Opportunities and Careers with SAMS & Associates

Sams & Associates has a variety of pathways for a skilled claims adjuster to become one of our “Associates”. It doesn’t matter if your experience is as a property adjuster, or a liability adjuster, or both in the form of a multi-line adjuster, and whether that experience was in personal lines or commercial lines. We use employees as well as sub-contractors, and have purchased regional companies whose owner’s were seeking either a retirement strategy or infra-structure support to survive in the current marketplace. We have all of these types currently working with us. While at any given moment, we may or may not be actively seeking to immediately hire, we are always on the look out for talented claims adjuster candidates.

Founded in 1990, Sams & Associates has successfully continued to grow and expand our territory even during the difficult post 9-11 era of insurance industry expense control, and the more recent economic recession. In fact, our revenues for fiscal year-end 2009 were the highest we’ve ever had. We currently serve all of California and Nevada, but are actively looking to expand further. Our next goal includes expansion into Oregon and Washington, to be followed by Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. However, opportunities and situations may dictate a change in this sequence. We invite you review our basic requirements and claims adjuster opportunities listed below to see if a career with Sams & Associates may be a good fit for you.

Required Skills and Experience

• When our clients hire Sams & Associates, we consider ourselves to be their claims adjuster “expert” for that claim. As such we do not hire and develop trainees in our industry. There are other independent adjusting firms that specialize in that. We endeavor to be a uniquely qualified and professionally exceptional group of experienced insurance adjusters and investigators.
  
• We require at least 5 years of actual recent field experience adjusting claims outside of the office, for most positions. The experience in the field is important, and is vastly different from the duties and decisions an adjuster would make working at a desk full-time. However, if you have experience at a desk as an examiner, and also 5 years of recent field experience, then you might be especially skilled at understanding what our typical carrier client needs, and how to deliver that product.
  
• Computer literacy is a must. You must be able to navigate around your internet browser. Efficient keyboarding and use of short cuts and hot-keys will make you much more efficient, and optimize your earning power by allowing you to pack in billable time efficiently.
  
• Advanced skill with MS Word, MS Excel, and Outlook email is essential. If you don’t know how to Sum a column of figures in Excel, or justify the margins of a paragraph in Word, you will be at a disadvantage.
  
• Typing skill is necessary. Our adjusters generally type their own reports. You must be able to produce a page of text in a reasonable amount of time.
  
• Writing skill is important. Grammatically awkward structure will not convey a sense of professionalism in your reports, and likely confuse the reader. Poor spelling and grammatical errors will slow down the processing of your reports. You must be able to accurately paint a word picture of what you observed during your inspections; drawing accurate conclusions and emphasizing the salient points while commenting appropriately on the non-relevant points.
  
• You must be coachable. The ability to graciously accept feedback and follow directions accurately is a crucial factor in your success as a claims adjuster at Sams. As a team member, your attitude and morale is infectious. We find that associates who are closed-minded or consistently negative soon find they have no clients willing to use them, and no managers willing to work with them. On the other hand, associates with positive attitudes and cheerful demeanors, who can humbly accept instruction and supervision, add value to themselves and experience a steady growth in income.

Positions

Sub-Contractor

• Sams often contracts with independent sub-contractors in order to provide the highest skilled claims adjuster available where needed.
  
• This allows us to associate with some of the best insurance adjusters in the market, who may not be interested in working exclusively with Sams.
  
• And this gives us access to experienced claims adjusters in remote areas who have other primary occupations and couldn’t be supported by Sams work exclusively.
  
• Sub-contractors provide their own equipment, work their own hours, pay their own payroll and income taxes, are free to pursue other work that doesn’t present an actual or perceived conflict-of-interest, and are free to accept or reject assignments as desired.
  
• Sub-contractors are not directly supervised except as to how to interface with Sams’ systems, and produce the reports according to Sams formats.
  
• Sub-contractors work from their home and provide their own transportation. 
  
• Sub-contractors are paid a premium commission on billable hours. Only billable time and billable mileage are paid. Other business expenses are not reimbursed.
  
• Sams is always on the look out for quality multi-line or Property or Liability insurance adjusters with significant experience, no matter where located. 
  
• Send resumes to

Employee

• Sams & Associates generally utilizes employee claims adjusters working from their homes throughout our territory.
  
• Assignments are directed to employees first, where available and as appropriate to the claim.
  
• The job requires use of computer, multi-function printer-scanner, digital camera, digital recorder and cell phone.  Most candidates these days come equipped with these items, but we can assist as needed.
  
• An Employee and Associate claims adjuster is paid a commission on billable hours (i.e. “T&E”).  Your efficiency and timeliness will affect your earning potential.
  
• Benefits include the following:
• • Group Medical: Sams pays 50% of the employee premium of the base plan.  The employee pays the other 50% (pre-tax) and any additional costs for plan upgrade or dependents.
  • Supplemental Insurance offerings through AFLAC, paid by the employee.  Some of these are pre-tax deductions.
  • Personal Time Off accrual.  Even Time & Expense adjusters can accumulate PTO hours to use for taking time off.
  • Client or Employee referral incentives.
  • Educational assistance incentives.
  • 401k plan
    
• We hire for both Full-time and Part-time positions.
  
• Often, retired or semi-retired adjusters can find a perfect fit with their lifestyle and their preference for occasional or seasonal work.
  
• Sams & Associates abides by all applicable state and federal employment regulations.
  
• Sams & Associates is an “At-Will” employer.
• Resumes should be submitted directly to

CAT Adjuster

• Sams & Associates has developed a CAT team of qualified and certified claims adjusters to respond to local or out-of-state Catastrophe losses.
  
• Deployments out-of-state may last from a few weeks to several months.
  
• The work involves long days, 7 days a week, living in and working from hotel rooms.
  
• However, the earnings potential can be extraordinary.
  
• If you have an interest in being an on-call claims adjuster in our CAT team pool, Sams may have a great opportunity for you.
  
• Contact us at

Temp Adjuster

• Sams & Associates also provides temporary adjusting and staffing services to our preferred clients. 
  
• Assignments to work in our client facilities may last for a few days or many months. 
  
• You would be an employee of Sams & Associates and receive full wage and benefits as such.
  
• You would also gain valuable industry experience and client knowledge.
  
• Contact us at

Business Owners

Sams & Associates has a track record of successful mergers, acquisitions and joint venture projects with local or regional independent claims adjusting organizations.

If you are a small or regional IA owner/operator, and looking for an exit strategy, or if marketing and administration has become an unbearable burden, contact us to discuss the various options available to team up with Sams & Associates to everyone’s benefit, including your clients and employees.

Contact one of our officers for a confidential discussion about your needs and desires:

• Don Sams, President - 916-799-7267
  
• Bob Lund, COO         - 916-837-4484
  
• Steve Anderson, VP  - 925-980-5911
  
• Chet Davis, VP         - 916-216-6808
  

Please Note: The above summary descriptions are not a complete and exhaustive listing of our hiring criteria.  All candidates would be subject to an application process which would minimally include submitting a formal application, screening, interviewing and a vetting process by Sams & Associates management.