30/12/2025
When I resigned from government service and left the corporate world to enter sales, particularly the insurance industry, I promised myself that I would return to government work someday. That plan never materialized. Not because I failed, but because I discovered a reality that forced me to reassess what work, income, and growth truly mean.
In insurance and sales, I learned a hard truth early: income is not capped. Five years of fixed salary can be earned in one year, sometimes even less. This is not theory. It is math. Commissions are directly tied to performance, not tenure or position. There is money in sales. There is money in insurance. Yet paradoxically, most people who enter the industry never make it.
Why?
Because insurance is not a simple sales job. It is not about convincing people to buy a product, and it is certainly not just about being good at talking to people or knowing how to casually chat or “makipag-cheka.” The industry requires competence. You cannot ethically sell insurance without understanding finance, economics, risk management, and long-term planning. Before you offer a policy, you must first offer sound financial advice. That responsibility alone filters out those who are not willing to study, learn, and think critically.
Many enter the industry believing that their personal network is enough. They assume that relatives, friends, former classmates, or neighbors will automatically support them. In reality, that belief becomes their first obstacle. When messages are left on seen, when replies never come, when trusted people say no, they are emotionally unprepared. Rejection hits harder because it comes from people they expected to say yes.
This industry has a high rejection rate. That is a fact. It is one of the few professions where “no” is more common than “yes.” Some quit because they cannot even afford transportation to meet clients. Others refuse help from their managers out of pride or embarrassment. Many do not realize that once you enter sales, you are no longer an employee. You are self-employed. You are running a business under a professional framework.
The pressure does not stop there. Some face unsupportive spouses who actively discourage them. Others face parents who push them away from the industry. Instead of encouragement, they receive doubt or ridicule. I do not entirely blame them. In our country, people are often more willing to believe in scams that promise instant wealth with 30 percent monthly returns than in insurance, which is often misunderstood and unfairly judged, especially VUL products that are expected to deliver unrealistic gains.
The challenges are real. Mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically demanding. This profession is not for the lazy, and it is certainly not for those with weak hearts.
So why am I still here?
Ironically, I entered the insurance industry disliking it. Like many, I believed it was a scam. But experience replaced assumption. Through this industry, I traveled to places I never imagined I would see, both locally and abroad. Hotels, food, transportation, allowances, all covered. I slept in hotel rooms bigger than our own house. I was able to buy a brand-new car within one year and two months of entering the industry.
But money was never the real reason I stayed.
What truly made this profession rewarding were the moments when clients said “thank you.” Not because I sold them a policy, but because I helped them. Because I guided them through claims during their most difficult times. Because I stood beside them, assisted them in filing claims, and ensured they received what was rightfully theirs. Because I did not disappear after the sale, but partnered with them in planning their future.
Those moments change how you see this profession. Insurance stops being a product and becomes a service. A responsibility. A long-term partnership built on trust.
The insurance industry forced me to grow. I learned how to study again. I learned to read, analyze, and think deeply. I learned about investments, cash flow, and multiple income streams. I learned how to communicate with people from different backgrounds and social classes, realizing that effective communication is not just about being friendly, but about being credible, prepared, and competent. Intelligence and financial literacy are not determined by profession. Being a doctor, engineer, lawyer, CPA, architect, seafarer, or teacher does not automatically mean one understands money or insurance.
I learned leadership. Not the title, but the discipline. The difference between being a boss and being a leader. I learned how to build systems, how to manage people, and how to teach others what I had learned. Most importantly, I learned that this industry provides something rare: continuous education, free trainings, free workshops, and access to knowledge that would otherwise cost thousands elsewhere.
Yes, the insurance industry is difficult. That difficulty is precisely why the rewards are meaningful. You do not need to be the smartest person in the room to succeed here. What you need is discipline, humility, obedience to proven systems, and the courage to endure rejection.
Opportunities opened for me not because I was lucky, but because skills compound. And those skills were developed inside this industry.
I have been in the insurance industry for nine years. Not once have I regretted choosing this path.
This is not an easy profession. It is not for the lazy, nor for those with weak hearts. It is a profession that demands growth. And for those who are willing, it gives back more than money. It gives purpose, perspective, competence, and control over one’s future.
