Insurance firm Esurance is hiring for as many as 25 positions at its regional office in Rocklin, in fields from sales to information technology to operations.

"We're in full hiring mode," said Esurance spokesman Danny Miller.

The company's 300-employee Rocklin office is gearing up for the industry's peak months of January and February and hopes to fill the positions by the end of the year, Miller said.

Sacramento "is a big area for us," Miller said. "It's a good market."

Esurance has about 7,000 customers in the four-county Sacramento area, he said.

As most auto policies are annual, consumers do the majority of their shopping for new plans at the beginning of the year.

"We're trying to get ahead of the curve," Miller said.

Esurance plans another round of hiring at the Rocklin office before spring 2012, Miller said.

Sales jobs are among the positions most in demand. Applicants should have one to two years of experience, though Esurance provides training for its sales professionals.

Salaries for sales positions range from $40,000 to $50,000 to start and include benefits and a 401(k) retirement plan.

"There's certainly room to make more for the self-motivated," Miller said.

It's a busy time for Esurance and its Rocklin office.

The San Francisco-based company was acquired Oct. 7 by insurance giant Allstate, and Esurance recently signed a seven-year lease at new digs in the Oracle Corp. complex on Sunset Boulevard in Rocklin, Miller said. Esurance plans to move into the new location in May.

Esurance and Allstate will remain separate, and Esurance will continue to sell to customers online and by telephone, according to a statement.

Miller said the Allstate deal "allows us to grow as a company and continue on the growth path we've been on for a decade."

For more information, visit www.esurance.com/jobs.

Vet job fair this week

Job seekers can meet with more than 50 employers at the state Employment Development Department's annual Honor-a-Hero Hire-a-Vet job fair Thursday at McClellan Park.

Pacific Gas and Electric, Blue Diamond, Sutter Health, GenCorp and Vision Service Plan are among the dozens of employers scheduled to appear at the event at McClellan Park's Garden Pavilion, 5640 Dudley Blvd.

Though the event focuses on assisting military personnel returning to civilian life, all job seekers are invited to the free event.

Along with employers, representatives of government agencies and community groups will be on hand to provide information on employment, benefits, training and other resources.

DeVry University will also conduct a résumé workshop for job seekers.

For more information, call an Employment Development Department veterans representative at (916) 227-0301.

Job-hunting questions?

Ask Terri Carpenter, one of our "Ask the Experts" writers, who can answer your career questions online.

A jobs expert at the Sacramento Employment & Training Agency, Carpenter has expertise in résumé writing, job-skills training and career counseling.

To post your question or to view her advice to other job seekers, go to www.sacbee.com/ask.

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