The work of an insurance professional can be quite challenging, especially if you don’t have up-to-date knowledge and skills. While your pre-licensing education will go a long way towards equipping you with the most important information and skills for success in your career, these aren’t everything you need.
That’s why the licensing board in your state may require you to continue your education every once in a while. Failing to meet this educational requirement can put your licence at risk. That said, here’s what you can do to obtain the required CE hours successfully.
1. Understand the Requirements
It will be difficult to take and complete your CE course or similar program if you don’t understand the requirements. That’s why it should be a top priority for you to familiarise yourself with your state’s mandates to remain compliant and avoid potential penalties. Besides, different states have different requirements, thus you don’t want to purchase any continuing education course only to discover it doesn’t include the right topics for your state, for instance.
The best way to do this would be to check official resources like the state’s insurance department website and similar platforms for clear-cut CE requirements and other guidelines. Alternatively, get a premium Insurance Continuing Education course from an accredited provider like RocketCert. This gives you the guarantee you’re taking a board-approved course.
2. Choose the Right Course
Different course providers have different programs, each with a specific level of difficulty or appeal. You want to take a course that’s so interesting, you won’t need additional motivation to complete it. That’s why you should choose a course that’s not only relevant to your area of expertise but also one that aligns with your interests.
For this, you will need to consider factors like the course content, provider’s reputation, and course format to ensure there’s a format that fits your preferred learning style. A course that aligns with your professional goal is typically the best choice since you’ll want to get serious to give yourself the best chance to succeed in your career.
3. Plan Early and Stick to the Plan
Procrastination will be your greatest enemy when trying to reach the minimum credits required within the set deadlines. That’s why you should establish a consistent study schedule. Doing so helps you manage your time better and gives you the best chance at having steady progress toward completing your CE credits.
So, here’s what you should do:
- Set clear objectives: This helps you determine what to accomplish in each study session.
- Have clear time slots: You’ll want to dedicate specific time periods each week for your studies. Treat these as non-negotiable appointments.
- Prioritise courses: Where applicable identify the courses that align with your professional goals and address them early in your schedule.
- Be flexible: Since life’s unpredictable, add some flexibility to accommodate unforeseen events without derailing your progress.
4. Track Your Progress
How do you know whether you’re on the right track to success if you don’t track your progress? The best way to meet all your objectives within the ideal timeline is to track each step of your journey. Have a tracking system, whether that’s a paper planner, spreadsheet, or app, to monitor important milestones, courses you’ve completed, any upcoming deadlines, and the remaining credits.
Not only that but tracking your progress also helps you know if you’ve earned more credits than required. That’s important if your state allows you to use some of the extra credits during the next renewal cycle. The bottom line here is that keeping track of your progress will make it easier to stay organised and avoid nasty surprises.
Reach Your CE Goals With RocketCert
Required or not required, continuing education is a crucial element for success in any insurance agent’s career. While often challenging due to the specific deadlines, a bit of planning, organisation, and the right approach will come in pretty handy in helping you reach your goals.
RocketCert also tries to simplify your study processes by offering expertly written CE courses that are also fully narrated. That way, you’ll understand the content easily and have fun while studying.
