New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-14
CAREERS FOR THE COMING MEN.
Continued from first page


dustrial-ordinary company is more intricate.
more scientific. and more subdvided into diff
ferent departments on account Of the enormous
number of risks insured. With an industrial
company the number of risks is counted by the
million and the weekly proposals alone
average from twenty to thirty thousand TINS
requires a large machinery for accounting IN
specton, tabulation. analysis. etc, and for TINS
reason the home office Of industrial COM
pany may be said to offer wider field for the
development of individual talent
The field work of ordinary and industrial
agents has much in common. and yet there is
radical difference. Both classes of agents nave
to secure business by personal solicitation. with
this difference, that the former reaches the more
prosperous element of the population. while the
latter is expected to canvass largely among the
families of wage earners people Of small
means This work is thoroughly supervised by
district superintendent and assistant superin-
tendents, who are responsible for the most ef-
fective management Of their respective districts
While the average amount of insurance under
industrial policies is about one-seventeenth Of
that OF the ordinary. the opportunity for insur-
Ing the entire family increases correspondingly
the opportunities for making an agency posi-
ton of material Importance. The usual method
is to transfer to a agent certain amount
PRODUCTION to the business he becomes familiar
with the territory and soon adapts himself to
the local conditions. Promotion is rapid from
the position of an agent to that of an assistant
superintendent. with guaranteed salary. and
to the still higher position of district superin-
tendent. Very little technical education is re-
quired for Industrial field work. and the chief
elements of success are energy, tact and integ-
rity
Additional attractions for employment as life
insurance field workers are the opportunity for
outdoor life. contact with different elements of
the population and perhaps most of all. the
certainty of finding remuneratfve employment
in any part of the country-in fact, in almost
any part of the civilized world. A good solicitor
for life insurance can secure a paying position
anywhere. and he will be readily employed if he
can furnish sd satisfactory references and creden-
tials
Ordinary solicitors require a fairly thorough
technical instruction in the general principles
and practice of insurance. since the large va
riety of plans of insurance offered to the pub
lie by different companies makes competition
very keen, and success often depends upon a
perfect knowledge of the intricacies of the bust
ness. The more thoroughly the ordinary solicit
tor realizes the necessity for personal canvass
ing the more likely 1t is that success will be at
tanned The business cannot be advantageously
carried on in connection with other employment.
An agent should understand the fundamental
principles of life insurance and have a thorough
knowledge OF every plan of insurance sold by his
company and its chief competitors The men
who succeed best those who limit themselves
in their arguments to a straightforward state
me1t of the facts in the case-in other words to
the cost of insurance and the results to be real
lied by the insured. Men who adapt themselves
to the exgencies of the occupation are practi-
cally certain to meet with modest success, and
reasona bly, certain to meet with more than aver
age success. such would follow corresponding
efforts in other directions.
The general status of the life insurance So
licitor has very materially improved within re-
cent years. largely because of the superior class
of men who attracted to this calling.
The arguments in favor of insurance have be-
come more intelligent. the literature distributed
for the information of the public has been freed
from technicalities and from controversial ar
guments, while at the time the pub
lie at large has become more thoroughly familiar
with the value and advantages of life insurance
protection. Other things equal. it is safe to say
that the best success is attained in communities
in which large number OF companies are rep
resented and actively engaged in the extension
of their business. To agents. industrial as
selves to conditions under which success is
granted, the business offers to-day exceptional
opportunities for remunerative employment and
for rapid promotion to higher grades Of field
management to the administrative branch of
the business, probably so than in banks
railways other financial and commercial en-
terprises
The general management of a life insurance
company is under a board of directors or trus
tees. according to the character of the institu-
tion-whether proprietary mutual. The direct
administration is In charge of officers and Off
ciais. TO each OF whom specific duties are as
signed. The presidents duty is to maintain a
general supervision over and direction of the
in the field. but in particular he give his at
tention to the care and investment of the
panys funds and to other financial transactions
"a great and far-reaching responsibility.
The vast office machinery of a large company is
exceedingly complex. and readily separated
into its integral parts. but speaking generally.
there usually three groups of oficers-the
first being in charge of the office and field ad-
ministrato1, the second representing law,
finance and real estate and the third the actu-
arial. medical and statistical departments.
The ordinary field administration is always
under the immediate direction of an executive
officer. usually OF the vice presidents. The
territory is divided into sections each of which
is in charge of a manager who will have
under him the general and special agents.
whose principal duty 10 to solicit for new
insurance. Ordinary agents are not paid a
salary but they receive a commission on
new policies secured and renewal in
terest IN the subsequent premiums paid. In this
manner permanent relations established be-