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RECRUITMENT GUIDE
Recruitment guide sets out best practice guidelines to assist you in making this process as effective as possible. In addition, our Team is very willing to support you and give further advice should you require it.
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Interview advice
Interviews are a crucial part of the actuarial recruitment process for most organisations and from the moment that you walk through the door, the interviewer will be assessing you - are you punctual, what do your clothes say about you, what body language are you speaking? By being aware of this, you can attempt to put across a positive message right from the start.
Your interview success will depend on how well you elaborate on your qualifications and accomplishments, particularly as they relate to the employer's needs. Employers usually look for:
- Reasonable progress with your actuarial qualification
- Relevant actuarial experience, especially recently
- High performance standards
- Strong communication skills, particularly important for actuaries at all levels
- Positive 'can do' attitude and a clear sense of purpose
- Interest in the company and position
- Stable work history
Bear in mind that you are also interviewing the company. After all, you do want to know if this is a job in a pleasing environment, with capable management, a friendly team and plenty of interesting challenges to keep you occupied for a long time. This approach should keep you in a relaxed, confident frame of mind, but do remember that your number one goal is to secure an offer. An obnoxious, overconfident, undecided or tentative attitude is a fatal mistake and will leave an employer with a negative impression.
How can you prepare for your interview?
Obviously you are who you are, and there is nothing that you can do to change that! You would not want to bluff your way into a position for which you are under qualified or unsuited, but preparation can make all the difference in securing your dream job.
First of all, find out everything you can about the company. This not only makes a good impression and shows genuine interest, but will help you to feel more comfortable too. The company website is a good starting point, but search the internet for other websites that may reveal a more objective view of recent news on the company.
Its often more difficult to find out much about the job on offer before the interview, but if you are lucky enough to have a detailed job specification, do not make the mistake of taking it at face value. Specs are very often drawn up very quickly from a previous or generic spec and may often refer to a past or similar role, so keep an open mind as to the daily responsibilities of the role. This is something that is best addressed to the recruiting manager in the interview.
It is great if you match on a number of the technical requirements in the job spec, but if you don’t, then give some thought as to where you can compensate, for example pointing to any vague exposure to the relevant skill, or to where you have very quickly picked up another, similar skill. You may also be tested with technical questions, so don’t be tempted to exaggerate your technical expertise. However, if you are faced with a question where you don’t know the right technical answer, don’t fret or panic. It is often more important how you handle these questions than whether you know the correct answer that counts.
You will have scope for a little more creativity as far as non-technical or personal skills are concerned, but do prepare concrete examples that demonstrate where you have successfully utilised or developed these skills. It is no good simply to say, for example, that you have excellent communication skills – this will be considered as subjective at best. It is imperative that you support your claim with (success laden) examples and can demonstrate these skills through your interactions with the interviewers.
Interview questions are usually very broad, and can leave you fishing for a suitable catch in a very deep sea. Put yourself in the following situation: You arrive for your interview with the customary 5 to 10 minutes to spare. Your fingernails are clean and your shoes are shining as you walk into the interviewer's office and shake hands confidently, making deliberate eye contact as you do so. You have, of course, memorised the interviewers full name and his or her role in the company. Your interviewer offers you a seat and a cup of coffee, chatting casually about the latest football scores while shuffling through the papers on the desk.
"What exactly are you looking for in a job?" Clang! This casual question requires an immense reply. Challenge, satisfaction, money, experience, status, study benefits, respect, training, professionalism, a future…it takes a bit of practice to put all of that into a short coherent reply, doesn't it?
Try this one for size. "Where do you see yourself in five years time?" Oh please, be realistic!
There are plenty of websites offering tips and advice on interviews and interview questions. Do some surfing and take the time to think about your responses to the more commonly asked questions. Also ask friends who have recently been interviewed about the questions they were asked. If you still have time to spare, spend it in the local library reading whatever you can lay your hands on relating to interviews. The better armed you are, the more likely you are to give a good account of yourself.
Another interviewing tool is the use of tests - aptitude, personality, psychometric, technical, intelligence or situational tests. Try to find out before the interview what kind of tests you are likely to be put through. A few 'dry runs' on this type of test are likely to boost confidence and help you to pace yourself efficiently. Even more importantly, it will help you to see yourself from the perspective of the interviewer and (I've said it before) the better armed you are, the more likely you are to give a good account of yourself.
Case studies are another useful interview tool, especially by consulting firms. These can range from a straightforward brainteaser to analysis of a hypothetical actuarial business problem. Employers will evaluate candidates on their analysis of the problem, how they identify the key issues, how they pursue a particular line of thinking and whether they can develop and present an appropriate solution. There is no perfect way to solve each problem and how you reach the solution is often more important than the solution itself.
Don’t forget to prepare and write down your own questions to ask the interviewer, ideally at least six (because some may be answered through earlier discussion and you need something in reserve other than ‘um…um, no I don’t think so’ when asked if you have any questions). Think about the types of things that you need to know - will you be thrust in at the deep end uh, I mean trained on the job, or is there a structured training programme for new employees? How do they see your skills contributing to the team in the short term? What is the local strategy and future plans for the firm? Think through all these issues and prepare a list of intelligent and tactfully worded questions. These questions can be used to impress the interviewer and let him or her evaluate your professional and personal needs. They will also help both of you determine if your relationship will be mutually rewarding. Avoid questions that relate to salary, study and other benefits, vacations, and retirement.
When you leave, thank the interviewers for their time and if you liked what you heard, then do express your interest in an open, friendly (not desperate!) manner, ending by saying that you look forward to hearing the feedback from their side. Don’t be coy or play hard to get – you may play yourself out of a job!
Above all, keep things positive. For example, if asked why you left (or are leaving a job), don’t talk about the things that made you unhappy at the job - talk rather about the positive aspects that attracted you to your next job (or to the job you talking about)!
On a final note - RELAX! While it is vital to prepare as best you can, do not stress about the things you cannot control. At the very worst, you are getting a real life chance to practise your interviewing skills and you'll definitely do better next time! Mind you, if you have the right qualifications and follow all the above preparation, you'll have no need to worry!
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First
of all, find out everything you can about the company. This not only makes
a good impression and shows genuine interest, but will help you to feel
more comfortable too. The company website is a good starting point, but
search the internet for other websites that may reveal a more objective
view of recent news on the company.
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