insurance Group. They have gotten to a point where they will hire college graduates at a low salary. Once you're there for a while, they'll find a reason to fire you because you make too much (by their standards). Management is notorious for acting extremely corrupt. Go to the Farmers Insurance Group Sucks website and see what employees (agents and claims employees alike) have to say. Not to mention the customers.
You'll be expected to work on holidays, weekends and vacation. Farmers has lost many lawsuits for class action overtime suits yet, they still insist you work. They will give you 10 assignments the day before you go on vacation and you had BETTER make your contacts in a timely manner. And if not expect to be written up.