Top Underwriter Interview Questions with Example Answers [2022]

Prepare for your Underwriter interview by going through these most asked Underwriter interview questions. Additionally, get access to sample answers and interviewer's expectations.

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  • Question: Why do you want to work for us?
  • Question Overview: This is a simple question that can tell you a lot about the interviewee's motivations. It can help you understand their goals, how they see your company and what they think they can get out of the job.

    Sample Answer: I've always been interested in the insurance industry and I've been trying to find a way to get into it for a while. I think your company is a good place to start because of its reputation in the field. I like that you are expanding into new markets and I think I can help you do that.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific reasons for wanting to work for the company
    • - How the company can help them achieve their goals
    • - How they see the company as a whole

  • Question: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • Question Overview: This is a standard interview question that helps you assess the interviewee's self-awareness. You want to make sure they are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and that they can articulate them.

    Sample Answer: I think my biggest strength is my ability to work with people. I've been told that I'm a good listener and that I can help people come to a decision. My biggest weakness is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I like things done right the first time, but sometimes this can cause me to take longer than necessary.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Self-awareness
    • - Ability to articulate strengths and weaknesses

  • Question: What is your experience in previous internships?
  • Question Overview: This question helps you gauge the potential hire's experience level and how that experience informs on their reasoning and analytical skills. The interviewee should be able to list common problems in the industry and what to do.

    Sample Answer: Any clients who have charges on their records that have remained there for a long time present a potential risk to the company. If I can see that a client did not read the policy stipulations, that is also a problem.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific red flags for denying claims
    • - Interpersonal and negotiation skills
    • - Industry knowledge

  • Question: What is your greatest weakness?
  • Question Overview: This is a classic interview question that helps you gauge how the interviewee will handle a tough question. You can use this question to see how the potential hire will respond to a negative question.

    Sample Answer: I'm not always the best at delegating tasks. I tend to take on too much and spread myself too thin. I'm working on improving this.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - How the potential hire will handle a negative question
    • - How they will handle a difficult situation
    • - How they will improve

  • Question: Why did you choose to apply for this position?
  • Question Overview: This question is a good way to gauge the interviewee's interest in the position. It also helps you understand how they might approach the job.

    Sample Answer: I have been working in this industry for a long time and I feel like I have a good grasp on the challenges and opportunities it presents. I think I can help your company grow.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific reasons for applying
    • - Knowledge of the company
    • - How they would approach the job

  • Question: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to gauge the interviewee's personality and sense of humor. It can also help you learn a bit about their interests and what they like to do in their spare time.

    Sample Answer: I would love to be able to fly. I think it would be fun to see the world from a bird's eye view.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - A fun answer
    • - A serious answer
    • - A thoughtful answer

  • Question: Tell me about a time when you had to deliver a difficult message.
  • Question Overview: This question is a great way to see how the interviewee handles stressful situations. It also gives you a sense of how they communicate with others.

    Sample Answer: I had to tell a client that his policy was being cancelled. He had not been paying his premiums for a long time, and I had to explain why he was not eligible for coverage anymore.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific examples of difficult messages
    • - Interpersonal and negotiation skills
    • - Industry knowledge

  • Question: What makes you stand out from other candidates?
  • Question Overview: This question is a great way to gauge the interviewee's self-awareness and their ability to articulate their strengths. You want to hire someone who knows what they bring to the table and can communicate that effectively.

    Sample Answer: I have a lot of experience in the insurance industry and I've been working in underwriting for over five years. I have a lot of experience with the Applied Epic software and I think it would be a great fit for your company.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific strengths
    • - Communication skills
    • - Industry knowledge

  • Question: What are the important characteristics of a good leader?
  • Question Overview: A good leader can inspire and motivate a team to achieve goals. This question helps you gauge the potential hire's leadership skills and how they might apply to your company.

    Sample Answer: A good leader needs to be able to inspire and motivate a team to achieve goals. They need to be able to handle difficult situations and conflicts in a productive way.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific leadership qualities
    • - How the potential hire would handle a difficult situation
    • - How the potential hire would handle a conflict

  • Question: Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
  • Question Overview: This question helps you gauge the potential hire's career goals and how they might fit with your company. It also helps you understand how the potential hire might grow with your company and how they might fit into your long-term plans.

    Sample Answer: I would like to be a senior underwriter for a large company in 5 years. I would like to have a lot of experience under my belt and be able to work with a variety of different clients.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Career goals
    • - How the potential hire fits into your company's plans
    • - How the potential hire's goals might change in the future

  • Question: What is your experience in insurance?
  • Question Overview: This question is a great way to gauge the interviewee's experience in the field. You can also use it to get a sense of how long they have been in the industry and what their career path has been like.

    Sample Answer: I've been working in insurance for about five years. I started as an underwriter and worked my way up to a senior position.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Length of time in the industry
    • - Career path
    • - Specific experience in the field

  • Question: What would your boss tell me you need to improve?
  • Question Overview: This question is a bit of a curveball. You want to see how the interviewee responds to criticism and what they think they need to improve on. This can tell you a lot about their self-awareness and how they might respond to criticism from you or other managers.

    Sample Answer: I can always improve my time management skills. I've been working on this by using a calendar and scheduling my day in 15-minute increments.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - How the interviewee responds to criticism
    • - How they plan to improve
    • - Specific areas for improvement

  • Question: What is your long term goal?
  • Question Overview: This question is a good way to gauge the potential hire's career goals. It can also help you understand whether they are interested in growing within your company or not.

    Sample Answer: I would like to be an underwriter for a large company like yours. I want to be able to help a lot of people and make a difference in their lives.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Career goals
    • - Interest in growing with the company

  • Question: Give me an example of a time you had to multitask.
  • Question Overview: This question helps you gauge how well the potential hire can handle multiple tasks at once. It also helps you understand how they prioritize and organize their time.

    Sample Answer: I had to handle a lot of tasks at once when I was working for a small company. I had to make sure that I was doing my job well while also handling the administrative duties of the office.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific example of multitasking
    • - How they prioritized and organized their time
    • - How they handled the situation

  • Question: What do you think about the news?
  • Question Overview: This question is a bit more open-ended than some of the other questions on this list. You can use it to gauge the potential hire's general interest in current events, how they feel about the news and how they feel about the news in relation to their job.

    Sample Answer: I think that the news is a good way to stay informed about what's going on in the world. I like to keep up with current events so that I can be prepared for any changes that might affect my job.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - General interest in current events
    • - Feelings about the news
    • - Feelings about the news in relation to their job

  • Question: What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to give you a glimpse into the interviewee's personality and work ethic. The answer can also help you understand how they might fit into your company's culture.

    Sample Answer: My first job was at a local grocery store. I learned a lot about customer service and how to work with people. I also learned that I didn't want to work in retail for the rest of my life.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Personality traits
    • - Work ethic
    • - Cultural fit

  • Question: What is the size of your current client base?
  • Question Overview: You need to know how much experience your potential hire has in the field. This question helps you gauge that experience and how it might translate to your company.

    Sample Answer: I have worked with over a thousand clients in my career. I have worked with small, medium and large companies.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Number of clients
    • - Types of clients
    • - How many years of experience

  • Question: What is your dream job?
  • Question Overview: This is a question that gives you a chance to see how the interviewee might fit into your company's culture. It also gives you a chance to see what kind of job they might be looking for in the future.

    Sample Answer: My dream job would be working with a company that values its employees and offers them opportunities to grow. I would like to work for a company that values my experience and offers me opportunities to learn new things.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - The job the candidate is looking for
    • - How they would fit into your company's culture
    • - How they would contribute to your company

  • Question: What was the most difficult challenge you have faced in your career?
  • Question Overview: This question gives you a chance to gauge how the interviewee has handled difficult situations in the past. It also helps you understand how they might handle a difficult situation in the future.

    Sample Answer: I once had to deal with a client who was very difficult to reach. She was not answering her phone and I could not get her to respond to my emails. I had to find a way to get her to respond so I could complete the underwriting process.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Specific challenges faced
    • - How they were handled
    • - How they might be handled in the future

  • Question: How do you handle problems?
  • Question Overview: This question is designed to gauge the potential hire's interpersonal and communication skills. You want to know that your underwriter can handle problems in a professional manner.

    Sample Answer: I always try to approach problems with a professional attitude. I try to understand the problem from all angles and then find a solution that works for everyone involved.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Communication skills
    • - Interpersonal skills
    • - Problem-solving skills