Thinking About a Career in Claims? Here’s What You Need to Know

A career in insurance claims is more than just paperwork and policies, it’s about people. At AdStrat, we handle a wide range of claims with speed, accuracy, and compassion. From natural disasters to a pet’s sudden illness, or a travel mishap, our work helps people recover from life’s disruptions.

If you're considering a career in claims here’s what you need to know about the roles, responsibilities, and the rewarding path forward. This article focuses on claims adjusting and examining roles, positions commonly available at AdStrat, but it's worth noting that the claims field includes many other types of roles as well.

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What Do Claims Professionals Actually Do?

Claims professionals are the frontline responders when a policyholder experiences a loss, from a storm damaged home or injured pet to a travel disruption. At AdStrat, our claims professionals fall primarily into two categories: adjusters and file examiners. Both are essential to the claims lifecycle and require strong attention to detail, decision-making skills, and a service-first mindset.

Field & Desk Adjusters

Adjusters investigate and evaluate claims to determine the extent of an insurer’s liability. This may involve:

• Communicating with policyholders and other involved parties

• Reviewing the policy to confirm applicable coverage

• Investigating the circumstances of the claim

• Inspecting damage in the field (onsite) or remotely via digital tools

• Estimating losses and preparing detailed reports

• Preparing reports and recommendations for settlement

Adjusters may work across several lines, including flood, property and casualty (P&C), pet, and travel. In flood and P&C claims, field inspections and in-depth damage assessments are often required. In pet and travel, adjusters focus more on documentation and policy interpretation.

Regardless of the claim type, adjusters must be able to work quickly, thoroughly, and empathetically, especially when policyholders are under stress.

File Examiners

File examiners serve as the second line of oversight, ensuring that claims are handled accurately, consistently, and in compliance with carrier and regulatory guidelines. Their responsibilities include:

• Auditing claim files submitted by adjusters

• Verifying that policy coverage has been applied correctly

• Ensuring documentation is complete and meets carrier, NFIP, or FEMA requirements

• Reviewing estimates for accuracy and fairness

• Flagging discrepancies or compliance concerns

• Coordinating with adjusters to resolve issues before final submission

Examiners play a critical role in maintaining both the integrity and efficiency of the claims process. Their work helps ensure quality control, regulatory compliance, and partner satisfaction across every line of business.

Skills That Make You a Strong Claims Professional

Successful claims professionals often come from a variety of backgrounds, but they tend to share a few key strengths:

• Strong written and verbal communication

• Analytical thinking and attention to detail

• Emotional intelligence and empathy

• Time management and the ability to thrive under pressure

• Comfort with guidelines, standards, and regulatory frameworks

• A commitment to fairness and service

• Adaptability in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment

Prior experience in insurance, construction, veterinary care, or travel services can be a great asset, but it’s not always required. If you bring professionalism, have our core values, and a problem-solving mindset, we can help you build the rest.

Each spring AdStrat hosts a Claims Conference to provide education to new and existing adjusters and examiners, it also gives you a chance to meet our team, and helps to make important industry connections. We also offer additional training and opportunities for learning and growth throughout the year.

How to Get Started

Your entry path will depend on the type of claims you’re interested in:

• Flood Adjusting: Requires FEMA/NFIP certifications (requires 4 years of experience to obtain) and familiarity with water damage assessments. AdStrat offers a mentee program to train those who have not previously handled flood claims.

• Property & Casualty (P&C): Requires state licensing; construction or repair knowledge is highly valuable.

• Pet or Travel Adjusting: Typically requires strong documentation and communication skills. Industry-specific training is provided on the job. For certain opportunities in pet and travel, a state adjuster’s license may be required as well as vet tech experience in the pet claims department.

• File Examination: Prior adjusting experience is helpful and deep understanding of policy interpretation, compliance, and reporting. If handling flood file examination FEMA/NFIP certification may be required.

Many of our best team members didn’t start in insurance, they started in customer-facing or technical roles where accuracy and compassion mattered.

Why Work at AdStrat?

At AdStrat, you’ll find more than a job, you’ll find a team that values doing the right thing, the right way. We believe that together we make a difference.

We offer:

• Opportunities across multiple lines of business

• A remote-first culture with flexibility

• Training support and development pathways

• A professional, values and mission-driven team culture

• A chance to help people every day

• Commitment to continuous growth and education

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re ready to take your claims career to the next steps, reach out to our team to discover the opportunities AdStrat currently has available or to answer any questions you have. Don't forget to keep an eye out for details about our next AdStrat Claims Conference, we'd love to meet you in person!

Contact our team at recruiting@adminstrat.com or visit our Join Our Team page for more information