Claims Officer

A claims officer arranges settlement of insurance claims made by clients against their policies. They assess the validity of claims by interviewing clients or their representatives and obtaining evidence.

What you would do:

Claims officers carry out clerical and other functions associated with insurance transactions.

There are two broad types of insurance: life insurance which can provide an investment and/or life and disability protection; and general insurance which can cover a variety of events and property (such as fire, water damage, theft of goods and property, marine cover, sickness, accident and liability cover).

You need to be:

• a person with an aptitude for numbers and calculations
• of sound judgment
• able to pay attention to detail
• a person with good communication skills
• a person with an aptitude for working with computers.

You will require:

You can work as an insurance claims officer without formal qualifications but most employers require completion of your HSC/ACT Year 12. You will probably get some informal training on the job. However, entry to this occupation may be improved if you have qualifications such as a Certificate IV in Financial Services (General Insurance) or a Diploma of Financial Services (General Insurance).

Improve your chances by:

Career opportunities exist in most insurance companies. An entrant to an insurance company generally commences as a clerk and then can progress to positions such as claims officer.

What you will earn:

Claims Officers generally earn between $45 000 and $48 000 per annum.

Long term Possibilites:

Once you are employed, you may be able to develop, and have recognised, additional skills under the Financial Services Training Package that will expand your career opportunities within this industry.