I had two ‘interviews’ with a recruiter from GFI. Never heard of them before—one of their recruiters reached out to me on LinkedIn.
I don’t have any experience in finance or business, but they still wanted to move forward with me over ‘8’ other applicants. The recruiter was pushing me to fill out an application and pay $200 upfront (out of $600 total) to start the licensing process.
It seems like they heavily recruit veterans, but I’m not sure if this is a real opportunity or something sketchy. Is this a common practice in the industry, or should I be cautious?
You do need a license before selling insurance, and that costs money for study materials and the exam. Some companies cover the cost, while others don’t, so paying for your own licensing isn’t necessarily a red flag.
However, the key thing is whether they’re asking you to pay them directly or if you’re paying the state/testing facility yourself.
A lot of people in there sound like they’ve been ‘sold the dream.’ I was debating if I should go for it, but I just can’t get behind the idea of paying to work. The interview had a lot of red flags.
@Riley
Yeah, same here. My ‘interview’ felt like a sales pitch. He was pushing me to fill out the application while we were still on the call. When I said I wanted to discuss it with my spouse, he asked, ‘What if she says no?’ That just felt off.
It’s not a scam, but it’s important to know how they operate. They recruit people as part of their builder model. I work with them and have written policies and been paid commissions.
They’re not an employer—you’re an independent contractor. That means you’re responsible for licensing costs, just like you would be at any other independent agency. If you go with a ‘captive’ company, they might cover the cost, but then you’re locked into selling only their products.
There are pros and cons, but if you’re looking for a stable paycheck, this may not be the best fit.