Candidate Connect, An Eventful Year
It was a busy year for the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Candidate Connect! The year kicked off with the SOA Candidate Connect webcast “The Essentials of an Actuarial Career – Preparing Yourself for Future Success,”bringing participants the unique stories of a variety of actuaries in an interactive format.
May 2015 found the SOA in New York with an invitation for candidates to join part of the SOA Life & Annuity Symposium, and continued with Candidate Connect in Hartford, CT later the same month.
In Hartford, our employer partners were able to offer perspectives on the industry, recruitment and a variety of topics during six break-out sessions, including “Nontraditional Routes to the Actuarial Profession,” “Actuaries and Communications,” and “Insider Insights into Recruiting,” to name a few.
“The event was great and I gained a lot of valuable advice and guidance from the presenters and working actuaries who attended,” commented a candidate at the Hartford event. “I am confident in the next steps I need to take.”
Atlanta was the host city for the SOA’s largest annual professional development meeting for health actuaries in June. The 2015 Health Meeting included an event specially tailored for aspiring actuaries with educational sessions and networking opportunities.
Closing the summer, Candidate Connect landed in Boston to give attendees a sneak peek to one of the SOA’s largest annual professional development meetings, the Valuation Actuary Symposium. Candidates were invited to join selected sessions and had a chance to network with practicing actuaries and other candidates.
“How to land Your Dream Job,” was a very well received webcast during the hot days of August. A panel of industry professionals on the front lines of the entry-level job market provided advice on how to find a job or an internship, and how to stand out to potential employers.
The fall season brought candidates to the live music capital of the world to be part of the 2015 SOA Annual Meeting & Exhibit, which was the second most attended SOA event of all time, with more than 2,000 total participants. Candidates were able to attend selected sessions and had an informal networking lunch with SOA members, practicing actuaries and the SOA president Craig Reynolds, president-elect Jeremy J. Brown and past president Errol Cramer.
Reynolds met candidates again in his hometown, Seattle, at the end of October and then for another event across the world in Bangkok, Thailand, coinciding with the SOA participation in the 19thAsian Actuarial Conference.
Candidate Connect will be on the move again during 2016. Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages and our website for locations near you.