After a 14-year career in professional baseball, Josh Kroeger, UACIC has transitioned careers into the risk management and insurance industry. During a recent interview, Josh was asked what lead him to become interested in risk management and insurance. He replied, “Honestly, I sort of fell into it after I decided I wasn’t interested in pursuing a career in banking. I began as a finance major at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University) and decided to change my degree to risk management. I knew that I wanted to be as specific as possible with my focus, in an industry that would continue to remain strong. I never thought I would be working in insurance/risk management.”
Josh graduated from MTSU in December 2019 with a degree in risk management and insurance and a minor in business administration. While a student there, Josh also earned his University Associate Certified Insurance Counselor (UACIC) designation. The National Alliance Research Academy designed this unique University Associate Program to support educational institutions in their efforts to attract college students into the risk management and insurance industry.
Josh says that he enjoys the aspects of problem solving and weighing the risks associated with different types of businesses, and that is what excites him most about the industry. He is surprised by how much there is to know about insurance and how little people know about it. Josh says that he enjoys consulting with people on the topic of insurance and guiding them through the process.
Now that he has graduated, he plans to go into the sales and production side of the business. In the year before he graduated, he held two internship positions in sales and he currently works in a marketing/sales position. Josh believes the best benefit an employer can offer to a person starting out in marketing/sales is time and support. He indicated how difficult it is to just hit the ground running in a sales position, particularly if that person has not had any prior experience with sales or insurance.
Josh plans to continue his pursuit of professional education by earning his CIC designation. He takes pride in knowing the facts and being knowledgeable, and he believes knowledge can be a key component in sales success.
