I'm in California if that's relevant.

A month, I had a Farmers Insurance recruiter reach out to me on Linkedin. After a couple of interviews I was offered the chance to either start my own book right off the bat (I'd need 50k or so starting capital, which I don't have), or participate in the "Protege Program" where if I can write 100k in new business for another agent I'm working under, I am granted my own book and startup costs are waived. I also spent a good chunk of money studying, learning, and licensing that I don't have in order to pursue insurance. I also saw other threads saying you won't see a dime until a couple of months because of the "Protege Program". Should I start applying to other Insurance companies to grow?

Having absolutely no exposure to the insurance industry, I obviously chose the second option and they signed me up for Property/Casualty and Life/Health certification training (Farmers is paying for the courses, but I am not being compensated otherwise, although I'm sure this is standard practice), which I have completed already.

Now, I know how recruiters tend to operate-- they'll often just tell you what you want to hear so they get that sign-on commission, and then they're gone. Online reviews for the Protege Program range from very positive to calling it a total scam, so I'd like to get some input from established insurance agents who might know more about what this is all about.

I'd appreciate any sort of general advice, although I do have a few specific questions/concerns:

1. I am very young to be entering a career in insurance (I'm 21). Farmer is a higher-income-targeted type of insurer from what I understand, so how much will my young age hold me back from getting sales from the likely older-aged target demographic? Does my age make a difference with respect to which insurer I would perform best as an agent?
2. I have a Business Associates Degree, but over 5 Years in Sales Manager, Door To Door, and even Market Managing. What's the likely hood Ill get a living salary Starting off?
3. I've noticed that a common complaint is that people in the Protege Program often end up feeling like glorified telemarketers. Is this something that sounds more specific to a few bad mentors, a Protege Program in general, or is that often how insurance jobs go anyways?
4. How feasible is it to write 100k in new Property/Casualty and Life/Health insurance policies in 12 months, as someone who is newly entering the industry? Is that a realistic goal?
5. I have not yet been made aware of any specific agencies I'd potentially be writing business under, so I do not know what the compensation plan generally looks like nor have I accepted any sort of offer or entered into any contract with Farmers. This brings two questions to mind; firstly, is there an approximate hourly/salary/commission amount I should expect from the Protege Program; in other words, how can I assess whether an offered compensation plan is unreasonably low? Secondly, is it worthwhile for me to contact some local insurance firms to see what mentorship programs they would be willing to offer me, or is this not something that's commonly done for a licensed agent who is first entering the industry?

I'd certainly appreciate any insight the more experienced people here can offer to a newbie such as myself.