In an increasingly competitive job market, you have to make yourself stand out to get the good jobs and promotions. One way to do so is to earn certifications relevant to your industry. The associate in claims is a nationally recognized certification in the insurance industry. Whether you're an independent insurance adjuster, a staff claims representative, an examiner, a public adjuster, or anyone else looking to move up in the insurance industry, the associate in claims certification may help.

Talk to your manager or supervisor about associate in claims certification. If your company supports you, it may help pay for your books, testing fees and classes.

Visit the AICPCU website, where you will find several different paths to AIC certification. You can do multiline, personal lines, or commercial, and there are additional focuses within those categories, including auto and liability.

Determine which path you would like to take based on your current specialty or the type of insurance company for which you work. The traditional path is the multiline certification, but all paths lead to the same result: an associate in claims certification.

Decide on a method to the certification. There are three ways to obtain associate in claims training. The first is self-study. You'll need to be very motivated and have excellent reading comprehension, as no one else will help you. Online insurance classes have a variety of levels of involvement, so you should have an idea of how much support and interaction you'll want. The third path to certification is classroom training. This has the highest level of interaction and guidance, but usually costs the most. Classroom training is easier to find in more populated areas. When comparing class fees, be sure to consider whether they cover the cost of books and testing.

Obtain textbooks. The AIC 33 class is required for all paths. Find out what books are recommended. If you're pursuing self-study, go to the AICPCU website, click "Online Shopping-Browse Programs" and select "Associate in Claims" to see the books needed for each class.

Study. Be sure to use the workbook sold with your textbook to help make sure you understand the concepts you're studying. If your book comes with a practice disk, take practice tests before you take a real test.

Sign up for your certification test. On the AICPCU website, go to "Examinations-Register," and find a test site to register for the associate in claims subject you've been studying.

Repeat these steps for the rest of the classes needed for your certification.