Hello everyone,
First, a bit of background: I'll be graduating with an M.A. in Applied Mathematics with a Mathematical Statistics minor in May, and I'm about to start looking for actuarial positions. Also, my undergraduate degree is in Finance. I have a strong academic record (3.94 graduate GPA, 3.17 undergrad [but 3.79 in my major]). I was hoping to get some input on the following:
1. Please have a look at my attached resume. What do you think? Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Please let me know if there are any formatting issues or things that you think I should omit, add, or emphasize differently. Are there any glaring weak spots or particularly strong points? I don't know any actuaries personally, so this input is especially valuable.
2. For those of you who are in a position to hire new actuaries, would you contact me if I applied to your firm? Why or why not?
3. I'm in Southeast Michigan, and I'd like to stay in the area. Does anyone have any information on the employment outlook for actuaries in my area? Are there particular companies that I should keep my eyes on for opportunities?
4. If a company has no openings posted, is it worthwhile to send a cover letter and resume anyway? If so, to whom should such a message be addressed?
5. Are there any particularly good places to search for actuarial jobs online? I've searched Monster, CareerBuilder, and Indeed, and I'd like to know if there are some resources that I may be missing.
6. What is the biggest piece of advice that you would give to someone trying to enter the field right now?
Thanks in advance for your time and input; it is greatly appreciated! If there are good answers to some of these questions elsewhere on the site, I apologize for missing them. Thanks again!