You have decided to try the agent's path, but you are standing at the entrance without knowing what the first step is. This article sets out what a new agent needs to do, in order — from the paperwork to the habits that decide whether you survive.

Step 1: sit the exam and obtain the licence

The formal starting point is the training and knowledge examination for a life insurance agent's licence from the OIC, covering life insurance principles, the relevant law, and professional ethics. After that you apply to join the insurance company that will be your principal. The process and the fees follow the current announcements [check the latest information].

Step 2: learn the products thoroughly before going out

Before your first conversation with a client, you should be able to explain the main plans you will sell with genuine understanding: the cover, the conditions, the exclusions, and who each suits. An agent who answers hard questions straightforwardly is the agent clients recommend onwards. Spend enough time on this stage — don't rush it.

Step 3: build your first prospect list

List everyone you know, without judging yet who might buy. Then group them by who is at a stage of life likely to need cover — a new baby, a new house, or a tax bill starting to bite. The goal of the early period is not to make sales immediately but to practise talking about insurance naturally and to take a lesson from every meeting.

Step 4: set up your own working system

Independent work survives on systems, not moods. Three things to have from the first week:

  • A daily schedule — set times for prospecting, meetings and follow-up, as routine as a salaried job.
  • Client records — any tool you will use consistently, from a notebook to an app, so that follow-ups don't slip.
  • Your own financial accounts — irregular income demands more discipline around reserves and tax than a salaried job does.

Step 5: find the right coach and community

New agents with a good mentor, learning in the field alongside someone experienced, usually get through the first year better than those going it alone. Choose a unit or team with a clear system for training, and never stop developing — renewing the licence each cycle, and taking further training.

In short

The new agent's path comes down to five things: the licence, the knowledge, the list, the system, and a mentor. With all five in place, the rest is consistency. The first year may not be easy, but every client meeting is a lesson that accumulates into expertise. If you would like to swap experiences about this path, let's talk.