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Whether you are a longtime insurance agent or new to the profession, the pointers below are sure to boost the effectiveness of your insurance sales resume. 1. PROOFREAD CAREFULLY. Any good insurance agent must have an eye for detail. Your resume is your first impression, and if it is riddled with careless mistakes or poor grammar, you can be sure your potential employer will choose from among the other candidates. Have a friend or colleague proofread your resume before you submit it, since it can be difficult to catch your own errors. 2. LET THEM KNOW YOU CAN SELL. Sure your education is important, and your job experience counts for something too, but your employer really wants someone who can close sales. Indeed, regardless of your qualifications, it is your ability to make a sale that will most impress. So make sure your resume highlights your salesmanship. 3. SAY IT WITH NUMBERS. Whenever you have a chance, quantify your accomplishments in numeric form. Include your GPA (if greater than 3.5), closing percentages, corporate rankings, etc. Anytime you have a number that positively represents your ability, put down on paper. 4. STREAMLINE FOR EASY SKIMMING. Supposedly the typical hiring manager devotes less than twenty seconds to a resume. It merely takes a quick skim to efficiently narrow the pool of applicants to a more manageable level. Make sure your most important information stands out so you make the initial cut. 5. DON’T SKIMP ON DETAILS. You want your resume to be easy to read, using lists and bullet points, but you also want enough substance to hold a reader’s attention a second time through. Adding detailed content helps a reader form a more accurate picture of you, and really brings your insurance sales resume to the next level. 6. STICK TO STANDARD FONTS AND STAY AWAY FROM MS WORD TEMPLATES. Word templates are now ubiquitous and overused. If you want your resume to stand apart from others, then take the time to design your own resume. A simple design is sufficient. Additionally, resist the urge to use fancy fonts in an effort to get noticed. Instead stick to a standard typeface. You don’t want your resume to be difficult to read, and you definitely don’t want the font to be the most memorable part of your resume. 7. MENTION EXTRACURRICULARS AND ACHIEVEMENTS. Whether you lecture on financial literacy or have a black belt in karate, you should put it on your insurance resume. Activities and achievements help you stand out and show you are driven and capable. 8. CUSTOMIZE EACH INSURANCE SALES RESUME. Don’t merely make one resume to use. Instead, customize each resume specifically for the job you seek. Take time to learn about the company to which you are applying and use what you find to make your resume more personalized and attractive. 9. DON’T SKIMP ON STATIONERY. Using quality paper makes a big difference. An insurance resume printed on thick, textured stationery is much more impressive than one on a flimsy sheet of paper. Like a handshake, the resume makes your first impression.

When it comes to mortgage financing, more and more Canadians are choosing to work with a professional mortgage broker. According to a recent study by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 23 per cent of mortgages written were arranged through a broker.

Canadians are just catching up with their American neighbors, who are far less likely to simply walk into their home bank for a mortgage. In 2000, almost 70 per cent of all U.S. mortgages were arranged through mortgage brokers.

If we follow the U.S. model – and it seems that we are — then we’re in for a sea of change in the way Canadians manage their most significant personal asset. It makes sense. After all, investment returns aren’t as lucrative as they were five years ago, and investors are seeking out ways to make financial gains through avenues they may have overlooked.

There are some significant benefits to working with an independent mortgage broker. Firstly, let’s compare mortgage expertise: Most banks have one or more representatives who are specifically assigned to assist with mortgages. Their role is to develop mortgage business for the banks. A ontario mortgage broker, on the other hand, is a trained mortgage professional who has met standards for education. The comprehensive training of an independent mortgage broker may exceed the training of their counterparts at the bank. More importantly, the mortgage broker is independent. He or she is not an employee of a lending institution, but has access to rate and option information for a full spectrum of chartered banks and other lending institutions. Their role is to find the best possible mortgage rates and options for you.

Let’s also look at choice: A mortgage broker offers you access to many competitive lenders, each with a range of mortgage options. It would take weeks of research, telephoning and personal visits to recreate the range of features and options that a mortgage broker has at his or her fingertips. Rate information, mortgage options and payment schedules are up-to-the-moment, so you and your broker can make valid comparisons of the options available. The result of all this choice is a mortgage which is customized to meet your needs and to save you money.

Also consider accessibility. Your mortgage broker will be available to you before and after your mortgage closes, which will be good news for those who have spent long hours on hold or in a telephone voice answering loop.

Above all, clients have turned to mortgage brokers for better rates. Access to a broad range of lending institutions is a critical advantage for mortgage shoppers. A quarter-point difference on your mortgage rate can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Many mortgage brokers work inside a brokerage organization with sufficient mortgage volumes that they can negotiate the best possible rates for your situation. Canadian homeowners who have experienced the benefits of a mortgage broker are unlikely to ever return to a world in which they simply accept the best posted rate at their local bank.