Northwestern Mutual Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual as an intern for less than a year

Pros – Great leadership. Great Co-Workers. Fast Paced and Ultra Competitive. Great compensation and rewards.

Cons – Lots of Dials and Insurance isn't the most fun thing to learn and sell

Advice to Senior Management – Keep making it fun and competitive to drive success

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Northwestern Mutual full-time for less than a year

Pros – - Enormous Opportunity
- Fantastic Support/Education
- Healthy Environment
- A Company focused on doing the right thing
- Building strong relationships with clients

Working for Northwestern Mutual is less of a job than a career. It takes a lot of energy, commitment, and guts to get off the ground. However, the training and education provided is fantastic. This is the first life insurance company I have worked for but so far I am very pleased with the level of support and guidance I've received.

The biggest factor for me when choosing this career was the leadership. The management in our office is fantastic. They care deeply for us younger Financial Representatives and continually work to find ways to help us succeed. Ultimately, though, success is up to you.

Northwestern Mutual has the highest ratings of life insurance companies by A.M. Best, Moody's, S&P, and Fitch. This makes selling Northwestern Mutual a breeze. When the company you represent ranks #1 by the top rating agencies, most of the work has already been done for you.

Cons – - Challenging to start a career
- A sales position
- There's a stigma to the industry that you have to overcome

As with any sales position, getting started in a community is difficult. No matter the amount of training and education the company provides, sales positions are never easy. Truly, you never do "sell" anyone; they sell themselves. Your job is to communicate effectively and offer accurate financial guidance to your clients.

Advice to Senior Management – Continue to provide clear vision and excellent support.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Northwestern Mutual as an intern

Pros – Northwestern Mutual has great products and services which makes them easier to sell. You are mostly your own boss if you are a financial rep.

Cons – Since you are your own boss you have to be motivated to work. If you are not self motivated this job is not for you.

Advice to Senior Management – Take responsibility for your own actions by not throwing the blame on the most recent person that left.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Northwestern Mutual full-time for more than a year

Pros – Excellent products, great environment to learn in, some of the best management anywhere.

Cons – Tough underwriting, high premiums, FYC pay structure.

Advice to Senior Management – Management is fairly flawless. Honestly.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual as an intern for less than a year

Pros – The company is great if you are buying insurance from. Financials are great.

Cons – They don't care about employees. All they care about is lives and bringing in new business. Pay is not great

Advice to Senior Management – Help current employees get better before hiring everybody there

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual as a contractor for more than a year

Pros – Clear leadership
Thoughtful approach to investments leading to solid business outcomes
Leader in community
Great value for policy owners
Solid business relationship approach

Cons – Still developing diversity in ideas, staff - big opportunity here
Modest pay
Slow pace - can be frustrating for those wired to deliver at a faster pace
Low turnover and minimal outside influence stunt innovation opportunities because of low confidence if not invented internally

Advice to Senior Management – Keep doing the fundamentals but fire up the innovation to keep leading in your chosen areas

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – - Employees still spend their entire career here
- Employees do care about the customer
- The company does a good job taking care of employees
- The company provides job security
- The company definitely takes a long-term strategic view, revisits it often, and takes it very seriously.

Cons – - If you are "Type A" or coming from a fast-paced work environment, then be prepared to slow down...even to the level of inefficiency.
- There are so many layers of management, you have to be a "chosen one" to move up.
- Pay raises stink and so does salary in general.

Advice to Senior Management – Upper management needs to be shrunk. There are so many people with offices whose' title and jobs nobody even understands... You need to make room for young-guns and replace those who aren't pulling enough weight to accomplish your long-term strategies.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual full-time

Pros – Excellent pay / benefits and employee perks (on-site medical and fitness center, free lunch), work/life balance (leave at 4 or 5 everyday), diversity, comfortable work environment, financially strong company, job security (the company has never had a layoff and firings are rare), utilizes modern technologies.

Cons – * Jobs here can be very operational/procedural.
* Advancement within the department can be difficult (heavy emphasis on time served and networking rather than quality of work).
* Like many large companies there is a heavy bureaucracy and decision making can be slow.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual as an intern for less than a year

Pros – Very practical experience in the business world. Become comfortable phoning and conducting meetings. Test drive a career in the financial services industry. Allowed to set your own schedule.

Cons – Expected to try to sell to friends and family. Need to have tough skin to handle rejection. Compensation is mainly commission which is tough for college students.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Northwestern Mutual

Pros – Financial advisors help train you in techniques they use to expand their market
Solid compensation program with commission and bonuses.

Cons – The industry can be difficult to start building a book of business, but that is typical for many financial careers.

Advice to Senior Management – Give employees a small stipend to help support them during the beginning months. Its hard to market yourself when you aren't making very much money fresh out of college.