A Guy with lots of exam but very little experience

[Anonymous]

After reading the thread started by tech guy
I had to ask.

I will have all the exams (or exams 1-7) after Jan 11. I have very little (about 5 months, 5 years ago) industry experience. I have a PhD. I am in ``you know what''.

Do you think, I have absolutely no chance
of getting an actuarial job in an insurance
company? My constraints are don't want to work more than 40-50hrs a week, don't want to
work in NYC (high COL).

[Anonymous]

If you have a reasonable explanation for why you are making the change, and you are willing to take a starting salary closer to the no experience, few exams end of the spectrum than the many exams, with experience end, I would think you could get a position in an insurance company that meets your criteria.

[DW Simpson]

Hi Anonymous, sorry I'm not sure what "you know what" is. What do you do now?

[Anonymous]

I am the anon who raised the question.

Thanks second anon.

D.W. Simpson webmaster I work for a university.

[Anonymous]

I have the opposite problem: few exams and 6 year's experience. I have been having a hard time finding work because everybody wants exam progress. I know my stuff, I'm just light on the exams because I chose a consulting path and have been raising a family.

Middle of the road is looking awful good about now...

[DW Simpson]

I think Anonymous #2 put it very well and I second their opinion.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

I agree. It used to be that some companies didn't take this possibility into account, i.e., salary scales went up with exams and years or just years, but not exams without the years.
The Boom expanded the possibilities.

[Anonymous]

DTNF, you're right -- the DW Simpson salary scale doesn't have a place for me.

I'd been working less than two years when I made ASA (may/july depending how you define it), and now at just under two and a half years, I may have course 8 as well (though that is a bit doubtful). And with this system of fewer, bigger exams, I am not the only one in the situation.

[DW Simpson]

Coincidentally, we've been working on an update to the survey for the "1 to 2 years of experience" fields, up to 8 courses on the SOA side and ACAS on the CAS side. I posted them to the site just now, http://www.dwsimpson.com/salary.html .

Additionally, we get salary survey information requests all the time from actuaries whose experience/exams combination aren't reflected in the survey, and we then do our best to come up with estimates -- based on any updated internal data -- for them.

[Anonymous]

DWS Webmaster -- you put up the new numbers? maybe something is wrong with my browser, I think I am still seeing the old tables.

[The Mister]

On 2002-01-09 13:57, silvers wrote:
DWS Webmaster -- you put up the new numbers? maybe something is wrong with my browser, I think I am still seeing the old tables.<font size=2>Sometimes it takes a while for the new pages to propagate throughout the web.

[DW Simpson]

Here's a neat trick when the Reload button doesn't work -- put a question mark after the URL, like this: http://www.dwsimpson.com/salary.html? Your browser will ignore the question mark and think it's a new page and won't automatically pull the old one from your PC's cache.

[Anonymous]

I think I have the same problem.
I have course 1-6 & pre-test7,now waiting for the result of course8.
I have two-year working experience in life insurance company in Asia,but none in USA.
The biggest problem for me is that I have not worked for more than one year after moving to USA. I believe the employer will not like this.
Do I still have some hope to find a job here? Does anyone have any suggestion for me?

[DW Simpson]

Anonymous from Asia, please contact us at http://www.dwsimpson.com/cform.html , we should be able to help you.