Description: An account of the trials of work ethic issues and college difficulties, and the triumphant story of overcoming obstacles through careful self-improvement.

Description: This article is about a 1997 conference titled, 'Integrated Approaches to Risk Measurement in the Financial Services Industry,' that brought together a diverse group of 84 professionals, including actuaries and others working in risk measurement and management. That conference, sponsored jointly by the SOA’s finance practice area and Investment Section, was important in helping the profession advance the work of risk measurement.

Description: This article summarizes Discover Your Inner Economist, a self-help book with practical advice for dealing with particular situations, informed by hard data.

Description: Over the last decade, the actuarial career has gained significant attention of entry level job-seekers as it continues to be one of the consistently top rated jobs in the market. There are different avenues to break into the profession, but one of the most common is through an Actuarial Student Program, where a company formally supports the exam progress of individuals through paid study materials, exam fees, and time off to study. Most programs also include an emphasis on development of leadership and communication skills. As the recruiter for MassMutual’s Actuarial Student Program, I get the opportunity to regularly share with candidates why I believe a student program is such a powerful springboard for a successful actuarial career. Profiled in the article is two actuarial students and one recent actuarial student program “graduate” to highlight the value a student program can bring to one’s professional development.

Description: Book review: George W. Bush memoir

Description: This articles showcases the principles of effective servant leadership.

Description: Two hundred eighty-one actuaries signed up by Sept. 1, 1998 for the Society of Actuaries’ Management and Personal Development Section. This article describes the activities of this newest SOA Section.

Description: This article summarizes the October 11, 1973 meeting of the Actuaries’ Club of Boston devoted to a discussion on the education of actuaries. George L. Hogeman,Pesident of Paul Revere Life, noted that while insurance industry management was generally satisfied with the work of the actuary, there were a number of shortcomings of actuaries, including a reluctance to utilize new techniques and a lack of much needed communication skills. In a very articulate presentation, Denis W. Loring, Actuarial Associate at John Hancock [representing the actuarial students], expressed the consensus he had reached with his fellow students. They felt that management development training and an awareness of EDP constraints and opportunities were missing from the syllabus. He stressed the need to gear exam preparation toward problem solving and felt that the actuary should be much more in the forefront in developing research techniques. The E and E Committee members, rather than defending the existing educational system, added to the number of problem areas pointed out by prior speakers. Deficiencies in the syllabus were noted for underwriting, investment and finance, and marketing and advanced underwriting. It was felt that the effect of the insurance industry involvement in providing broader financial services should be considered in future syllabus changes.