Your insurance agent cover letter plays a pivotal role in persuading the hiring manager that you're the right person for the job. But how can one document do so much heavy lifting?
Our comprehensive guide is here to answer all your questions. Inside, you'll find professional looking templates, cover letter samples submitted by actual people, detailed examples, and valuable tips. In short, everything you need to know to make your cover letter stand out from the rest.
Keep reading to learn all about how to:
- Craft your insurance agent cover letter header & headline
- Personalize the greeting on your insurance agent cover letter
- Write an eye-catching insurance agent cover letter introduction
- Showcase your professional value as an insurance agent
- Conclude your cover letter with a strong closing statement
- Access top resources for job-seeking insurance agents
Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.
1. Properly craft your insurance agent cover letter header & headline
The first step to writing an effective cover letter is to craft a well-formatted header and headline.
Your cover letter header is where you'll list all the necessary identifying information about yourself and the company you're applying to. As for your cover letter headline, this is a brief title statement used to hook an employer’s attention and serve as a preview for the information to come.
Below are more in-depth explanations and examples of each of these cover letter elements:
Formatting the header
A cover letter header isn't bound by a strict set of formatting rules and can vary in appearance depending on your personal stylistic preferences. However, a header should always contain between 3 to 4 lines of text that include:
- The name of the company & department you are applying to
- Your name and professional title
- Your professional contact information (phone number, email address, LinkedIn, etc.)
Here is an example of a well-formatted header on an insurance agent cover letter
To: Cigna Health, Hiring Department
From: Jane Doe, Insurance Agent
(123) 456-7890 | janedoe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/jane-doe
Writing the headline
To write the headline of your cover letter, you should always use a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number or trigger word, a powerful adjective or verb, and a promise.
Here is an example of a well-written headline from an Insurance Agent cover letter:
My 3-Step Approach to Matching Customers with Insurance Plans & How It Can Benefit Your Clients
Trigger Word/Number: 3-Step Approach
Keyword: Insurance Plans
Adjective/Verb: Matching, Benefit
Promise: Your Clients – this addition at the end of the headline shows the employer that you will relate your skills and approach directly to the needs of their company and clients.
2. Personalize the greeting on your insurance agent cover letter
The greeting of your cover letter follows the headline. While generalized greetings – such as “To Whom It May Concern” – are the simplest options, personalized greetings help to make your cover letter more memorable to employers.
A personalized greeting will address a specific person or department within the company by name. In doing so, this helps to show the employer you have excellent attention to detail and have taken the time to research their company beforehand.
In some cases, you may be unable to pinpoint an exact person or department that will review your application. If this is true for you, try out one of the following alternatives:
To the [Company Name] Team
Or
To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager
3. Write an eye-catching insurance agent cover letter introduction
With your header, headline, and greeting now in place, your next step is to write a compelling and eye-catching cover letter introduction.
A strong introductory paragraph will typically include:
- A brief overview of your professional history and goals
- A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
- A mutual acquaintance (when possible)
Here is an example to help demonstrate how to write an insurance agent cover letter introduction
To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager,
I am an Insurance Agent with 5+ years of experience matching clients with the ideal home and property insurance plans. While working as an independent broker, I had the pleasure of meeting your company’s Head of Communications – Jack Smith – who encouraged me to apply for this position after learning of my growing client pool.
4. Showcase your professional value as an insurance agent
Following the introduction of your cover letter are the body paragraphs. We generally recommended aiming for between 2 to 4 body paragraphs that offer more in-depth answers to the following questions:
- What excites you about working at this company?
- What do you hope to learn from working at this company?
- What accomplishments or qualifications make you stand out as an applicant?
- What key skills do you possess that are relevant to the position?
Focusing on your accomplishments is especially important, as they help to show employers the real-life value you can bring to the company.
Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in an insurance agent cover letter
As an Insurance Agent at [Former Employer], I achieved a 35% success rate in selling customers extra coverage with their base plans. Additionally, I regularly surpassed the monthly sales quota of $25K at an average of 10% higher sales.
5. Conclude your cover letter with a strong closing statement
To finalize your cover letter, you'll need an effective closing statement that includes:
- An enthusiastic sentence saying you are looking forward to hearing from them
- An additional sentence stating you will follow up, including how you will contact them or how they can contact you
- A formal sign-off
Here is an example of a strong closing statement from an insurance agent cover letter
As your new Insurance Agent, I will bring a large pool of loyal clients to your company and a high level of excellence in sales and consulting. I am eager to hear from you and would love to plan a formal meeting to further discuss this opportunity. I am available all weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the best way to reach me is at (123) 456-7890.
If I do not hear back within a week, I will reach back out to check on the status of my application.
Best Regards,
[Applicant Name]
Follow this cover letter outline for maximum success.
6. Job-search resources for insurance agents
Armed with the perfect cover letter and your insurance agent resume, it's time to get to the grand finale — the actual job hunt! But this is easier said than done. Don't worry, we thought about this too. So, we've prepared a list of helpful resources for you to use:
- Industry-specific job boards: The most straightforward option is to look at websites that cater specifically to your profession. For example: InsuranceJobs.co.uk, iHireInsurance, or InsuranceJobs.com.
- Online job search engine: By filtering your search through location and keywords, you can find plenty of suitable opportunities with platforms like Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and SimplyHired.
- Insurance associations: Organizations such as the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), or the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) offer unique opportunities for networking, further training, as well as job listings and so much more.
- Networking: Networking is king! And with a powerhouse of a platform like LinkedIn, you'll be able to connect with industry experts and potential employers from the comfort of your home.
- Specialized publications: Apart from occasional job postings, media like “Insurance Journal,” “PropertyCasualty360,” or “Insurance Networking News (INN),” can help you stay up-to-date with latest industry trends, news, and strategies.
- Courses & certificates: Online learning platforms like Coursera, Udemy, edX, or even LinkedIn Learning offer a wide selection of courses and certificates that can help you stay sharp and keep developing.
It doesn't matter how many job postings you end up responding to, remember to always custom tailor every single cover letter to align as closely as possible to whatever the job description calls for.
Insurance Agent Cover Letter FAQ
What's the most effective way to showcase my skills in an insurance agent cover letter?
Write about your skills in a real-life context. Don't just say you're great at customer service; give specific examples of how your outstanding service led to increased client satisfaction or retention. Start by describing the situation, which skills you utilized to solve it, and mention what results you achieved.Ideally you'll also support your words with quantifiable results.
Should I use a specific structure for my cover letter?
When it comes to cover letter writing, nothing is set in stone. But we recommend following the structure outlined in our article. It's simple, professional, and it stood the test of time for a reason. Just make sure to always include: a greeting, introduction, main body, conclusion, and sign off.
Should I include my salary requirements in the cover letter?
Unless specifically requested in the job posting, it's usually best to avoid the salary discussion at this stage. You want the focus to be on your skills, experiences and fit for the role. Any further discussions about salary expectations should be left to later stages of job interviews.
How long should my cover letter be?
In this case, less is definitely more. Your cover letter should not exceed one page. Anything longer than that, and your job application goes straight in the bin. Aim for three to four well-crafted paragraphs. The idea behind a cover letter is to pique the hiring manager's interest, not give them your life story. Stay succinct, engaging, and relevant!
Do cover letter formats even matter?
Of course they do! Every single detail of your job application speaks volumes about your professionalism. For example, consistent formatting shows attention to detail. So, stick to a simple, clean font, keep margins even, and use a logical order - your contact details, the date, the recipient's details, then your letter content. But our cover letter templates will take care of any such details.