Advice from a Role Model

By Corin Chapman

Michelle Hansen, FSA, EA, MAAA, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois with a degree in Actuarial Science. She is a Principal and the Midwest Retirement Consulting Practice Leader for Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, Illinois, where she manages a team of 200 actuaries and consultants across the Midwest.

Some advice from Michelle:

• Look for mentoring from many sources. Seek it out from professors, as well as junior and senior associates during your internships. Also, once you begin your career look within and outside your particular specialty or practice area.

• Balance critical thinking with benefit of the doubt. Look for reasons why ideas and change might work vs. reasons why they may not.

• Seek out courses that develop soft skills such as writing, presentations, building effective relationships, and manager effectiveness wherever possible. These skills will become as important as your technical skills as your career progresses.