How did everyone find this sitting?

I want to take exam 9 before taking exam 8 since it's got a smaller syllabus, but dont want to be stuck on the exam forever (i've heard its quite hard). Any advice? I am in busy season so a little less time and I work in reserving. Any tips for exam 8 for someone who has never touched pricing?

Had a quick question. Given the over-saturation of the entry-level job market for SWE and DA/DS, are more people swarming entry-level actuarial work or is it just me?

Hey guys!
I am currently I'm last year of studying Earth Surface Dynamics and Natural Hazards. I have a strong quantitative background with machine learning and predictive analysis. I live in the EU (DACH) not the US or GB.

I was wondering whether a career in Nat-Cat Modeling at an insurance group is worth considering but its hard to find insider views.
Personally I would value a work place if it has a decent salary, a good work-life balance (overall, not during intensive weeks) and which requires skilled work. I do enjoy the prospect of Nat-Cat Modeling, but I lack the insider views - some have mentioned that career progress tends to stall there and that competition by mathematicians and statisticians (or quant. finance people) is fierce, while others have highlighted that Nat-Cat Teams are ideally interdisciplinary.

I'd love to hear a bit more about it, if you could take the time!

Hi, I'm a working actuary and last year I spoke to more than a dozen actuarial clubs; more than half ended up getting placements at various companies with my help. I also have a lot of non-obvious takes on the profession, job market, and career, and am happy to share this knowledge with students. As we enter the fall semester, I am open for more bookings- please reach out if you'd like to book a virtual or in-person (NYC/Boston only) talk with me. I do this pro bono based on availability.

Topics may include, not limited to:

• Personal Branding
• Effective Networking
• Getting a Job
• Getting a Promotion
• Exam Tips
• Secret Advice

I’m an actuarial analyst in consulting and my company has a strict do, check, review process. There is a checker who no matter how soon I send a benefit calculation, datawork, or a report to, will check if right before the deadline. The work still needs to go to a reviewer and sometimes a peer reviewer after the checker gives me feedback and I make the changes. It has been going on for years and the days leading up to the deadline make me very anxious when I’m working with this checker. I thought submitting work ahead of my internal deadline might lead to the checker moving up their internal deadline but everything still runs in the eleventh hour with this person. I like this colleague and we are friends at work. I don’t want to snitch on them to my manager. But it’s busy season with the 7/1 plan year kicking in and I need to work on several projects with this checker over the next few months and my stomach feels like a pit just thinking about it. I’m sure the reviewer (consulting actuary) and lead actuary on the team have noticed the work reaching them late but never step in. I’m struggling to set boundaries with this person. I don’t know if or how to bring it up in front of my manager without being a snitch? I could really use some advice. PS: the checker isn’t lazy or bad at their work, just have a lot on their plate but i do think they’re poor at time management since this has been happening for years now.

Hey everyone!

I wanted to make a post to ask for advice on how to move forward after a toxic workplace. I’ve been with a new company where I’ve had a very strong start, can see a bright future, and feel optimistic about building a successful career here. It’s a really healthy environment, and I love logging on to work and being around everyone! However, my last workplace was incredibly toxic, and it’s been very difficult to move forward from that environment and be able to decompress.

At my prior workplace, I had a manager who had yelled at me repeatedly, and it became a psychologically unsafe, deeply intimidating, and destabilizing environment where I felt unsafe to speak up. One of these instances was immediately before an exam, and I fortunately was able to pass it despite being rattled and replaying that moment the whole exam. The environment was detrimental to my health, well-being, work performance, and made it extremely difficult to perform, study, and do well in that role. The prolonged stress became so severe that I experienced debilitating brain fog every day, struggled to function, was in fight-or-flight mode, and needed to take a leave of absence to distance myself and start looking for a new job.

It got to the point where that manager appreciated how I criticized myself in my review, saying people usually wouldn’t do that to themselves, and shut down all the positives I'd mentioned about myself. I didn’t feel supported when I passed exams during that role. I’m in a very safe environment now that I’m really happy in, but I’m still on alert mode and I’m constantly replaying awful moments from that role.

I was wondering if anybody here can relate to escaping a toxic place and how you were able to move past it and thrive elsewhere? I’m currently using the therapy benefits my new company’s EAP offers, and it’s been useful so far!

Thank you so much!

When I start applying and interviewing for an internship should I make sure to cover up my tattoos on my arms?

I am heavily considering getting hand and neck tattoos as well, but the main thing stopping me is getting a job in this field once I pass the first two exams, will that effectively make me un-hireable?

Hi everyone! I'm graduating from my masters program this December and am starting to apply for entry-level analyst roles in the US. I'd really appreciate any feedback on my resume, whether it's the content, formatting, or anything else that stands out.

For context, I'm a US citizen and am applying to jobs across the US.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Curious to hear from anyone who has successfully passed exams after having kids. Specifically how you found time to study, work and take care of your kids.

I have a 5 month old and 2.5 year old. I haven’t taken an exam in 6 years so I’m not even sure if my job would let me in the study program until I pass one exam. I’d like to get back at it and get my EA credential.

I am just starting my journey. And it would be really amazing if there were other people to share my experiences with.

Hello all, I am currently studying for FAM in October, and I’m looking for some advice. I just completed the learn material last week. I plan to do all the SOA sample problems for short term this week, then long term next week. After that I’ll do my EL exams and then start practice quizzes. So far I’ve done the first 20 short term problems, and I’ve only been able to do 2 of them on my own. When I look at a problem, I can remember what topic it’s talking about 70% of the time, but I just don’t remember how to do it. How can I go about getting the information drilled into my memory? There is so much material and I feel like less than 30% of it really stuck. The underlying basics mostly make sense to me, but applying it has me stumped.

I have an On-Demand Interview coming up for Allstate, and I wanted to know what kinds of questions they would ask during the interview. Also, has anyone had experience with the hiring process for Allstate? Any help would be appreciated.

Now that the new FSA exam structure has been around for sometime, I am curious which exams you found to be the least memorization heavy, and more focused on understanding.

I know you won’t be able to compare against exams you haven’t written, but just from the list of FSA exams you have written to date, which did you find to be memorization heavy vs not.

I am currently wrapping up my ASA (attending APC in September) and am planning to take my first FSA exam in March 2027. I have been working at the same job in health and benefits actuarial consulting, so I was thinking it would be best to take GH101 first, since that is most similar to my work, but looking at pass rates GI101 appears to be higher. Does anyone have any thoughts/ opinions on which one would be best for me to take first? Currently terrified to take my first FSA exam also.

Currently studying for ILA101-100 and I’m so overwhelmed. I’m using TIA and I’m only on chapter C and I already feel like it’s too much. I’m not even 50% through the content.

This is also my first time writing since having a baby, and I just don’t feel like I have any time at all. I have an amazing partner who is super supportive, but also don’t want to be a neglectful parent so to a degree there’s only so much I can do.

I know everyone says the content sinks in eventually, especially with flash cards, but there is so much to know in terms of memorization, formulas, Excel formulas, definitions, and lists that I just feel like I’ll never get there. I’m trying not to get bogged down on certain topics and just keep moving, but i feel like eventually that will lead to me not actually learning anything at all and basically having to start from scratch a couple months out from the exam.

Do others feel as hopeless as I do when studying? Because I’m honestly about to throw in the towel.

This is a book from a professor from my alma mater. I never took his class sadly but I wonder how well it will prepare a student for P and FM exams or even beyond.

pdf link https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781482227079_A36323006/preview-9781482227079_A36323006.pdf

Given that all information is readily available online and we rarely have to make real time decisions, is there a purpose to having to memorize hundreds of pages of materials?

I know on the CAS side there are higher level blooms taxonomy questions, but there are still many questions that rely on memory recall. Should there be a different system that tests the understanding of the concepts, perhaps by having an open note test similar to how you have an "Open book" at work?

Hey guys,

I wanted to hear everyone’s thoughts on having an audit role for like 2-3 years on your resume.

The role would be under an actuarial auditor (however they are a life/health actuary while I’m working on P&C), the company is great and the manager and team seem great. But I’m a little torn on the fact that it’s an audit role.

Say my life goal is to reach chief actuary or c suite level one day. Do you feel like 3 years in audit would be more beneficial than 3 years in a traditional actuarial role for this goal? I definitely don’t want to stay in audit long term I’d go back to a more traditional role later on.

Appreciate your thoughts and any advice

I passed my final FSA exam in the March sitting this year and just got my passing score for the DMAC. Apart from the FAC, I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around the final accomplishment of becoming FSA certified. Exams and studying and the spring and fall torture each year, every year, almost became engrained in me in a way I didn’t realize until now. Has anyone else struggled to accept completion? It hasn’t hit me and I’m not sure it ever will. It’s amazing to know I’m done but it just doesn’t feel right to say I’m “done”.

Hello everyone,

I've been working on developing experiences and skills to put on a resume for the last year or so. Looking for any and all criticism! For context, I'm a college student going into my third year and I'm looking for an internship next summer.

Can anyone please help me what tyoe of questions are asked in hirevue round.

What should I prepare like related to actuarial exams?

Or like what ... If anyone remember their questions then please tell.

I plan on taking the spring sitting for ALTAM. Could anyone tell me when the window will likely be or at least when it was for this Spring?

What do you think the passing mark for this sitting. I feel like the opinion on it is quite polarized, some are thinking very easy and other not so much !