Claims Handler and Loss Adjuster CV Examples & Writing Guide
A claims handler or loss adjuster CV is judged on file numbers and qualifications. Managers want your open caseload, average claim value, cycle time and file audit score, plus your CII or CILA qualifications and the systems you work in. Everything else is background.
Claims handler CV example (property loss adjuster and motor desk)
The adjuster below is invented. What is real is the structure: qualifications line at the top, caseload and cycle time in every job, and the claims systems named. A claims manager staffing a team needs to know how many files you can carry and whether you already know the rules the files are audited against.
Erin M. Castellano, Cert CII
Property Loss Adjuster (Field)
Leeds · 07700 900158 | e.castellano@email.com | Cert CII | CILA exams in progress | Full UK driving licence
Summary
Claims professional with nine years handling property and motor losses, currently carrying 110 to 130 open domestic and small commercial property files with an average claim value around £9,500. Closes at a 14-day average cycle time with a 96% file audit score, and has worked three surge deployments after named storms and floods. Cert CII qualified, studying for CILA membership, and fluent in Symbility and Guidewire.
Experience
Property Loss Adjuster (Field) · Independent loss adjusting firm (insurer-appointed, Yorkshire and the North East)
Apr 2022 - Present
- Carries 110 to 130 open domestic and small commercial property claims, average value around £9,500, with a 14-day average cycle time against a 19-day target.
- Visits 6 to 9 losses a week including storm-damaged roofs, escape of water and fire, writing scopes and repair estimates in Symbility and reporting to the appointing insurer.
- Scores 96% on quarterly file audits across 24 reviewed files, with no policy cover errors cited in two years.
- Set reserves within 5% of the final settlement on 9 out of 10 files, keeping reserve movement inside the insurer's threshold.
- Worked 3 surge deployments after named storms and river flooding, closing 218 claims in a 6-week deployment while keeping to documentation standards.
- Referred 14 files to insurers' counter-fraud teams with supporting evidence; 6 resulted in a declined claim or a negotiated reduction.
Motor Claims Handler · UK motor insurer (claims centre, Leeds)
Jun 2019 - Apr 2022
- Handled 140 to 160 open motor files covering own-damage claims and third-party property damage.
- Made liability decisions on 40 to 50 new losses a month using recorded statements, photos, dashcam footage, police reports and the Highway Code.
- Recovered £480,000 from third-party insurers across the role by identifying recovery opportunities at first review rather than at closing.
- Settled 88% of third-party property damage claims without solicitor involvement, keeping the litigation rate below the team average.
- Processed 60+ total losses using trade-guide valuations and Category S and N write-off rules, and explained settlement figures to policyholders in plain English.
Claims Assistant · UK motor insurer (claims centre, Leeds)
Aug 2017 - Jun 2019
- Took first notification of loss on 45 to 60 calls a day, setting up files in Guidewire ClaimCenter and running a CUE (Claims and Underwriting Exchange) check on each.
- Requested police reports, booked 20 to 25 vehicle inspections a week and chased documents to keep files moving towards the handler.
Education
BSc (Hons) Business Management (Risk Management pathway), 2:1
University in the North of England, 2017
Certifications
- CII Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII), 2019
- CII Diploma in Insurance (Dip CII), 4 of 6 units passed
- CILA (Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters) exams in progress, student member
- Symbility property estimating training (2022)
- Working at height and roof inspection safety training (2023)
- Annual CPD logged and current; FCA Consumer Duty and vulnerable customers training, 2026
Skills
What claims managers check first
Claims leadership manages by numbers, so they read CVs the same way. Four things decide whether you get a screening call.
- Qualifications and progress. Cert CII, Dip CII, ACII or CILA membership, and whether your CPD is current. This is the quickest yes or no in the whole process.
- Caseload and claim value. Open file count and average claim value tell a manager which team you fit. A 60-file complex commercial caseload is a different job from a 180-file motor desk.
- Quality numbers. File audit score, cycle time, reserve accuracy, litigation rate, closing ratio, customer satisfaction or complaint rate. Handlers who quote these have clearly been managed to them.
- Systems. Guidewire, Duck Creek, Symbility, Xactimate, Audatex, CUE. Naming the exact platform saves weeks of training and recruiters search on it literally.
- Line of business. Motor own damage, motor personal injury, home and property, commercial property, public and employers' liability. These are separate careers, so be clear which one you have done.
“Give me your pending, your severity and your audit score. Adjusters who write those three numbers have been run properly and know what good looks like. The CVs that just say 'investigated and settled claims' could be describing anyone from a trainee to a large loss specialist.”
Claims handler personal statement and career objective examples
Three sentences: line of business plus years, then your caseload and one quality metric, then qualifications and systems. Managers read this block and then look for the qualifications line, so both have to be there.
Property loss adjuster with nine years handling domestic and small commercial losses, carrying 110 to 130 open files at an average claim value near £9,500. Closes at a 14-day cycle time with a 96% file audit score and has worked three surge deployments after storms and floods. Cert CII qualified, studying for CILA membership, Symbility trained.
Motor claims handler with five years on own-damage and third-party property damage claims, handling 140 to 160 open files. Makes liability decisions on 40 to 50 new losses a month and settled 88% of third-party property damage claims without solicitor involvement. Works in Guidewire ClaimCenter and Audatex.
Casualty claims handler on motor and public liability personal injury files with settlement authority to £40,000. Values claims using medical reports and the Judicial College Guidelines, negotiates with claimant solicitors on 25 to 30 offers a quarter, and has taken 12 files through mediation. Dip CII qualified with CPD current.
Technical claims reviewer with six years checking and approving adjusters' reports and estimates on property losses up to £200,000. Audits 40 files a month for cover accuracy and estimate scope, and has trained 8 new handlers on the team's quality standard.
Customer service adviser with three years in insurance policy support, moving into claims handling. Holds the CII Award in General Insurance, is studying for Cert CII, and has taken first notification of loss on 40 calls a day. Available for surge work after weather events and willing to travel.
Claims handler bullet points: weak and strong
Almost every claims CV uses the same four verbs: investigated, assessed, negotiated, settled. On their own they mean nothing. Add the file count, the pound figure, the standard you were measured against, and the result.
| The generic bullet | The bullet that gets a screening call |
|---|---|
| Investigated and settled insurance claims. | Carried 110 to 130 open property files at an average claim value near £9,500 with a 14-day cycle time against a 19-day target. |
| Inspected damage and prepared estimates. | Visited 6 to 9 losses a week including roofs, escape of water and fire, writing scopes and estimates in Symbility for the appointing insurer. |
| Determined cover and liability. | Made liability decisions on 40 to 50 new motor losses a month using recorded statements, photos, dashcam footage and the Highway Code. |
| Set and maintained reserves. | Set reserves within 5% of the final settlement on 9 out of 10 files, keeping reserve movement inside the team threshold. |
| Negotiated settlements with claimants. | Settled 88% of third-party property damage claims without solicitor involvement, holding the litigation rate below the team average. |
| Identified potential fraud. | Referred 14 files to the counter-fraud team with supporting evidence; 6 ended in a declined claim or negotiated reduction. |
| Handled recoveries. | Recovered £480,000 from third-party insurers across the role by flagging recovery opportunities at first review rather than at closing. |
| Maintained file quality standards. | Scored 96% on quarterly file audits across 24 reviewed files, with no policy cover errors cited in two years. |
| Worked weather event claims. | Closed 218 claims during a 6-week surge deployment after a named storm while holding documentation and photo standards. |
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Skills for a claims handler CV
Group them into the technical claim work, the systems and the negotiation side. Twelve to sixteen items, all things you could be asked about on a file review.
- Claims handling: policy cover analysis and interpretation, liability decisions, split liability, damage assessment, scope writing, indemnity and reinstatement, betterment, underinsurance and average, reserve setting, reservation of rights and declinature letters, total loss handling, recoveries and salvage.
- Systems: Guidewire ClaimCenter, Duck Creek, Symbility, Xactimate, Audatex, CUE and other industry fraud databases, aerial and drone imagery tools, and your insurer's document management system.
- Investigation: recorded statements, site and photo documentation, police and fire service report review, medical reports for injury files, witness interviews, counter-fraud referral criteria and fraud indicators.
- The human part: telling a homeowner their claim is partly declined and having them still understand why, negotiating with contractors and loss assessors, staying steady under a large caseload, spotting vulnerable customers, and writing a file note a stranger could pick up cold.
Qualifications, FCA rules and how to list them
There is no individual adjuster licence in the UK. Insurers are regulated by the FCA and stay responsible for the claims that brokers, outsourced claims firms and loss adjusters handle for them, so you work to the insurer's standards and your employer's arrangements. What managers look for instead is professional qualifications and proof that you know the rules claims are judged by.
- CII Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII): the usual first qualification for claims handlers. List it with the year, or the units passed if you are part way through.
- Diploma in Insurance (Dip CII) and Advanced Diploma (ACII): the next steps, worth listing in progress as well as complete, with the number of units passed. ACII plus experience leads to Chartered Insurance Practitioner status.
- Loss adjusters: CILA, the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, runs the profession's exams and membership grades. Say which grade you hold or which exams you have passed.
- FCA claims rules: insurers must handle claims promptly and fairly, give reasonable guidance and not unreasonably reject a claim (ICOBS 8). The Consumer Duty adds a focus on good customer outcomes. A line showing you work to these standards is worth having.
- Complaints and the Financial Ombudsman Service: if you handle complaints or files that reached the Ombudsman, say how many and what the uphold rate was.
- Personal injury files: experience with the Claims Portal, the Official Injury Claim service and the Judicial College Guidelines is asked about directly.
- Software training for property estimating (Symbility, Xactimate) and roof or working at height safety training, both of which property teams ask about.
- CPD should never be described as current when it is not. Employers check qualifications with the CII or CILA and will ask for your CPD record.
Entry-level claims handler CV with no experience
This is one of the most searched questions in the field, and the answer is encouraging: you do not need a licence, and insurers, brokers and outsourced claims firms all run trainee claims handler roles. A short CII qualification on your CV puts you ahead, because it shows you will stay.
- 1Start with a CII qualification. The Award in General Insurance is a short first step, and Cert CII is what most claims teams ask for once you are in.
- 2Add the basics of the work. A short course on claims handling or property estimating software shows you know what the day actually consists of.
- 3Write a career objective that leads with the qualification, not with enthusiasm. "CII Award in General Insurance, studying for Cert CII" is the first thing a manager wants to see.
- 4Reframe the work you have. Customer service, collections, banking, construction, motor repair, nursing and the police all map onto claims work in ways managers recognise.
- 5Say you will help in a surge. After big storms and floods, insurers and loss adjusters take on extra staff, and willingness to travel or work overtime makes you hireable.
- 6Apply to insurers, brokers and loss adjusting firms. Insurer trainee schemes are structured; outsourced claims firms and loss adjusters often take newcomers faster, especially after major weather events.
Customer service adviser with three years in insurance policy support, moving into claims handling. Holds the CII Award in General Insurance and is studying for Cert CII. Available for surge work and travel, with a full UK driving licence for field inspection work.
Estimated and managed 40+ domestic repair projects a year including roofing, water damage restoration and interior reinstatement, pricing labour and materials from a measured scope, which maps directly to property loss estimating.
Took 45 to 60 inbound insurance calls a day, explained cover and excesses to policyholders in plain English, and recorded every contact in the insurer's system to an audit standard.
Motor, property, injury or technical review: change the top of the page
Claims splits into lines of business that hire separately. Keep one master CV and rewrite the first third for the line you are applying to.
- Motor own damage: lead with open file count, estimating platform, total loss volume and hire car management. Speed and volume are the measures here.
- Home and property: lead with claim value, estimating software, site visit volume, escape of water and storm experience, and surge deployments.
- Personal injury and casualty: lead with settlement authority, valuation of medical evidence, offer volume, negotiation with claimant solicitors and litigation rate.
- Commercial and major loss: lead with claim value range, business interruption exposure, cover complexity and coordination with experts and engineers.
- Employers' liability: lead with injury and disease claims experience, rehabilitation and return to work coordination, and Claims Portal deadlines.
- Technical claims reviewer or team leader: lead with the number of files reviewed a month, the authority level you approved to, and the quality standard you enforced.
Format, length and keywords
- Two pages is the UK norm for experienced claims staff; one page is fine for trainees and anyone with under three years.
- Plain single column, reverse chronological, no photo and no date of birth. Insurer portals parse CVs into their own forms and break on columns.
- Put your qualifications near the top, and repeat them in a qualifications block with years and units passed.
- Mirror the advert's words exactly: caseload, claim value, cycle time, first notification of loss, policy cover, reservation of rights, recoveries, counter-fraud, indemnity, reserve accuracy, file audit, Consumer Duty.
- Name every system you have used by product name. "Claims software" does not match a search for "Guidewire".
- If you have worked surge deployments, group them: "Surge deployments: 3 (named storms and floods, 2022 to 2024), 218 claims closed in a 6-week deployment." That reads better than a list of short jobs.
- Save as PDF with your name in the filename, and keep a plain-text version for portals that reject formatting.
Final check: could a claims manager work out your caseload, your line of business and your qualifications in ten seconds? If not, move those three facts higher and cut something else.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a claims handler CV?
Lead with a personal statement carrying your line of business, open caseload, one quality metric and your qualifications. Write job bullets with file counts, claim values, cycle time and audit scores rather than the usual investigate and settle wording. Name every claims system by product name and keep it to two pages at most.
What is a good claims handler personal statement?
Three sentences: years and line of business, then caseload with a quality number, then qualifications and systems. For example, a property loss adjuster might open with 110 to 130 open files at a £9,500 average claim value, a 14-day cycle time, Cert CII and CILA exams in progress.
What skills should a claims handler put on a CV?
Policy cover analysis, liability decisions, damage assessment and scope writing, reserve setting, recoveries, and fraud indicators with counter-fraud referral. Add the systems: Guidewire, Duck Creek, Symbility, Audatex, CUE. Then the negotiation and communication side, which is what separates good handlers from fast ones.
How do I become a claims handler with no experience?
Apply for trainee claims handler roles at insurers, brokers and outsourced claims firms, and start a CII qualification such as the Award in General Insurance or Cert CII. Lead your CV with that qualification and any customer service or trade experience, say you can help in a surge after big weather events, and apply to loss adjusting firms as well.
What is the claims handler job description for a CV?
Written as duties performed: taking or reviewing first notification of loss, checking cover against the policy, inspecting or assessing damage, setting reserves, taking recorded statements, deciding liability, writing estimates, negotiating settlements within authority, pursuing recoveries and documenting each file to audit standard.
Do I need a licence to be a claims handler or loss adjuster?
No. The UK has no individual licence for claims handlers or loss adjusters. Your employer works within FCA rules, including the requirement to handle claims promptly and fairly and the Consumer Duty, and trains you on them. Professional qualifications from the CII or CILA are what employers look for instead.
How long should a claims handler CV be?
One page if you have under three years, two pages once you have worked several lines of business or hold Dip CII or above. Two pages is standard in the UK and accepted in claims, because qualifications and system experience take real space.
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How this page was made: a first draft was written with AI assistance from cvplex's example library, then edited and fact-checked by the cvplex Careers Team. Examples are fictional composites; numbers are illustrative. Report an error via the editorial policy page.