Top Job Interview Questions for Insurance Salespeople

Top Job Interview Questions for Insurance SalespeopleTop Job Interview Questions for Insurance SalespeopleThe key to landing any job is to prepare to answer questions that are likely to come up during the application process. If youre interviewing for a job as an insurance schlussverkaufperson, that means being ready to talk about your sales technique and to demonstrate knowledge of the industry and the company. All job interviews are at least partly a sales pitch, but sales jobs are doubly so. You can expect to be required to display your skills by closing the sale, so to speak. This is your opportunity not only to show off your acumen and familiarity with the job, but also to demonstrate how youd interact with clients and colleagues. The mora you can find out about the company culture before the interview, the better youll be able to show that youre a good fit for the team. Some organizations may push their salespeople to be more aggressive, for example, or they may prize sellers w ho demonstrate a high degree of skill with sales management software. If you can learn more about the challenges facing the organization before you head in to the interview, you can make a better case for yourself as the candidate who will solve their problems. Background, Strengths, and Experience Your prospective employer will want to know a lot about your background and experience. Expect to answer questions about cold calling, meeting sales goals, your motivation and passion for the job, and your strengths and weaknesses. The interviewer will also want to know what to expect out of you as a worker. Their aim will be to determine whether youre likely to be successful as a member of the team and organization. Be prepared to answer questions about what youve done in the past. A few examples How would you meet your quotas or bring in sales?How long would you expect to stay in sales if hired?How do you organize, plan, and prioritize your work as a salesman? Theyll probably want t o know why you personally are suited for a sales environment and how much time you would ideally spend in an office. Again, its important to know what will be required in this particular job. You may also be asked to rate how trainable you are and what you think youre worth. Be prepared to discuss the contributions to profits that youve made to justify your salary request. Finally, your interviewer may even ask if youve ever been fired. Be honest, especially if it welches in the recent past and theyll likely find out. Be prepared to share your side of the story without dwelling on the past. Disclose how youve learned from the experience and grown into a better employee. Industry Knowledge Knowing your industry will make you a much better salesperson than if youre clueless about the insurance field. With this in mind, expect your interviewer to ask you questions such as, Which drivers will influence the market in the next 18 months? The interviewer might also expect you to know i nformation specifically about the company in question. For example, What do you think is a typical day in the life of an insurance salesman at the company? Be sure to study up on the company and say why you want to work there. You might also be asked to critique the company. But dont go overboard here. You want your criticism to be as constructive as possible. Maybe mention some areas in which the company could improve and how youre the right person to do so. Communication and Interpersonal Skills Working in insurance sales means that you have to be an effective communicator. That means interviewers will want to know if you can distinguish communication skills from listening skills. Theyll also be likely to ask how you build relationships with clients and handle rejection. Be ready to share an experience you had dealing with a difficult customer and how you handled the situation. And if youre a good communicator, youre likely to enjoy cold calling, so be prepared to discuss that . Your prospective employer might also want you to share an effective method you have used to sell insurance. Lastly, be ready for curveballs. For example, its not uncommon for interviewers to ask candidates to sell them something in 60 seconds or less, e.g., Sell me this pen. Practice demonstrating your sales technique so that you can impress when the time comes.

Want More Money It May Be the Right Time to Get It

Want More Money It May Be the Right Time to Get ItWant More Money? It May Be the Right Time to Get ItWant More Money It May Be the Right Time to Get ItFrom studies to expert opinions, the consensus on the economy is that the worst is over and were starting to pull out of the now 20-month-old recession slowly.And perhaps just as slowly, workers will be trying to regain some of the money theyve lost through layoffs, pay cuts, or salary freezes. Others will be looking for the compensation they should have been getting after taking on the work their ex-colleagues were doing before they were pink-slipped.Surprisingly, many employers may be ready to accommodate these changes, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com and staffing firm Robert Half. Among the findingsNearly half of the 500+ full-time employees surveyed said more money will be the most effective way for employers to make them happy after the economy improves.Almost as many hiring managers recognize that 40% of hiring managers in the survey said providing more money will be their primary method for retaining top performers when the rebound begins.In a bit of a surprise given the large labor pool, 6 out of 10 hiring managers said their companies are willing to negotiate higher compensation for qualified candidates.Depending on your current status, heres what this might mean to youEMPLOYED BUT LOOKING? If youre aiming for a better job or a bigger paycheck, you may have some leverage if and this is a big if theres a healthy demand for someone with your skills. In that case, get your resume ready.EMPLOYED, BUT NOT LOOKING? If youve been a good soldier through the recession and your company is doing well or recovering, build your case for a raise. List what youve done to help the company. Include any extra duties youve taken on and successes youve achieved, whether they were part of your responsibilities or beyond the scope of your job. Keep adding to this list, and use it at your next performance re view to support your request for a raise.UNEMPLOYED? Theres a good chance you wont have to lower your salary expectations to land a job. This could also lower the degree of any sense of desperation in your job search. (But if youre desperate, dont show it, as Brianna Raymond emphasized in her post last week.)As always, know the salary range for the job you want or want to keep. Sites such as Salary.com and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics have lots of data to keep you well informed on your value in todays job market.Are you beginning to see some employers who are willing to bend on salary or give out raises? Let us know with a comment.

How mindfulness, minus the hype, benefits your brain and mood

How mindfulness, minus the hype, benefits your brain and moodHow mindfulness, minus the hype, benefits your brain and moodMindfulness is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon.Its even supported by rigorous scientific research, driven in part by a desire for new practices to improve our mental health.Mental disorders will be the biggest burden of disease in developed countries by 2030, according to The World Health Organisation.The need for prevention strategies is now mora important than ever.When you strip away the mysticism, mindfulness has a positive influence on the brain.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreA study from Dr. Sara W. Lazar, et al., showed that meditation actually increases brain density in the prefrontal cortex.In essence, mindfulness?- ?being about attention, awareness, relationality, and caring?- ?is a universal human capacity akin to our capacity for language ac quisition, writes Brigid Delaney of The Guardian.Modern mindfulness is probably the easiest thing in the world, and the hardest thing for your brain, even if you do it for just five minutes a day.The simple idea of being mindful?- ?being present, being more conscious of life as it happens, and being aware of your environment can help you enjoy life to the fullest.Even things you might think are boring, like tidying up, can be amazing if you are truly present.It takes practice, but its incredible.Mark Williams, co-author of Mindfulness An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World encourages us to live in the moment every day.He writes, Start living right here, in each present moment. When we stop dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, were open to rich sources of information weve been missing out on?- ?information that can keep us out of the downward spiral and poised for a richer life.Mindfulness aims to achieve a relaxed, non-judgmental awareness of your pres ent thoughts, feelings and emotions.The simple act of making your actions deliberate, elend rushed and random can improve your mood and help you focus better.Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, part of Oxford Universitys department of psychiatry, calls it direct knowledge of what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.The life-changing habit is about learning to direct our attention to our experiences as they unfold, instead of choosing to live in our heads.Its about noticing our thoughts, especially when they are taking over, and realising that they are simply mental events that do not have to control our emotions.In his TED Talk All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes, mindfulness expert and Founder of Headspace, Andy Puddicombe, explains, bedrngnis being lost in thought, not being distracted, not being overwhelmed by difficult emotions but instead learning how to be in the here and now how to be mindful, how to be pres ent. I think the present moment is so underrated. It sounds so ordinary and yet we spend so little time in the present moment that its anything but ordinary.Mindfulness has been reported to produce positive effects on psychological well-being that extend beyond the time the individual is formally meditating.Parts of your brain associated with compassion and self-awareness grows while parts associated with stress shrink when you meditate, according to research from Massachusetts General Hospital.The study looked at brain scans of people before and after they participated in a course on mindfulness meditation.Studies report that meditation can permanently rewire your brain to raise levels of happiness.In the past decade, research has shown that the benefits of mindfulness include stress reduction, improved concentration, boosts to working memory, reduced rumination, less emotional reactivity, more cognitive flexibility, a higher level of relationship satisfaction, etc. writes Christop her Bergland of Psychology Today.Make time (even if its just two minutes a day) to meditate.Find a quiet distributions-mix and focus on your breathing?- ?and nothing else?- ?for at least two minutes each day.In our distracted world, this can be hard but its not impossible.If you do it successfully, and consistently make it a habit, youll sleep better, feel less stressed, and have more energy.Every activity in life can be a trigger to bring you back to the presentmomentIn our distracted world, it is essential for your wellbeing to take a few minutes each day to cultivate mental spaciousness and achieve a positive mind-body balance.This can be hard but its not impossible.In fact, simple focused breathing can do wonders for you in any situation.And breathing isnt the only exercise you can do to reset your mind. Try observing, listening, and appreciating more intentionally, too.You can be more present in your morning routine, how you work, take breaks and or even how you engage with you r spouse, children or relatives.Being mindful every day can completely change how you relate with yourself, others, and your work.If you do it successfully, and consistently make it a habit, youll sleep better, feel less stressed, and have more energy.So how do you embrace mindfulness, in the simplest way possible?It starts with an awareness habit.Begin to notice the world around you. Awaken your senses to the world around you.Our brains are on auto-pilot most of the time. Take charge of your thinking habits by switching off the auto-pilot.Slow down your thinking.Become aware of your thoughts.Become comfortable with the silence and stillness.Most experts recommend a formal practice of mindfulness for about 15 minutes every day.But that will be hard for a wandering mind. Training your mind to filter the noise in your head to observe is tough.Naturally, its not easy to clear your mind of all thought.Anyone who has tried to meditate knows how hard it is when the mind keeps wandering in to thoughts, from trivial to life-changing.Attention is a precious commodity, yet we give it away most freely.And struggle to find it when we need it most.What you could do is start slow.Develop one habit at a time. There are dozens of daily mindful habits you can adopt. You can embrace journaling, or practice gratitude daily.Start noticing the environment (just take notice of whats going on).Take time(a minute or two) to breathe deeply Feel the rush of fresh, oxygenated blood fill you with renewed life. Dont rush it.You can use the 478 breathing techniqueBreathe in for four seconds.Hold your breath for seven seconds.Exhale for eight seconds.Repeat.Its simple enough to keep your mind occupied with counting and simple enough to practice mindfulness.Reduce the noise by turning off your gadgets for a couple of hours. You will get used to it after a while.I have turned off all notifications on my life, and I have never gone back.Listen more instead of talking. Offer your undivided atten tion in a conversation.Read more. Reading can trigger some of the same effects as meditation a slowing of thoughts and calming of the mind.Pat attention to your gut. Start listening and trusting your intuition.Again, you dont have to start these habits at the same time. You can start with just one and measure the results every week.Over time and with practice, you will learn new pathways to better habits for a peaceful mind.Mindfulness is a chance to snap out of unhealthy mental habits and behaviours that can be counterproductive.The next time you find yourself dwelling on something that is stressing or depressing you, stop and breathe.Think about your thinking. And then guide your attention to the present.This article originally appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productiv ityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Project vs. People Management

Project vs. People ManagementProject vs. People ManagementManaging projects and managing/supervising require many of the saatkorn skills and abilities however, the jobs are dissimilar in their authority and technical expertise.Both present interesting and challenging career paths for those who have leadership, communication, and organizational skills. Skills Required for Effective Management Both disciplines require strong leadership skills. Project managers and supervisors lead teams to achieve common goals and, to be a leader, people have to follow. Work does elend get done when team members dont fill their roles, and everyone gets frustrated, and while individuals may face disciplinary action, leaders are the ones whose jobs are most in jeopardy when targets are missed. A common adage about project managers is they spend 90% of their time communicating. Checking on the position of a task that a member is committed to completing, writing status reports, and holding meetings are just a few of the responsibilities managers have. Supervisors also set expectations with their staff, gather information, and report on the teams work Organizational skills are important for project managers and supervisors. Project managers tend to be planners by nature who thrive on establishing a plan and executing it. They even have plans within plans like a communication plan within a projects work breakdown structure. Supervisors need to keep track of what their staff members are doing. Supervisors ensure everyone is working on the right things at the right time. They corral the work of individual contributors to help their efforts be most useful to their employing business, nonprofit or government agency. Using Appropriate Leverage to Complete Tasks Authority - Project managers do not hold management authority over their project team members whereas supervisors can hire, fire, discipline and compel their staff to follow orders. Without the threat of personnel action in t heir back pockets, This dynamic requires project leaders to have excellent management skills. Granted, supervisors should rarely threaten personnel action, but they have the ability, and many times, that is enough of a threat. While project managers cannot fire their project team members for poor performance, they have ways of holding team members accountable. On the front end of a project, a project manager works with supervisors to gain commitment from them on how much time and effort will be expected of their staff who will participate in the project. When project managers and supervisors are on the same page in this respect, it is easier for project managers to outline how a project team member is not contributing appropriately. A project managers first instinct is not to go to a team members supervisor when a problem occurs. Project managers set up mechanisms for team members to hold one another accountable. Regular status meetings where team members commit to executing tasks w ithin specified timeframes help the team members hold one another accountable. A project manager does not want to be the only one calling out people on missed deadlines and poor deliverable quality. When all else fails, a project manager gets help from a project sponsor. This person has the organizational clout to do things neither a project manager nor an ordinary supervisor can do. A project sponsor can go above a supervisor to have a project team member removed or coached to better performance. Expertise - Something that makes project managers approach their work differently than supervisors is that a project manager is not necessarily an expert in a projects subject matter while supervisors are experts in staff business. A project manager is an expert in project management processes who brings together differently qualified experts to achieve a projects goals. The project team solves a projects problems and issues. The project manager provides structure for the team to do so. A supervisor is mora participatory in devising business solutions because he or she often has a similar degree of expertise on the matter as his or her staff.

Kids, Work and About Me Resume Examples

Kids, Work and About Me Resume Examples Unless you happen to be a graphic designer looking for employment, theres no need to over think the plan of your one-pager. Additionally, there are a few handy methods to help you craft a successful resume. At the moment, its not essential to format your own resume on your own. There isnt anyone golden resume format. The Upside to about Me Resume Examples Its content-packed layout is excellent for engaging employers with different facts, from experience to education. The largest plus with a resume template is that you may download and customize with relevant info and details to symbolize your candidature at a coming interview for a job-profile in the banking sector. Its high-quality PSD file is totally customizable. Provided that you use the perfect info, youre wind up with a professional document that will impress any hiring manager. Your resume needs to address an issue for employers (which is the reason why theyre hiring). If you d ont supply the info needed for the hiring agency to find out your qualifications, you may not be considered for the job. Hiring agencies will search for certain terms in your resume to make sure that you have the experience theyre seeking. Federal jobs often need you to have experience in a special type of work for some period of time. The specific cv should be front-loaded having applicable triumphs along with skills that will are really simple to remove from the Candidate Keeping tabs on Technique (ATS) and befhigung employer. Resume objectives can be a little controversial. If you do decide to move forward with a resume summary statement, be sure to take care of it as your own private highlight reel. You may also download totally free templates from our Resume Library to get going on your best resume. You might also incorporate your communication and disciplinary abilities, along with highlight how patient youre with your students. Consider comparing all 3 examples from ever y researcher to learn how the very same abilities and experience can be shown differently. Instead, you are going to highlight relevant abilities and achievements from previous work in the neatly-aligned bullet points. If you get a simple understanding of Microsoft word, you will have the ability to customize it and make your own resume. What Everybody Dislikes About about Me Resume Examples and Why Many employers are currently going back and checking peoples resumes to be certain they did not lie. Consider what youve accomplished previously and what you are able to offer later on. Youre a detail-oriented go-getter with an established history of success searching for a rewarding opportunity in a developing organization that values its people. The examples arent meant to be perfect but to demonstrate how different men and women approach the challenge in various ways. You may have helped your company gather vital info in your part-time job, while its searching for potential ne w customers or researching an upcoming article. The salon company is booming, and it appears like it may be the upcoming huge thing in the fashion world. When you are going to be sending your resume to any companies for work, youre not sending a bit of paper, youll be sending a bit of yourself. Many businesses utilize some sort of screening procedure to recognize the proper candidates. Alas, many employers only scan resumes for a couple seconds before choosing whether to continue reading. Highly relevant knowledge in a field is the very first thing employers search for. There are different ways in which you can convince the recruiter to contemplate your resume. To begin with, recruiters have a tendency to care more about what theyre searching for than what youre searching for.

The Definitive Strategy for Quick Learner Resume

The Definitive Strategy for Quick Learner Resume The Dos and Donts of Quick Learner Resume There are two types of font. For anybody with a simple word processing program, its simple to see there are scores and scores of fonts out there to select from and picking the best one can be hard. Take a look at the absolutely free bartender resume templates included in our article, and youll learn what youve got to put in your own, following a very simple format. Resume templates are an excellent start for beginners, but the layout ought to be customized to appear original. Quick Learner Resume the Ultimate Convenience You should make certain a resume cover letter is specialized to the job that youre attempting to get. An excellent cover letter isnt an overview of the resume whatsoever. The resume cover letter is the important thing which a good company will probably read. Proofreading your cover letter and resume cautiously is among the most important portions of the procedure. T op Quick Learner Resume Secrets You desire the wonderful educational CV. You must commit time into each application and be sure that your resume is tailored to every employer and the job that youre applying to. Characteristics of Quick Learner Resume Omit skills you dont wish to create use of in your brand-new position. The capability to learn quickly ensures that you will stay informed about the demands of your new team. Hard skills might be categorized in a number of ways, predicated on your job name. Hard skills which are highly pertinent to the position ought to be listed first. For instance, suppose the work description asks for a person whos highly motivated and a self-starter. Have a look at our article on the way to use your job references strategically in case you need mora info. So remember to dont create any issue with both of these aspects while explaining to a recruiter. For the total explanation of the way to actually do this, keep reading. When you first grad uated from school or started searching for work, odds are someone advised you to incorporate an objective statement at the very top of your resume. Youre attempting to demonstrate that youre here for the proper reasons, which youre passionate regarding the company, which youre invested in the role, and so on. Its also sensible to check at the scenario, firm and market youre pursuing. To be honest with you, there are not any real explanations for why you ought to be listening to me. Most Noticeable Quick Learner Resume If youre good in 1 Technology different companies might use different Technologies including your technology so itll be a compulsory act for you to learn other Technologies for the interest of completing your task in the business. Instead, it ought to be a quick overview of your abilities and what you bring to the provider. You need to be able to support a team and collaborate with other people to support the firms overall objectives. In case youre searching fo r employment, therefore it is quite essential that youre mindful of how to provide yourself for the perfect approach to a service provider. Letters are written much differently than resumes and may have a long-lasting influence on the reader. As presently stated, you want to select a resume format that could possibly be suited to your own profile. The Tried and True Method for Quick Learner Resume in Step by Step Detail For instance, you could be a quick learner in school. Hard skills are measurable skills which are required for a particular job. Soft skills is going to be the skills which are important to each job. Teamwork skills in the workplace are important for the great majority of jobs. What matters is are you ready to learn these skills by yourself if your prior employment didnt get you the skills you want. The very first issue to do is to spot the keywords in the work description and compose a teamwork skills checklist. When you consider it, being a quick learner and a very good listener are interconnected skills. Skills If there are many forms of skills that are important to the job which youre applying for, you can multiple skills list within your job application. Of course you desire your resume to be noticed, but for the best reasonsand youve got to see that it starts with the very first second someone looks at it. This way it is possible to avoid all the explanations for why free cover letters might be the kiss of death for your resume. Speaking of unique, the main aim of your resume is to make you stick out from the remainder of the folks applying for the exact saatkorn job and another means to create that happen is to use action verbs and power words (also known as resume verbs). Lots of people make the error of thinking that things they did 10 decades ago is an excellent display of what they are able to do today. The Debate Over Quick Learner Resume For instance, it is a superb spot to chat about a career shift or maybe to mak e clear a prolonged gap in employment. So at the right time of recruiting they also check if youre goal oriented. At exactly the same time, you have to do more than just use the keywords. Youre likely to need to hold my hand during the first couple of months if you dont mind. Whats Really Happening with Quick Learner Resume For recent graduates going into the workforce (or computer science students searching for an internship), finding the most suitable position can be tough especially if its the case that you dont have any expert experience under your belt. Its well-known that computer science is among the absolute most in-demand majors in the work industry. Willing to do anything it requires to find the job finished. For instance, if you are asking for a job for a teacher, showcase any former experience working with children, from truly being a camp counselor to daycare worker.

Virtual Interview Tips for Your Virtual Team - Spark Hire

Virtual Interview Tips for Your Virtual Team - Spark HireVirtual working, telecommuting, working from home whatever you choose to call it, the practice is gaining traction. Many workers love the idea of cutting out their commute and spending more time with their families, while companies love the cost-saving aspect of having workers telecommute. In fact, according to studies, at least 34 million Americans currently work at home, either full-time or occasionally. This figure is expected to rise to 63 million by 2016, at which point virtual workers will make up 43 percent of the American workforce.With telecommuting on the rise, it only makes sense that more companies are scheduling a virtual bewerbungsinterview to screen candidates. A virtual interview seems like the perfect tool to help hire the best virtual team around.But just how do you make sure youre using the video interview to hire workers best suited to the work from home environment? Here are some things to consider when tal king to talented candidatesAre They Self-Directed?Perhaps one of the most important personality aspects for a worker ready to join your virtual team is the ability to self-direct and schedule their own workflow. While working from home can be great, it can also come with its share of distractions. Theres the pile of laundry, the television set and potentially children at home begging for attention. For your worker to thrive on your virtual team, you need someone who can shut out the noise and get things done.In the virtual interview, look for candidates who can keep track of their own work and stay on target. Ask candidates questions about how theyve managed their work in the past and look for specific instances of times your talent has worked independently. If your candidate can manage their own projects and stay motivated even when working by themselves, they will be a good fit for the telecommuting lifestyle.Look Out for Communication SkillsEvaluating communication skills is extr emely important before adding a member to your virtual team, no matter what your primary mode of communication will be. Candidates with superior communication skills will do better in a telecommuting environment because those skills are necessary to keep in contact with coworkers and superiors. You need an employee who will keep you in the loop about what theyre doing, the position of their projects and what help they might need to succeed.In the virtual interview, keep a sharp eye out for your candidates communication skills. The video interview medium will help you better judge how your candidate communicates than phone screens or email alone. You might not be seeing your worker face-to-face every day, but for the interview its important to see how they interact on a more personal level. If their communication skills arent up to par, its a good bet youll have a lot of misunderstandings and headaches when this worker faces the communication challenges of telecommuting.Do They Under stand the Importance of Deadlines?In a work from home environment, deadlines take on a new importance. After all, making deadlines is an easy way to evaluate whether your virtual team is staying focused. Without seeing your employees in the office every day, its hard to keep track of their progress on important projects. Like in any business, major deadlines need to be hit and major milestones accomplished.In the virtual interview, ask for examples of when the candidate has dealt with a tight deadline. Look for examples of the candidate going over and above to get something accomplished on time. These will be the kind of workers who will make sure their work is always turned in on time.To hire a great virtual team, you need to be on the lookout for candidates who can handle the telecommuting lifestyle. Its not for everyone, but if you find employees who thrive in this environment your company will see real value. Just make sure to use the video interview as a place to look for concr ete examples of how candidates communicate, work independently, and handle deadlines.What are some things you look for in the virtual interview when hiring for your virtual team? Share in the comments