Research Before Undertaking and Underwriting Resume
To know which of your skills to highlight in an underwriting resume, you must first conduct some research. |
Start off your resume with a profile statement that will clearly and concisely state your qualifications and what you will bring to the company. Highlight your strengths and those skills that the company is specifically looking for. This is you chance to make a good impression and set the tone for the rest of the resume.
Throughout the resume, you should emphasize the skills that were specifically mentioned in the job description. If you are able to do any research on the company to find out more about what they are looking for, it’s wise to tailor your resume to match that as well. The more relevant the information is and the closer it is to what the potential employer is looking for, the better your chances are of getting noticed.
Educational qualifications are a must in the underwriting industry. List your education in chronological order with the most recent degree earned listed first. Most careers in underwriting require a Bachelors degree in business administration, math or finance. Having a basic knowledge of accounting, computer skills, and law will be an added advantage for you, so be sure to include those skills if they apply to you.
It is also important to have a good knowledge of insurance underwriting, health, life, liability, as well as property. Undertaking risk management courses is also helpful. These qualifications should be outlined clearly and attractively to make it easier for your potential employer to find them and see at a glance if you meet the minimum requirements.
Entry level requirements for an underwriting industry vary according to employers. Normally one becomes an underwriter after becoming a trainee in the same field or enrolling in an apprenticeship program. Insurance industry qualifications that can boost your resume include a chartered insurance institute (CII) certificate in insurance and a School of Finance certificate in Regulated General Insurance.
Previous experience in underwriting should be emphasized. The most relevant experience to the underwriting industry must be given priority in the resume. Ensure that you know what the employer is looking for and which experiences will boost your resume. Experiences gained from traineeships, apprenticeships, and internships should also be included in the resume. Ensure that every experience included is relevant to the underwriting industry. For example, you may include abilities like analysis of risk and excellent assessment of statistical data.
Indicate in your resume when and where you’ve been involved in technical analysis, legal assessment, and pricing reinsurance covers. These are the skills that matter most in any underwriting industry. Indicate how you applied these skills in previous places of employment and how they contributed to the success of the previous company.
Having additional skills such as excellent communication skills, exceptional negotiation power, ability to work as part of a team, good decision making ability, good research skills, and sound computer and numerical skills are all good qualities your prospective employer will consider before hiring. Attention to details is also a vital skill, especially as an underwriter.
An effective and professional resume for an underwriting position is one with good language, relevant information, and good organization. Using keywords will help make an impact by helping to state things directly and concisely. Research extensively to ensure the keywords and technical terms used make sense.
Action verbs should be used to describe your achievements and accomplishments. Use of action verbs shows your potential employer that you’re proactive. Identify the employer’s needs through research and try to address them in your resume. Wherever possible, focus on accomplishments and results produced by your abilities and efforts.
As you can see, quite a bit of research is required in order to write an effective underwriting resume. There are plenty of skills and qualifications that will apply to the job; therefore it’s essential to keep your resume well-organized to keep it from looking cluttered. If a potential employer can look at your resume and see that exceptional effort was put into its organization and relevancy of information, you surely have a good chance at an interview.