Getting a job at GEICO is known to be difficult. Every candidate has to get through some stages of the hiring process. Talking about the GEICO hiring process, it is based upon business needs, passing pre-employment tests and or assessment(s), interview evaluations and background checks. Depending upon the location and position, the steps in the process and length of time may vary.
One of the most important tests is an interview. To nail all the questions that are asked by the interviewers, you are suggested to prepare and practice it beforehand. Below are some questions that are usually asked by the interviewers and how to respond to them:
- Tell me about yourself
Feel free to talk about your hobbies and interests. However, you are suggested to keep it brief. Please try your best to focus on the experience that is related to work. Keep in mind that having experience that is related to work is better as it will make you miles ahead of the others.
- What can you tell us about GEICO?
Below are several things about GEICO:
- GEICO is known as an insurance company that is headquartered in Chevy Chase Maryland.
- GEICO is the abbreviation of Government Employees Insurance Company.
- The one that owns GEICO is Berkshire Hathaway.
- GEICO is named as the second largest company. It is only lost to State Farm.
- Aside from auto insurance, GEICO also offers life insurance, food insurance, homeowners insurance, and so on.
- GEICO writes automobile insurance for all 50 states in the United States and D.C.
- Why should GEICO hire you?
Upon hearing this question, you can say that you want to grow your career in the insurance industry and feel GEICO is the best option to fulfill your dream. Do not forget to mention what you admire the most from the company, such as it being the second largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States and one of the fastest growing major auto insurers in the country. Besides, you can also mention that you are impressed with all the awards that have been received by the company, including Best Employers for Women 2019, America’s Best Employers by State, Best Employers for Diversity 2019, and Best Employers for New Grads 2018. The next thing that you can state is your admiration to the company for supporting the Children’s National Hospital’s mission to make sure that every kid in Washington, D.C. gets compassionate health care, regardless of the ability to play with the family. In addition, you are also recommended to say that you would be proud to work for a company that offers discounts to those who have served in the military.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
Go to the official website of GEICO and look for a job that you can see yourself in five years. It is recommended to make sound like a good candidate for the company. However, it is also needed for you to tell the interviewer the things that you are doing to make these goals happen. Here is the best answer example for the question:
“In five years I would like to find a career in data & analytics. I plan on studying computer science and/or mathematics at my local college. I have a real passion for numbers and I feel it would be a very challenging field.”
- What is your greatest strength?
When getting this question, you are encouraged to answer this question by describing the skills and experience that you have which is related directly to the job that you are applying for. Please review the job description and tell the interviewer that you have the experience and the ability to do the job.
- Describe your greatest weakness?
Make sure to say something that is related to the job. It is also better for you to explain the steps to improve your weakness. Please do not say that you are flawless or cannot think of a weakness. Apart from that, avoid saying something unrelated to the job and a weakness that is critical for the job.
- Who are GEICO’s competitors?
Liberty Mutual Insurance, USAA, Nationwide Insurance, Allstate, State Farm, and Progressive are the competitors of GEICO.
- What motivates you?
Do not ever mention money and employee discounts. Mentioning these two is fatal. Instead of these two, you can say something like meeting deadlines, targets or goals; learning new things; coming up with creative ideas to improve or to make something new; working well as part of a team; finding a way to fix an issue or to overcome a challenge; and so on.
- Tell us about your salary expectations?
It is such a tricky question. If you ask for too much, there is no way for you to get the job. On the other hand, if you ask for too little, you will be underpaid. To prepare to answer this question, please do some salary expectations research for your role first. It should be easy to find the sites that discuss the salary ranges. If you have no idea what to say, you can just ask what the salary range is and then counter with the high end of the range.
- Why did you leave your last job?
This one is as tricky as the No.9 question as the interviewers may be looking for things that you did not like in your previous job. To play it safe, you can just say that you enjoyed every single thing about your previous job. Then, you can add that you feel like you have learned all you can in that role and are now finding new challenges.
- Do you have any questions for us?
When you are asked if you want to ask something, here are some questions that you can throw:
- How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position?
- If I were to start tomorrow what would be my top priority be?
- What is the history of this position?
- What about this position is the most important?
- How would you measure my success, and what could I do to succeed in your expectations?
- Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do in order to get up to speed quickly?