Most new adjusters think passing the state exam is the hard part. It is not.
The hard part starts the moment you get your first claim. That is when you realize you have no idea what to say to a policyholder, no idea what to look for on an inspection, and no clue how to deal with an insurance carrier that does not want to pay.
At PB Adjusting, we have trained plenty of new adjusters over the past eight years. Some came in licensed but unprepared. Others came in green with zero experience. The ones who stuck around had one thing in common. They learned fast and they learned the right things.
If you are just getting started, here is what you actually need to know in your first 30 to 60 days. No fluff. Just facts.
Get Comfortable Talking to People
This job is not about hiding behind paperwork. You will be in living rooms and kitchens. You will be on the phone with people who are stressed, confused, or angry. Your job is to be calm, clear, and in control.
That means you need to know how to explain the claims process in plain language. You need to learn how to ask the right questions without sounding robotic. And you need to build trust fast.
If you cannot communicate, you cannot adjust.
Learn to Walk a Property the Right Way
Your first inspection is not the time to guess. You need to know what to look at, what to photograph, and how to measure it properly.
At Adjusting Academy, we walk you through how to document wind, hail, water, and fire damage. We show you how to use your phone the right way. We show you what the insurance company will try to pick apart later, and how to get ahead of it.
This is not theory. This is how we do it in the field every week.
Understand What the Carrier Is Trying to Do
Here is a truth no one teaches in a state exam course. The insurance carrier’s goal is to pay as little as possible. Every letter they send, every question they ask, every delay they create is part of a playbook.
You need to learn how to recognize it, anticipate it, and push back when necessary. Not with emotion, but with facts. With policy. With documentation that forces them to pay.
We teach you that because we live it every day.
Xactimate Basics Are Not Optional
No, you do not need to be a level three certified estimator out the gate. But you do need to know how to write a basic scope of loss and understand how estimates are structured.
More importantly, you need to know how to read a carrier’s estimate and spot what they left out. That alone can make the difference between a five thousand dollar check and a twenty five thousand dollar settlement.
Learn the Claims Process Start to Finish
From intake to inspection to submission to negotiation. You need to understand the rhythm of a claim. Who sends what. When to follow up. What to say and when to say it.
The process is not hard, but it is easy to screw up if you are winging it. A missed phone call or a late follow-up can cost your client thousands. Worse, it can cost you the claim.
At Adjusting Academy, we train you on the real-world flow of a file. The stuff you cannot learn from YouTube.
The Bottom Line
You are not just filling out forms. You are leading a process that determines whether someone gets paid or gets left behind.
That means your mindset matters. Your attention to detail matters. And your willingness to get uncomfortable and learn fast matters.
If you are ready to go from licensed to field-ready, we will show you how to get there.
Because at Adjusting Academy, we are not guessing what works. We are teaching what we built at PB Adjusting to win claims every day.