Employment question

[jstarderfan]

How long would it take to acquire an actuary job in Seattle once it is known that I have passed the p exam (concerning SOA and CAS)? How much less (or what would that starting wage be) would that wage be with respect to California? Thanks.

-Thomas

[Irish Blues]

With one exam? Unless you've got fantastic grades and can interview extremely well, longer than if you have 2 exams passed.

AFA pay in Seattle, I have no clue. I doubt few here do - your best bet is to check out salary.com or some other site that lets you see what salaries are for certain jobs in a given area.

[mreevit]

More info needed!

Do you have any work experience (related or non-related)?

Do you have a degree or are you working on it right now?

[jstarderfan]

I have a degree in economics from UCSC ( I graduated a year ago and am looking for a career change). My G.P.A. is a 3.4. I have 6 months experience in management.

I was under the impression that the barrier to entry in this profession is passing the p-exam. This isn't true?

[mreevit]

I have a degree in economics from UCSC ( I graduated a year ago and am looking for a career change). My G.P.A. is a 3.4. I have 6 months experience in management.

I was under the impression that the barrier to entry in this profession is passing the p-exam. This isn't true?

That is very true. Most companies will not consider you if you do not have an exam passed. However, I have heard that those with very strong GPAs from top tier schools and strong Math SAT scores can get positions without an exam passed. This is a rare exception. So definitely, you need at least P passed (or FM). I am just starting out in this field. Just graduated college with no internship and 1 exam. I got two offers. So it is definitely not necessary to have 2 exams. However, I was looking nationally. One offer was out of state and one was in my home town. So it will probably take some time to find a local position. If I were you, I would sit for one and then start applying after you get your results (passing). While you are looking make sure to study for the second exam.

Try calling the places where you would like to work in Seattle. Do some informational interviewing right now with senior actuaries at those places. Most people are happy to do this. Ask about the types of positions they have for entry-level, what your responsibilities would be, etc.

When you get your results send them your resume directly. This is a better way to get interviews than applying online. I only got one call back from applications I sent online. All of my other interviews were from emailing the actuarial dept directly or calling them directly.

Best of luck.

[mary03]

Mrrevit,

I was wondering if you could offer any advice regarding making contact directly with actuaries. I have attempted to do so, and I am always directed to HR, which is a dead end. My resume seems to be lost in the abyss.

Thanks in advance for your help

[YKT]

Mary03,

It depends, but most of the case the first step is HR, they collect resumes, and do screen interview if your resume qualify this position. They will do some selection after that, if they think you are "good hand people", they will forward your resume to some actuaries for more interviews.

Some companies may indicated that you need to send your resume to specific person. Some may actuaries or hiring manager, but most of them are working in HR.

[mary03]

Thanks for the info. The HR people make me feel as though I need to accomplish so much more before I get my first job. It seems that they have a list of all the requirements, and they don't consider a candidate if they aren't perfect. I graduated with honors with a B.S. in Math and I passed P. I am studying for FM, and trying to improve my computer skills. I am not experienced with the programs that many of the companies use, and that seems to be the one thing that holds me back. I am working now, studying for FM, and I just don't have any free time to enroll in computer classes. Should I enroll in classes after passing FM?