Description: Communication is how you think about problems, how you present ideas and how you relate to your audience. An actuary presents alternate ways to communicate to groups of life insurance agents.

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: This article continues the Passing the Torch Interview Series. Linda Liu and Amanda Jacques invite Simon Curtis, currently president of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) and recently joined Deloitte as a partner in their Toronto office after a long career at Manulife. Simon shares with us his career experience and talks about the changes and challenges facing the actuarial profession.

Description: Cassie He and Linda Liu, two actuarial students, invite Mark Freedman, the President-Elect of SOA to share with us his experience as an actuary, the challenges and opportunities facing actuaries and the outlook for the profession as SOA president.