Serious Problem?

[Landrewel]

Hey everyone, I graduated in August with a degree in econonomics and have two exams passed. I took a few months off to travel and have been applying to entry level actuarial jobs since. I had a phone interview with Imerica and didn't get the job, and also should be hearing back from ING (I should call them huh).

It's bothering me that I haven't heard from anybody else recently and feel that there is something wrong with my resume. Does the fact that I graduated in August hurt my chances of getting an interview greatly?

Also, a recruiter from DW Simpson told me it normally takes entry levels 2 months to a year to find a job. What have your experiences been with the matter? I would really appreciate some help.

[Ken]

If you are going through HR, you're going about this the wrong way. If you can get interviews, your resumé isn't holding you back.

[SirVLCIV]

I'm not an expert, just a student who currently works as a deli slicer to pay the bills, but from what I've seen, and my girlfriend's experience (she isn't an actuary, but works in the corporate world), you need to be constantly, CONSTANTLY, looking for work, sending out resumes -to the right people-, and following up.

If you want to be an actuary, find companies in your travel area who hire actuaries (insurance companies, consulting companies), find out who their point of contacts are (NOT HR if you can avoid it), and when you send out a resume, follow up within a reasonable timeframe. After your interview, IMMEDIATELY when you get home, write thank you letters to everyone you interviewed with.

Not guaranteed to get you a job, but the longest my girlfriend has gone without work in the last 5 years, through two layoffs and two office closings is 3 months.

[SirVLCIV]

http://www.beanactuary.org/find/atp.cfm
http://www.dwsimpson.com/studjobs.html

[Landrewel]

Most, if not all my applications are going through HR. I've been using the job boards and also through the company websites. How should I apply in order to maximize my chances of getting an interview? Thanks.

[Irish Blues]

1. Search the company websites, apply whenever you find an open position. That's how I found my current job.
2. Use a recruiter; mine put me in touch with a company right around the time I interviewed for my current job. It didn't work, but my recruiter did a fantastic job IMO of working to find me something.
3. Persistence.
4. Persistence.
5. Persistence.

As stated earlier, if you're getting interviews, the resume isn't the problem. Most people kill their chances for a job in the interview, so make sure you understand what to expect and what the company is expecting. It took me about 16 months to find a job, 3 months from when I passed the 2nd exam b/c otherwise I got noticed but that was about it; a lot of lip service followed by the "we're going with someone who has more experience" brush-off. The 2nd exam definitely opened doors for me I wouldn't have had before.

[Landrewel]

Thanks for the help everyone, I just have to stay positive and keep applying. :)