Do you have to work at an insurance company be qualify to get your license?

In a Word, no. There are thousands of people who obtain insurance salesperson's licenses that are never employed by insurance companies. I am not employed by an insurance company - I work for an insurance agent. In addition, I received my insurance licenses (24 years ago) prior to securing a position. I live in the state of Wisconsin. If you are interested in obtaining a license to sell insurance, a good place to find out for sure is either with your state's insurance regulatory department, or contact a pre-licensing education school. They would know the requirements for being able to obtain a license in your state.