What do you do if you're struggling to answer competency-based interview questions in the insurance field?
Competency-based interview questions are designed to assess specific skills and abilities that are relevant to a particular job role. In the insurance industry, these questions often focus on skills such as risk assessment, customer service, and claim handling. If you find yourself struggling to answer these types of questions, it's important to take a step back and analyze why. Are you unsure of the technical aspects, or is it the pressure of the interview setting that's throwing you off? Once you've identified the issue, you can begin to work on a strategy to improve your responses.
Competency-Based Interviews (CBIs) are a common method used in the insurance industry to evaluate a candidate's suitability for a role by asking about past behaviors or experiences. If you're struggling with these questions, it's crucial to understand the STAR technique—Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This framework helps structure your answers by describing a relevant situation, outlining the task at hand, explaining the actions you took, and sharing the outcome. Practice using this technique to ensure your answers are clear and demonstrate your competencies effectively.
When you're stumbling over competency-based questions, it's often because you're not fully aware of the skills required for the position in insurance. Take time to analyze the job description and identify key competencies like analytical thinking, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. Reflect on your past experiences where you've demonstrated these skills. By doing this pre-interview work, you'll have a repository of scenarios to draw from that align with what insurers are looking for in a candidate.
Regular practice is essential in mastering competency-based interview questions in the insurance field. Set aside time to practice with a friend or mentor who can provide feedback. Role-playing different scenarios can help you become more comfortable with your responses and reduce anxiety. Additionally, recording yourself can be an insightful way to notice areas for improvement in your delivery and body language, which are also important in an interview setting.
Feeling nervous during an interview can hinder your ability to answer competency-based questions effectively. To combat this, develop techniques to stay calm under pressure. Deep breathing exercises, positive visualization, and mindfulness can all help manage interview anxiety. Remember, it's okay to take a moment to collect your thoughts before responding. Interviewers appreciate candidates who take their time to give thoughtful answers.
If you've had a few interviews where competency-based questions tripped you up, don't hesitate to ask for feedback. Many interviewers are willing to provide insights into areas where you might have fallen short. This feedback is invaluable as it gives you specific areas to focus on for improvement. Additionally, consider seeking advice from professionals within the insurance industry who can offer guidance on what companies are looking for in potential employees.
Finally, reframing your mindset can make a significant difference when facing competency-based interview questions. Instead of viewing these questions as hurdles, see them as opportunities to showcase your expertise and experience in the insurance field. Confidence comes from believing in your abilities and knowing that you have valuable experiences to share. Embrace each question as a chance to demonstrate why you are the best fit for the role.
-
You may want to consider if you're the right candidate for that specific position - insurance is a highly specialized industry and insurers as well as insurtechs are typically very clear on exactly what competencies they're seeking - I'd advise you to spend more time than usual reading and understanding the job posting / job description
-
Insurance is a truly multifaceted industry - some roles are more about analytics, some about decision-making, some heavy on the relationship side. Therefore you need to understand the competencies you are expected to demonstrate before you go into interviews. Understand the match between the role and your inherent interests and that will let you better understand whether the required competencies are ones you can work to improve or ones that are simply not a match with your preferences.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
InsuranceYou’re preparing for an insurance interview. How can you show off your communication skills?
-
InsuranceYou're preparing for an insurance industry interview. How can you make a great first impression?
-
InsuranceHow can you improve your employee referral program in the insurance industry?
-
InsuranceHow can you improve your communication skills during the closing process?