Achieving Your Pinnacle A Career Guide For Actuaries

Tom Miller recognized the need to write this book a few years ago, after reviewing postings on popular discussion pages frequented by actuaries. He was surprised and troubled by the magnitude of misinformation posted on these websites. Clearly actuaries and actuarial students posting this information are only trying to be helpful to one another, but they frequently lack the necessary experience and expertise to offer sound advice. Tom seeks to provide readers of his career guide with valuable insights regarding the actuarial employment market, covering topics such as choice of product specialization, how to conduct effective job searches, switching successfully from insurance to consulting and inside tips on what clients are really looking for when they interview you. Armed with deep knowledge and a unique perspective on the actuarial profession, Tom expects that this book will be a resource that will help you make better career decisions and "Achieve Your Pinnacle."

What would you like to do with your life? What career would allow you to fulfill your dreams of success? If you like mathematics-and the prospect of a highly mobile, international profession-consider becoming an actuary. Szabo's Actuaries' Survival Guide, Second Edition explains what actuaries are, what they do, and where they do it. It describes exciting combinations of ideas, techniques, and skills involved in the day-to-day work of actuaries. This second edition has been updated to reflect the rise of social networking and the internet, the progress toward a global knowledge-based economy, and the global expansion of the actuarial field that has occurred since the first edition. Includes details on the new structures of the Society of Actuaries' (SOA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) examinations, as well as sample questions and answers Presents an overview of career options, includes profiles of companies & agencies that employ actuaries. Provides a link between theory and practice and helps readers understand the blend of qualitative and quantitative skills and knowledge required to succeed in actuarial exams Includes insights provided by over 50 actuaries and actuarial students about the actuarial profession Author Fred Szabo has directed the Actuarial Co-op Program at Concordia for over fifteen years

The single-source reference on career advancement and exam-taking skills for wherever you are in the exam process. The author shares a wealth of practical tips and techniques to increase your probability of passing every exam on your first try, just as he did. Information on actuarial organizations in the U.S. and Canada to help you navigate their educational programs, and better understand possible career options and paths. A review of communications and leadership skills that will make you more marketable and facilitate your rise to the top. Specifically targeted to actuarial students. Please note there are no returns on the digital version. "The content of this volume will be found indispensable to anyone embarking upon a daunting process which is likely to devour a significant part of young adulthood. It should be included as no less a part of the employment package for an aspiring actuary than fringe benefit descriptions and a W-4 form" - Robert W Batten, FSA Professor Emeritus of Actuarial Science Georgia State University "This is the only book on the market that directly addresses how to successfully navigate the entire actuarial exam system. Students who read this book are likely both to improve their pass rate on exams and to experience less anxiety both before and after exam day." - Robin Cunningham, Ph.D., FSA Co-Author Models for Quantifying Risk "Given that you can spend over 300 hours studying for just one actuarial examination, it is well worth an investment of two to three hours to read this fine summary of how to study for and write actuarial exams. Written in an easy style, this book is full of sound suggestions to improve your effciency on these trying examinations. Not only that, but if you follow the advice given faithfully, it could just make the difference between receiving a six verses a five." - Robert L. Brown, Ph.D., FSA, FCIA, ACAS Professor Emeritus, University of Waterloo President Society of Actuaries 2000-2001 "I am impressed with the information and insight that you provided in the book. Your book gave me hope. I will be using your advice in the future. I especially liked your insight on communication and leadership skills. After reading your book, I am confident that I have a bright future in the field. Thank you so much for boosting my confidence." -- Kiran, Actuarial Student

Print version

From bestselling writer David Graeber—“a master of opening up thought and stimulating debate” (Slate)—a powerful argument against the rise of meaningless, unfulfilling jobs…and their consequences. Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In the spring of 2013, David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative essay titled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs.” It went viral. After one million online views in seventeen different languages, people all over the world are still debating the answer. There are hordes of people—HR consultants, communication coordinators, telemarketing researchers, corporate lawyers—whose jobs are useless, and, tragically, they know it. These people are caught in bullshit jobs. Graeber explores one of society’s most vexing and deeply felt concerns, indicting among other villains a particular strain of finance capitalism that betrays ideals shared by thinkers ranging from Keynes to Lincoln. “Clever and charismatic” (The New Yorker), Bullshit Jobs gives individuals, corporations, and societies permission to undergo a shift in values, placing creative and caring work at the center of our culture. This book is for everyone who wants to turn their vocation back into an avocation and “a thought-provoking examination of our working lives” (Financial Times).

Lays out specific tools and strategies that enable actuaries and other technical professionals to add greater value to their organizations by being more influential in the way they communicate, influence and relate to others. --from publisher description