Don'tBeAnActuary.SeriouslyGuysDon'tDoIt.Com

[tanjinee]

Originally Posted by Dr T Non-Fan

Of course. This is because the actuarial profession is for the most part a fall-back field. Try to get a job in a field that will utilize more of the math skills, before settling on actuarial.

Please elaborate on how the actuarial profession is a fall-back field. I sincerely would like to know. And perhaps, your two cents as to why you "fell back" to the actuarial world if you are indeed in it.

From my own perspective, I majored in Mathematics, taking all sorts of math classes. They really opened my eyes to the world of Math, quite fascinating to say the least, but only caught my attention for that long, since it turned out to be very 1 dimensional in the long run, ala I don't really want to spend the next 30 years of my life on a few problems, but rather, combine many skills to become a successful actuary.

[vh82vette]

meh, if there is a job out there that requires no form of credentialing (without nepotism), is high paying, low stress, has short hours, is lots of fun and empowering and just over-all glorious please point me in the right direction.

[Darkness Falls]

Originally Posted by Dr T Non-Fan

Of course. This is because the actuarial profession is for the most part a fall-back field.

So I guess you're excluding virtually all recent (and even some of the old-timers) Canadian actuaries. Pretty much everyone here seems to come out of an actuarial math/science program. And it seems to me that if you major in that it's not really a fall-back field!

[Merk]

I laughed. Not a bad effort for an amateur comedian.

btw, sweet production values on that site. No doubt it's a totally professional website.

[TiderInsider]

Originally Posted by sanki

False. In order to become an actuary you need to take a series of tests offered twice a year each requiring 300-400 hours of studying, most of which are spent outside of work. As of the writing of this article, it takes an average of 8.5 years to finish all your tests. That’s 5950 hours you will need to study to become a designated actuary.

I thought this whole thing was pretty lame. I bet folks that really study 400/exam don't take 8.5 years to finish. Not to mention that about 120 hrs/exam come while at work.

As much as the exams suck, I don't feel like I put in that much more time than other hard working friends of mine. And hopefully the burden of exams will be in the rear-view soon.

[Nimue]

Originally Posted by Daveed

"if you are gorgeous, gregarious, and math-minded you have other options. "


I honestly didn't know this. What are they?

I was just going to say this. I'm curious too!

[LossLimit]

Funny article, thanks for posting.

I don't think my highschool math teacher knew what an actuary was. She knew algebra and geometry and how to get to school and use a role book. I believe that was it.

[The Head Detective]

Originally Posted by D.W. Simpson Webmaster

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/0....ap/index.html

So instead of building actuarial models, you can be and actuarial model!








I'll get my coat...

[Nimue]

Originally Posted by D.W. Simpson Webmaster

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/0....ap/index.html

I think she's great, but that's not exactly a career path: I'm going to move to Hollywood and become a successful actress, then I'll write a book encouraging girls to pursue math! Again, I think she's great, and this is an example of someone who is both beautiful and mathematically inclined but this is not a career path.

[JMO]

Do you know the way to San Jose?
LA is a great big freeway . . .
And all the stars that never were
Are parking cars and pumping gas.

Sorry, I just had to share that.