Actuarial Job Blog

Are you getting paid what you are worth? If not, why not? “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” - Franklin D. Roosevelt There is no getting around the fact that salary negotiation is a difficult process to go through. Many a confident employee has been reduced to a shivering wreck when faced with the task of confronting the ‘boss’ and justifying why they should be getting greater rewards for the work they are performing. Thankfully there are, however, some very constructive ways in which the process can be approached, helping to alleviate the stress and frustration [...]

The development in the financial services industry has been pretty interesting, to put it mildly, so how do you find a new job in todays market? The key, as ever, is to make sure you do the preparation and groundwork first. With the prospect that the supply of actuaries will outstrip demand due to budget constraints, redundancies and recruitment freezes, you need to make sure you stand out against other candidates. The CV The first step is to remember that your CV is purely a marketing tool to get you an interview. You need to ensure that your CV is tailored to [...]

Which agency to choose? There is generally little benefit in going to more than one agency. In fact it can be detrimental as your CV may go to a particular employer from several sources which could give the impression that you are “desperate” for a role. Also it makes it a lot more difficult to manage the process and keep up to date with where your applications are, which agency is dealing with which company, different people calling you about different roles etc. Far preferential is to find an agency dealing with all of the actuarial employers and can therefore [...]

5. Interview practice Tips on interview technique and even the opportunity to do practice interviews with the consultant can then follow. These can be invaluable, particularly if you have not had an interview for several years or have previously been turned down after interview and are not sure of the reasons why. As a trained interviewer the consultant can give you constructive feedback on how you are coming across, how to demonstrate your strengths effectively and even tips on what are good questions to ask. The consultant’s technical knowledge is also useful, as inevitably you will be asked technical questions [...]

When looking for a new position, it can be tricky to know where to begin and a couple of questions immediately spring to mind; whether to use a recruitment agency and if so, which one to pick? So, exactly what are the benefits of using a recruitment agency? Overall, a good recruitment consultant can often make the make the difference between a successful and efficient job search and a lot of wasted effort. 1. Discussing your career plan and whether a move is right for you The first step in the process would be for the recruitment consultant to find [...]

By Kischel Nair, Actuarial Analyst at FNB South Africa. Conclusion In summary anyone can be an actuary. While a great deal of intelligence is required, a lot of hard work is equally necessary. The actuarial profession involves tough challenges which require a vast skill set as well as a strong mind and self belief. The actuary will develop to be multi-skilled and will be able to communicate solutions to complex problems effectively to all stakeholders involved while managing conflicts of interest. The thorough understanding of the variations in complex systems and what drives that variation is an essential skill of [...]