It is a cult, you will have them watch wolf of wallstreet and pretend they are him. From lying to consumers to their own employees, NorthWestern Mutual has a horrific history and the fact that they still operate to this day, is insane.
I am an real, certified FA and this job isn't that, you're just an insurance sales person. The most important metric they pay attention to is how much in whole life have you sold. This should've been the first thing that I was were I had to draw the line, but I decided to give them the opportunity.
I was able to make money, due to the book of business I already had prior to NM but everyone else failed unless they moved to other positions. The only way as a sales advisor or FA can make money, is by hiring a couple of sellers to sell for you and you handle your own team.
They will make you promises of grandour and show you an income path that is not real. I joined NM coming from a managerial position because the business was sold. I told them that I am a serious person, I made a lot of money and I did not want to waste time. They did, they lied to my face, showed me documents that they will not let you keep as to what you're projected to make.
I wouldn't recommend NM to my worst enemy. It's a cult, it's a pyramid scheme and everyone there is miserable (front end of the business anyways).
The reason they have good reviews everywhere is because they are predatory. They will get college interns on cruise ships and show them a life that's not real in exchange of fake reviews. Then once they're back, they'll have them working for basically nothing and because they've never had a career in their lives before, they'll be too afraid to make a change because this is all that they know.
They believe in the "Fake it till' you make it". They will lie to get sales, they will ruin people financially if given the chance.
If you want to do insurance sales, go to a real insurance sales company, they'll be transparent but NM is a predatory pyramid scheme designed to take advantage of new employees.
They'll have you do Project 250, which is a list of leads that they get to keep of your warm market, your friends, family, anyone that they can sell to once you leave. They'll pay you minimum wage, they won't pay you on the big commissions up front either even though they will tell you that you will get paid on them and once all is done, you open your eyes and leave, they will harass your family and friends, everyone from that 250 list, to try to sell them life insurance. Specifically a whole life policy.