7 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Claims Career

In a recession, claims people can be at risk for job loss. To trim expenses, insurers and others may look to the claim department for staff reductions as part of overall belt-tightening gestures. Less economic activity may manifest itself in the form of fewer claims. In turn, this phenomenon may create less of a need for claim professionals, prompting companies to lay off staff. How as a claim professional can you recession-proof your career? No failsafe techniques exist, but here are seven tips:

Work your network. Vigorously. Attend claim association meetings and conferences. Get involved. Consider joining a business-networking oriented social networking site such as LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) Attend continuing education conferences when you can. While there, not only learn but mingle. Do more than swap business cards, though that’s a start. Follow up. Tend to relationships. The time to work your network is not after you are laid off or canned.

Treat the boss as customer client #1. Build good karma and positive constituencies throughout your company.

Be an ambassador for your company if you get the chance. If you get an opportunity to speak at an I-Day event, claims conference or participate in an industry function, do it.

Be visible within the company. Get face time. Volunteer for projects or committee work that addresses key parts of the claim operation.

Attend to your personal finances and get them in shape. Build a six-month emergency reserve fund consisting of liquid assets. Nuke all those high-interest credit cards. Take out a home equity line of credit, even if you do not immediately need it.

Update your resume. If it has been a while since you looked at your resume, get it out and dust it off. Bring it current. Update your references.

Dig your headhunter "well" before you're thirsty. Initiate and maintain a relationship with at least one placement specialist, a/k/a “headhunter” while you are gainfully employed. Again, the time to seek one out is not after you get a pink slip.

In today’s economic straits, perhaps the only certainty for claims people is … is the existence of growing uncertainty. By adding value every day, demonstrating one’s worth to the company and heeded the preceding steps, claim professionals can go far in recession-proofing their careers.