Career Changer

[pnichols104]

I'm exploring the actuarial field as a a new career for myself, and I'd like to learn more about it. I love math, but only took up through Calc 3 in college (10 years ago). I tutor and teach calculus, so my Calc 1 skills are solid. I'm a fast learner, love math and puzzles, and am a good test-taker. If there is anyone who would chat with me about the career and his or her experiences--or, even better, if you live in NYC and might be willing to let me take you out for coffee to bend your ear--I'd greatly appreciate your time!

[alekhine4149]

I'm exploring the actuarial field as a a new career for myself, and I'd like to learn more about it. I love math, but only took up through Calc 3 in college (10 years ago). I tutor and teach calculus, so my Calc 1 skills are solid. I'm a fast learner, love math and puzzles, and am a good test-taker. If there is anyone who would chat with me about the career and his or her experiences--or, even better, if you live in NYC and might be willing to let me take you out for coffee to bend your ear--I'd greatly appreciate your time!

Hi pnichols, I can't hang out with you which is too bad because I enjoy coffee. But it sounds like you have what it takes to deal with the preliminary exams. The exams are fairly time consuming, so you have to be patient and willing to study for long periods of time. Your personal life has to be in a situation where you can responsibly devote many hours per week while working over the course of several years.

The career is competitive to get into, but not more than anything else in this economy. The career uses math, but much less than most candidates expect - the theoretical underpinnings of the job are taught on the exams, but naturally this isn't all there is. Other skills you want are good organization, care to detail, communicating confidently with others, and computer programming-lite. Keep searching the forums to answer your questions, and you should be able to get a pretty good idea how to start and what you can expect if you choose the actuarial career path. Happy searching.