Canadian Market

[mebgranny]

I'm in my final year and will be graduating in April with 4 exams completed (P, FM, MFE & MLC). I have a couple of internships in a non actuarial role at an accounting firm.

Having read this forum for a few months now I would have felt pretty good about my chances for full time employment as an Actuary if only I were in the States. Unfortunately I'm just a little north of there, so what do you guys reckon about my chances?

Cheers

[annuitize]

Originally Posted by mebgranny

I'm in my final year and will be graduating in April with 4 exams completed (P, FM, MFE & MLC). I have a couple of internships in a non actuarial role at an accounting firm.

Having read this forum for a few months now I would have felt pretty good about my chances for full time employment as an Actuary if only I were in the States. Unfortunately I'm just a little north of there, so what do you guys reckon about my chances?

Cheers

I reckon you pass Exam C in Nov, and pass FAP FA by graduation. You can do it, you're Canadian. Actually, if you're Canadian, you should be required to get back-to-back 4.0's while taking 25 credits per semester, maintain a full time actuarial co-op and bang 2 hot Asian girls at the same time while passing those exams. Good luck!

[mjb]

Originally Posted by mebgranny

I'm in my final year and will be graduating in April with 4 exams completed (P, FM, MFE & MLC). I have a couple of internships in a non actuarial role at an accounting firm.

Having read this forum for a few months now I would have felt pretty good about my chances for full time employment as an Actuary if only I were in the States. Unfortunately I'm just a little north of there, so what do you guys reckon about my chances?

Cheers

You got the basics. 4 exams is good. Internships are good (would be better if they were actuarial, but accounting isn't bad). You will get interviews with those qualifications. Just remember that there are lots of Canadian students with similar qualifications so you need to somehow distinguish youself from the others. Make sure you're resume is solid and start polishing those interview and communication/interpersonal skills.

[zipster]

Your chances? Greater than this guy's...

Originally Posted by annuitize

I reckon you pass Exam C in Nov, and pass FAP FA by graduation. You can do it, you're Canadian. Actually, if you're Canadian, you should be required to get back-to-back 4.0's while taking 25 credits per semester, maintain a full time actuarial co-op and bang 2 hot Asian girls at the same time while passing those exams. Good luck!

[Ganymede]

Originally Posted by mjb

You got the basics. 4 exams is good. Internships are good (would be better if they were actuarial, but accounting isn't bad). You will get interviews with those qualifications. Just remember that there are lots of Canadian students with similar qualifications so you need to somehow distinguish youself from the others. Make sure you're resume is solid and start polishing those interview and communication/interpersonal skills.

This illustrates a problem that is typical of all professions where you first get your training in a university setting, and then go look for a job. Think of the market for college professors where you typically spend several years getting your training. They have had chronic employment problems for decades.

The university system has strong incentives to overproduce. Senior college professors like, and are rewarded for, having Ph.D. students. In the US where university training of actuaries is not as common, one with some math courses can pass the first exam or two, and then go look for a job. If none are available they go into something else with little lost time. Those who get an actuarial take more exams without the competition from incoming university graduates.

[mebgranny]

What about applying for jobs in the States. Will I get serious consideration as a Canadian?

[country squire]

Originally Posted by mebgranny

What about applying for jobs in the States. Will I get serious consideration as a Canadian?

Only if you wear a toque, apologise a lot, and end all your sentences with "eh." Missing a couple of teeth from an old hockey injury can't hurt.

[eagles418]

Originally Posted by mebgranny

What about applying for jobs in the States. Will I get serious consideration as a Canadian?

No.

[DMN]

Originally Posted by mebgranny

What about applying for jobs in the States. Will I get serious consideration as a Canadian?

I want to know this as well. Any Canadian students currently working in the US at an entry level or internship level and how did you work out the work visa fiasco.

[Zakarin]

Originally Posted by mebgranny

What about applying for jobs in the States. Will I get serious consideration as a Canadian?

Just for being a Canadian?
No.

If you have significant intership/Co-op experience/exams etc.
Then Yes.

If there is nothing to make you stand out from the run-of-the-mill US grad down the street, you'll lose out to him everytime.

Z