Actuaries, ENTER TODAY TO WIN.

If you are an actuary, you can be eligible to win one of five $500 Amex Gift Cards in our 2013 Holiday Drawing. To enter, you must be an actuary and you must fill in our 2013 salary survey

 

Five lucky actuaries will win. Enter today. 

 

Complete our 2013 Salary Survey form to be entered in the drawing.

http://www.actuarialcareers.com/holiday-drawing-2013.php

 

 

TIP of the Week

 











Say Thank You.
Always follow up an interview with a prompt thank-you letter.
It’s professional and makes you memorable.

Dont' Risk a Good Connection.

Human resource managers or even hiring managers will often want to conduct a preliminary telephone interview with you before bringing you in for a face-to-face meeting. One positive aspect of having a telephone interview is that you can have your resume and reference notes right in front of you and refer to them while talking.

To prepare for the phone interview, write down the name of the interviewer and keep it in front of you. On the call, use the person’s name a few times to personalize the conversation. “Thanks for your time Mr. Jones”, is so much more personable than a simple “Thank You”. Also, it’s a good idea to have the job posting, the cover letter you sent with your resume and a list of bullet points about the position. A few notes on how you will  fit into it the position and organization are good too.

Because it is more difficult to get a sense of someone’s personality over the phone, you need to be more aware of the tone of your voice. Make sure that your energy is up and you project professional enthusiasm. It’s even a good idea to stand while talking; it keeps your diaphragm expanded making it easier for you to breathe and to project. Standing will also help you sound more confident. You can even borrow an old sales tip and position a mirror in front of you, so you can see your facial expressions while you talk; a smile can actually be heard in your voice.

We often interview our actuarial candidates over the phone, and we can provide great feedback. We will even help prepare them by having them practice with us on the phone. Some candidates like to record themselves so they can play the recording back to hear how they sound.

As for the technicalities, if possible, use a landline phone. If you are using a cell phone, be sure you have a strong and clear signal. Using a bluetooth device is great for keeping your hands free during the call, and for keeping your chin up when you talk.

 
Remember to always close the call by letting the interviewer know that you are very interested in meeting them, and that you are looking forward to moving ahead in the process. 

A Point of Reference

If you are job hunting, you have to anticipate that at some point in the process you will be asked to supply professional and even a few personal references. These references are usually contacted by a hiring manager, human resources person, or third party as part of your background check. Our recruiters may also call your references, and can help you choose which ones you want to pass on to the hiring company.

Plan to supply at least three professional references. All of them should be individuals you worked closely with, and at least one of them should be a previous manager or supervisor. Once you choose who will best represent your capabilities and character, make a list of their: full names, titles, phone numbers (work and home or cell) and e-mail addresses. Keep the list handy and bring it with you to your interviews.   

Be sure that you call the references you’ve chosen ahead of time so they know you are job hunting. That way they won’t be caught off guard when they do get a call, and they will be prepared to respond without hesitation to questions about their experiences working with you. Many candidates also ask that their references inform them when a company does contact them for a reference.  

 

 

 

Good Questions

In our other posts we’ve talked a lot about how to prepare for an interview and how to answer specific questions about yourself, your experience or interest in the position. We don’t want you to forget about the other part of the process … asking questions.

So what kind of questions should you ask of the interviewer?

Many actuarial candidates think about the most obvious questions first- salary, bonus, vacation time, benefits etc.

These are exactly the questions you should not ask. At Actuarial Careers, Inc., we tell our candidates to hold off on those questions until the offer comes in.  

If you listen carefully during the interview, it’s likely that your normal curiosity will raise lots of questions, but here are some ideas for questions that will help present you as a thoughtful and interested candidate:

 

• Is there opportunity for development/growth within the department/company?
• If applicable - ask for details about the Actuarial Student Program.
• What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?
• What are some common attributes of your top performers?
• How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?
• What do you like about working here?

Make sure to have enough questions prepared in the event that there are multiple interviewers.

If you need additional advice or ideas, we’re here, always helping our candidates land the jobs they dream of.

TIP of the Week

Let Them Know You Are Interested

Before you leave the interview, express you interest in the position. Make sure they know how enthusiastic you are about working with them in the future.

Don't Risk It - Why accurate information is important.

With today’s increased emphasis on security and identity verification, employment background checks are a common pre-hiring practice. Prospective employers often require candidates to undergo background checks as a standard policy. Employers use checks as one way to mitigate the costly risk of a bad hiring decision. Current estimates suggest that the incidences of erroneous or inaccurate applicant information are near 40 percent.

Of course, errors may not be intentional. Sometimes updating or revising your resume can lead to inaccuracies, so check carefully. Make sure your recruiter has an accurate copy of your resume, and bring the same one with you to the interview. If you are asked to fill out the company’s employment application, you will find it a handy reference for helping you to keep titles and dates of employment consistent with your resume. 

As part of checking your background, the hiring company will confirm the information you supplied on your resume and your application, such as: places of employment, specific dates of employment, compensation, education and professional affiliations. If you are not sure of a date or your compensation at a previous position, note it on the application. List all of your employment, even if you were only with a company for a short time. 

Your written permission is required for the company to conduct the employment background screening. In addition, companies also can require you to undergo a drug screening. A company can and will rescind an offer based on discrepancies on your application or the results of drug test. If the employer decides not to employ you on the basis of the background report, they are required to provide you with a copy of the report.

 

Why do you want to work here?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t done your homework, this interview question may be difficult to answer. When you work with Actuarial Careers, your recruiter will give you background on the hiring company, and offer insight into its culture; but there’s no substitute for conducting your own research. You aren’t just researching an interview question. What you discover will help you ascertain if the company is right for you, too.  

You may already know about the company’s products, services or reputation, but it goes without saying that you still need to look at the company’s website. Referencing it in any way during the interview is always a plus. In preparing for this question, it’s good to look for areas on the site that might highlight employee programs, perks, activities or positive employee comments you can point out in your answer. Check the News section for press releases that highlight any involvement in philanthropic organizations or humanitarian causes that you can mention, especially if you feel some connection to them.   

Look at the company’s LinkedIn page and read the profiles of company employees. Perhaps you are connected to some past or current employees. Review employee profiles, to see if you share something in common with them…i.e. similar backgrounds, accomplishments, colleges, etc. You can mention them and offer that those commonalities seem to indicate that the company would be a good fit for you as well.  

Last, but not least, think about what prompted you to allow your recruiter to submit your resume for the job. Something about the position seemed like a solid match. Usually, the reasons that ran through your mind before you chose to apply are the answers the interviewer is looking for. Finally, you can end with a summary of how you feel you can be of benefit to the company.

We are grateful.

On this, the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against the United States, the entire staff of Actuarial Careers, Inc.®, would like to once again express our profound sympathies and condolences to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of the events of that day.

We also wish to recognize and thank all of the brave fire and rescue personnel who risked their lives to help others. Finally, we are honored to acknowledge our awareness and gratitude for the numbers of private citizens in our country and all over the world who answered the call for donations and support.

We are proud to be part of a country that rises in the face of adversity and responds with the pride unity that is so uniquely American.

 

 

What are your salary requirements?

During a job interview, the "money question" is probably the most awkward one to answer. It hits right to the heart of the matter. Let’s face it, if you are advancing your career, you logically would like to increase your income in the process. The difficulty is clear, you don’t want to undersell your value, but neither do you want to price yourself out of the running by asking for more than the company will pay.

This is where working with a recruiter can really pay off.  In most cases you will already be aware of what the company pays for the position. In fact, this question may not even come up in the interview if you’ve been sent by a reputable recruiting firm.

First, it’s always good to be prepared. Have that information (base/bonus/stock options) at hand. You may need it when filling out an application before the interview. Sometimes the interviewer has the application at the time of the interview anyway.

If the questions does come up in the first interview, do what you can to avoid talking numbers if possible. You can attempt to avoid getting into specifics by letting the interviewer know that you are considering the opportunity first and the compensation second.

TIP of the Week

 

 

Your Body Language

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 80 percent of what you communicate is in your body language. Your actions will speak well for you, if during a job interview, you lean in slightly towards the speaker and nod your head to show you are really engaged.    

TIP of the Week - It's so simple.

 

 

          Smile

 

It seems so simple, but nerves can get the best of us at job interview time. Don’t forget to smile when you are greeting anyone you meet on interview day. Be sincere and engage your whole face and eyes in your smile. 

How do you present your strengths in a job interview?

If you are responding to a friend's question, listing your strengths might be easy. When you are vying for the position of your dreams, it can feel like the make or break moment in your job interview. If you’ve been working with a good recruiter who really knows you and knows the position and the company, you can discuss with him or her where your strengths actually fit the needs of the position. From there, you just need to talk confidently about what makes you such a great fit. 

Still, you first have to think a bit about what your strengths are, and how you can focus your answer so that what you say resonates in the mind of the interviewer. So what are your strengths?  Here are a few ideas on how to define them.

First, list the ones that come to mind, and when you do, think of an example to illustrate each one. For instance (strength) “My real strength is my attention to detail.” (Example) “That’s probably why I am always asked to review the project plans to see if anything has been overlooked.”

If you need more ideas, think about what your bosses and co-workers rely on you for, or the complimentary things they say about you or your work. Some examples could make you realize that you are: always on time to meetings, very deadline oriented, have a can-do attitude, work well under pressure, have great follow through or follow-up skills.  

Once you’ve have a handful of strengths, pick two or three and concentrate on how you will present them.

To be safe, do the same thing for your weaknesses. Let’s face it, those are just the few things we can do better if we just give them a bit of attention. You probably only have two, so then you’re done. Just paint them in the best light possible.

We’d like to know, have you ever really defined your strengths? How have they helped you get a job?

 

Tell me a little about yourself. 

What to say to the interviewer.

There you are. You arrived perfectly on time for the job interview. You are seated in front of the hiring manager. The two of you just chatted about the weather and the traffic. Here it comes; the first real question. “Tell me a little about yourself”.  It may sound like a casual question, but you know it isn’t. If you’ve anticipated it, maybe you still worry about what you’ve chosen to say. If you haven’t anticipated it, you haven’t been realistic about how to prepare for an interview.

How should you answer that question? What should you talk about?  How long should you talk? If you aren’t certain, here are some ideas.

1.      We hate to start with “don’t”, but because talking about yourself is so natural, we want to caution you. Please, don’t focus on personal details like, where you grew up or your family/children etc.

2.      Do focus on your professional experience. Highlight your successes. It’s a perfect opportunity to mention accreditations, exams and the types of experience you have, such as specific projects, modeling, management and programming.

3.      If you have them, it’s a great idea to include mention of examples of how you brought value to your employers. Some good examples would be to talk about the money you saved them or perhaps models you’ve developed. 

4.      Talk about the strengths and traits you have that relate to qualifications for this position.  

5.      Talk about your current situation, specifically about why this position attracted you in relationship to your goals.  

Your answer should take only a few minutes. It should be a summary, so the interviewer can ask about the details he or she is interested in. Talking too long leaves the interviewer out of the conversation. You need to do enough talking to demonstrate you can be articulate and focused, but not so long-winded that you talk yourself right out of the running.   

We’d like to hear your experiences with this question? Have you ever answered it in a way that you got you the job? Or maybe you learned the hard way what not to say? 

 

 

 

 Making Eye Contact

 

Job interviews make even the most confident of us nervous.

When you arrive, everything is unfamiliar. You naturally are curious about the office surroundings and want to take it all in. You might be so preoccupied that it's easy to forget the first, most basic communication skill- making eye contact.

 

The ability to immediately make and hold eye contact with the interviewer is an act of communication that speaks louder than words. 

 



Why You Should Work With A Recruiter

    

There are many reasons for actuarial job seekers to work with a recruiter, but one of the most compelling is that many actuarial jobs never make it to the hiring company’s website or the job boards. The reason is that downsized human resource departments and overloaded hiring managers don’t have time to wade through piles of resumes. They want a few solid, highly-screened, pre-qualified candidates to consider. That’s exactly why they establish a relationship with a recruiter that they can trust.

Reputable recruiters who have taken the time to foster strong relationships with client companies have the inside track when it comes to knowing about these unadvertised positions. The candidates they submit for the positions benefit because they are pre-qualified and are being submitted by a trusted source.

              

Another reason actuaries are wise to work with a recruiter is because recruiters have insider information about the company’s culture and aspects of the job that just can’t be found in a job description. It works much the same when it comes to the candidate’s situation.  Actuarial recruiters, who take time to know and personally interview their candidates, are then able to present the candidate’s skills and strengths beyond what the resume shows.  

               

Some candidates mistakenly think that if an employer has to pay a recruiting fee, it will reduce the compensation package. In reality, the opposite is more often true because the recruiter knows the industry and company pay scales, and can advocate and negotiate on the candidate’s behalf.

Good relationships are worth the time they take.  Reputable recruiters take time to know you and never submit your resume without your permission. It’s smart to establish a relationship with a recruiter, so that when the time comes to make a move, you have an insider and advocate you know and trust in your corner.  

How can you tell if you are earning what you are worth?

How do you know if you are earning what you really deserve? If you do happen to know what other actuaries make, how do you evaluate your skills in comparison to theirs? How can you measure your own skills against a parallel position in another company, or in another location?  Our 2012 Actuarial Salary Survey is a good place to start.

You can also look at industry job postings to get some sense of where you fall in terms of compensation, but scanning job postings isn’t enough. They don’t tell you what other skills a company values, or what talents and traits make you more desirable to them than you may realize.

Getting a birds-eye view of the marketplace is difficult to do from your desk. Getting a true, unbiased evaluation of the special skills and talents you bring to the table is even more difficult. Seeing yourself from the hiring manger’s perspective is almost impossible.

Very often, actuaries neglect to recognize that the success of a career could actually hinge on traits and talents that are beyond what they can put on a resume. Failure to recognize and promote those traits poses the risk of being paid less. 

A focused career plan needs the perspective of an actuarial industry insider. Having an ongoing relationship with a reputable recruiter gives you the edge. Their client relationships open doors and allow them to present your expertise and your talents beyond what the hiring manger could know from a resume. Choosing the right recruiter is one of the most valuable career moves you can make.     

 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Most job seekers say that the interview question, Where do you see yourself in five years, is one of the most anticipated and anxiety provoking questions. Perhaps it is just because they don’t really have a clearly defined career path. For an actuary, not having a career plan carries a risk all its own. Regardless of whether you are job hunting or not, if you don’t have a career plan, now is the best time to start.

 

The reason planning is so important is that a plan will help you define the skills and experience you need to acquire, so you are poised to qualify for the position you desire. To devise a strategy, you have to get familiar with the possibilities. It is a good idea to get some industry perspective and the assistance of a professional whose job it is to keep up with actuarial marketplace trends. The choices you make today, by being aware of growth opportunities within your current position, can help shape your success tomorrow and five years down the road.     

 

In addition to acquiring specific experience, if you don’t know where you want to go, how will you know when you arrive? That may sound silly, but taking time to visualize how you would like your life and career to look five years from now is proof that your job title isn’t as important as the opportunity. There are any number of companies and positions that will have the potential to get you to your life’s dream and your dream job. Being open, connected and aware of the possibilities will help you evaluate when it’s time to move on, and recognize a variety of opportunities to do so.

 

A long-term actuarial career plan takes industry insight. If you engage the resources of trusted industry professionals, they can help you set your course and adjust for the ever-changing conditions, influences and trends, so that you can arrive at the destination of your dreams.

Our 2012 Salary Survey Results Are Here!

We are very pleased and excited to share the results of our First Annual Salary Survey. 

Thank you to the actuaries who participated in the survey. 

We put a lot of time and effort into our presentation, and are proud to offer you the ability to explore the results using our interactive charts.  You can select salary results by state and region, professional specialty and experience levels.

We will be providing a signup sheet at the bottom of the page so you can participate in our 2013 survey later this year. The more participation we have the better we can help you and the companies that hire actuaries.

We also provided a feedback form at the bottom of the page for you to share your thoughts. We look forward to your comments.

Here's the link you've been waiting for: Salary Survey Link.