going all the way

[Winbacker]

so you're saying that there is such a thing as a "career student-analyst". Is this common? And when it does happen, is the employer likely to fire him?

[SirVLCIV]

Originally Posted by Winbacker

so you're saying that there is such a thing as a "career student-analyst". Is this common? And when it does happen, is the employer likely to fire him?

Why would anyone go into their career wanting to be a career 'student-analyst'? Seems rather dull, with very limited salary progression. The difference between 4 exams and ASA is not very large.

[phatadamwa]

Originally Posted by Winbacker

so you're saying that there is such a thing as a "career student-analyst". Is this common? And when it does happen, is the employer likely to fire him?

Not all of them are called "career student-analysts," but they definitely exist. I work with at least 3. Not sure how common it is thuogh.

[Abnormal]

Originally Posted by Winbacker

so you're saying that there is such a thing as a "career student-analyst". Is this common? And when it does happen, is the employer likely to fire him?

I don't know many (and I've never had one work for me - if you don't want to advance I can find someone that does). Way back when I think there were more - if spreadsheets were done by hand you needed a back room full of number crunchers that did nothing but run calculators. Now there is absolutely no need for anyone like that.

Having said that, if a company has a need for someone like that, and they are good at what they do, I see no reason to fire them. A friend of mine decided very early on that he had better things to do than write exams - he's done very well moving into the back room admin side of the world - but he's not just a "career student analyst" - he's a very bright business person that decided early on that the actuarial world was not for him.

[LoneGirl]

Originally Posted by Winbacker

so you're saying that there is such a thing as a "career student-analyst". Is this common? And when it does happen, is the employer likely to fire him?

I think you're missing the point. "Career student" isn't something you should be aiming for.

[remilard]

There are career analysts for sure but presumably none of these people remain students...

[Amy7]

Originally Posted by Winbacker

so you're saying that there is such a thing as a "career student-analyst". Is this common? And when it does happen, is the employer likely to fire him?

I know of someone who stopped after a few exams, and was kept on. One of her colleagues described her saying, "When we need <insert basic, boring task> we give it to her. We don't have to train her because she's been doing it for years, and we know that it will be done right."

This is not something an ambitious person would like. As Dr T, Claude, and Abnormal said, an ambitious person who has trouble with exams transitions into another (possibly related) field. You can't advance beyond a certain point - in a strictly actuarial career - without credentials. It's something people do if they miscalculated when they chose this field, and they already have some experience before other stuff in their life (family, hobbies, whatever) become important enough that they just want a "job."

If you think now that you don't want to do all the exams, then my advice would be, save yourself time and start out on a different career path.

[Winbacker]

thanks for the responses

[tommie frazier]

the career analyst exists. it isn;t glamorous. low ceiling (if you insist on staying in an actuaril role). eventually, you'll be in a spot where younger not as industry knowledgeable types pass you by bc they passed exams.

if you are ok with that frustration, then go ahead and set out on that path.

i see no compelling reason why a person who had the interest and ability to pass exams and work in an actuarial role would want to pass on that.

[Westley]

Originally Posted by tommie frazier

i see no compelling reason why a person who had the interest and ability to pass exams and work in an actuarial role would want to pass on that.

And, if you don't have the ability and interest, you can probably find careers that will value the skills you have more than actuarial. In the actuarial world, passing exams is key. Even those who can find jobs without finishing exams, they need to always prove themselves, people with exams are considered proven. And, if things get rough and people are let go, non-credentialed people are likely to be first in line, and will have the hardest time finding a new position.