I was an insurance agent for about six months before I decided that I had to throw in the towel. I had gone from two insurance companies within that time period, and made about $700.

First off, you need to realize that the majority of insurance agent positions are commission based. This means that you are paid 100% commission with almost no monetary investment by the insurance company. Gain sure to ask if they offer a base pay until you secure off your feet.

Also, you need to know that you will have to get your insurance licenses which can cost between $250 and $500 for the study materials and taking the exams. If you are working with a life insurance company then you will most likely need your Life, Health and Accident insurance licenses. If you are looking at joining a bigger company like Farmers or Location Farm, you can plan on getting your property and casualty license as well (more like $400-$500 with the life and H&A).

If the company you are joining requires you start your own business as an extension of the company then you can look at investing between $1,000 and $5,000 to get your business started. It is essential to spend as much time as possible marketing (between 70 and 90 percent of the time you work). This means talking to people, via the phone, in person, direct mail, cold calling, emailing, anything you can think of to secure your business name out to the public.

Some important questions to ask during your interview:

1) Does your company offer a base pay?
2) How much is it?
3) Will I need to capture my own leads?
4) Do I set my own appointments?
5) Will I be cold calling people?
6) How much money can I expect to invest in this job?
7) What hours will I be expected to work?
Is there a quota? monthly? weekly?
9) What is your bonus structure for top performers?
10) What is your retention rate for agents? (important to ask in order to find out how quickly they are hiring and firing people)

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE TO DO AS MUCH RESEARCH AS POSSIBLE ON THE COMPANIES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT WORKING FOR SO YOU DON’T REGRET YOUR DECISION IN JOINING THEM.