At Aetna, we have many health insurance competitors that we need to have a pulse on. In your current role, how do you stay up to date with competitors?

"I set up Google alerts for all the major competitors so I can follow them. I read in an obscure business journal about one of our competitors having financial trouble, so I reached out to several of their clients the next day to see what the pulse was. They were also nervous and uncertain about the future of their current provider, so they were much more willing to have conversations with me about our product. I'm still in the middle of the contract process, but it looks promising so far."

"I have relationships with all of the sales team members at our major competitors. I find it easier to have friends versus enemies because I know what is happening at their companies before it hits the news. Because I've built a solid relationship with that sales team, they give me leads that could be a good fit for our business and don't fit their product offerings. I try to help them when I can and when it makes sense."

If a competitor has a product that could impact the business at Aetna, you need to know. Likewise, if a competitor is struggling, you might be able to create an advantage for Aetna. Talk to the interviewer about how you kept tabs on your competitors in the past.