Securing Your First Actuarial Position

Transcript:Securing Your First Actuarial Position:
Securing Your First Actuarial Position ________________________________________________________ Presented By: Caitlin Cunningham & Adam Noreen Penn State University January 22, 2014 Discussion Overview About DW Simpson Being an Actuary Preparing your resume and cover letter Interviewing tips and scenarios Job offers and your long-term career Market overview Industry resources Introducing DW Simpson DW Simpson specializes in the placement of Actuaries and Analytics professionals. We work at all experience levels, globally and across all industries (Life, Health, Pension, P&C), including in nontraditional areas (Risk Management, CAT Modeling, Predictive Modeling, etc.). We are the largest firm of our kind, and our objective is to be the foremost resource for Actuarial and Analytics talent. Our Team Who Employs Actuaries? Insurance companies Reinsurers Consulting firms Brokerages Hedge funds Risk modeling software groups Analytics Groups Managing General Underwriters/Agents (MGAs and MGUs) Who Qualifies as Entry-Level? Soon-to-be and recent college graduates Career changers Those with less than six months of full-time experience in the actuarial profession Preparing Your Resume Employers are looking for: Exams/Designations Academic background (areas of study, GPA, extracurricular activities, awards and honors) Technical skills Actuarial experience (internships, co-ops) Additional work experience “Soft skills” (communication, time management, leadership, etc.) Formatting Your Resume Follow this order-of-information guide: Heading Actuarial exams/designations Education Actuarial experience Additional work experience Computer skills Other Use a simple, consistent font. Use consistent margins and punctuation. Proofread, proofread, proofread! Sample: Heading John J. Smith 100 S Burrowes St, State College, PA 16801 814.555.1212 ∙ john.j.smith@gmail.com Sample: Actuarial Exams/Designations Actuarial Exams & Credits Successfully completed Exams P/1 and FM/2 Sitting for Exam MFE/3F (April 2014) Fulfilled VEEs in Economics and Corporate Finance Or... Actuarial Designations Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, 2013 Sample: Education Education Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA B.S. in Mathematics Graduation expected May 2014 Minors in Statistics and Economics GPA: 3.7/4.0 Sample: Actuarial Experience Actuarial Experience Company Name, City, State/Province P&C Actuarial Intern Summer 2013 Applied Excel to... Priced products X, Y, Z... Analyzed data... Presented findings... Sample: Additional Work Experience Additional Work Experience Company Name, City, State/Province Administrative Assistant July 2012 – Present Answer phone calls... Greet visitors... Filing Clerk Jan 2012 – June 2012 Filed documents... Collaborated with... Sample: Technical Skills Technical Skills Proficient in Excel, Access Basic working knowledge of VBA, SAS, SQL, C++ Sample: Other Leadership Actuarial Science Club, Secretary, May 2012 – Present Awards DW Simpson Actuarial Scholarship, 2013 Language Skills Fluent in Spanish Preparing Your