Northwestern Mutual to recruit more than 5,500 financial professionals in 2013

Company surpassed recruitment goal of 5,000 financial professionals in 2012, announces more aggressive recruitment targets for 2013

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Northwestern Mutual

Jan 08, 2013, 09:00 ET

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when job creation in America is at the top of the national agenda, Northwestern Mutual today announced its most ambitious recruiting effort in the company's 156-year history. The company is aiming to add 5,500 financial professionals – including both financial representatives and financial representative interns – in 2013 in response to an increasing demand for financial security planning.

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The 2013 recruiting goal comes on the heels of the company surpassing its 2012 goal of recruiting 5,000 financial professionals – making it the second consecutive year that Northwestern Mutual has announced all-time highs for recruiting. The back-to-back record recruiting efforts stand out at a time when unemployment in America remains high. The United States Department of Labor recently released its jobs numbers for December that shows the national unemployment rate holding firm at 7.8%.

"We exceeded our recruitment goal for 2012 by several hundred, and are excited to increase our goal for this year by several hundred more," said Steve Mannebach, vice president – field growth and development at Northwestern Mutual.

According to Mannebach, the company is seeing both a need and a demand nationwide for a tailored planning approach to asset protection, growth and savings solutions.

Mannebach attributes the growth of Northwestern Mutual's network of financial representatives to the firm's financial strengthand its industry-leading dividends, which the company recently announced would total more than $5 billion in 2013.

Career Changers

Northwestern Mutual expects that more than half of its new financial representatives in 2013 will be "career changers" – professionals who believe they have reached the ceiling in their current occupation and are looking for an opportunity to grow.

"For those with the right background who are looking to start a new career and want to get into financial planning, now is an opportune time," said Mannebach.

Career seekers can contact a nearby Northwestern Mutual office to learn more about a financial representative career by visiting: http://www.northwesternmutual.com/find-an-office.aspx

Company Receives Numerous Honors

Northwestern Mutual received numerous honors in 2012, among them being named among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies by FORTUNE® magazine (March 2, 2012), and its financial representatives are some of the most satisfied in the industry according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 U.S. Financial Advisor Satisfaction Study.

Other recognitions include:

In December, the company was recognized as a "Best Place to Work in 2013" and a recipient of the Employees' Choice Award by Glassdoor.com.
The company also ranks first in the insurance industry and 17th overall among service companies in Selling Power magazine's annual "50 Best Companies to Sell For Now" list – validating the company as an ideal place to launch and grow a career.
The company's financial representative internship program recently was recognized for the 16th consecutive year as one of the "Top 10 Internships in America," according to Vault®. Working with a mentor provides interns an opportunity to test drive and get an insider's glimpse into the industry. This approach has helped Northwestern Mutual retain and grow its field leaders – 45 percent of the company's senior field management began their careers with the company as an intern.

Learn more about Northwestern Mutual Careers on YouTube

About Northwestern Mutual

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) – among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2012 according to FORTUNE® magazine – has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 155 years. As a mutual company with $1.2 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.