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#1
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![]() I've been looking into becoming an actuary, and from searching the posts on this site, I get the impression that actuaries are no longer (if they ever were) backroom number crunchers only. Also, it seems that there is the expectation even of entry-level hires that they will eventually move into management. Now I'm quite happy to communicate technical material in non-technical language (I have a degree in linguistics as well as one in math), but I'm not particularly interested in ever becoming a manager. Should I abandon the idea of being an actuary, or is there a role in the profession for people who want to crunch numbers and translate the data into words for the rest of their working life?
--Pete |
#2
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![]() Hi Pete, and welcome to the Outpost.
There are a lot of career paths for actuaries that don't necessarily lead to management. In the pension field, in which I practice, there are experienced consultants who work with clients on difficult pension- and benefits-related issues but don't manage other actuaries or budgets. I've also worked with some pension actuaries who have been happy to spend their entire careers "in the back office" preparing the necessary calculations and letting other consultants present them to clients. I'm sure other people will chime in about their experiences in other actuarial fields.
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If I weren't out here every day battling the white man, I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity—because you can hardly mention anything I'm not curious about. — Malcolm X |
#3
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![]() If you're young (less than 25), then I wouldn't assume that you won't ever want to be a manager. Some people get to the level where they are ready, they try on the hat, and realize it fits pretty well. Due to the technical nature of the work, expectations for actuaries with respect to ability to manage are pretty low.
That said, there are enough positions for people that don't want to manage, but you might find more success in other math-oriented careers: engineering, programming, applied math, operations, etc. That is, as a manager, I could likely make a comparable salary in other fields. One of my cow-orkers, who has made it known publicly that he does not want to manage and has similar experience to me, could likely do better (I mean $$$$, not job satisfaction or anything else) in some other careers.
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#4
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#5
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![]() Management can mean different things. It can mean managing the 100 person actuarial department, or it can mean managing one other person, or lots of things in between.
You can be at the top of the organizatinal chart, or at some middle position. And the path may not always be upward. Sometimes it may be lateral, or even slightly downward. Keep your options open.
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Joe Orez |
#7
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--Pete |
#8
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![]() I know what you mean, Pete. All your training and experience have developed and sharpened your skills at tasks A, B, and C -- and you enjoy doing A, B, and C -- and as a manager you're expected to do tasks D, E, and F.
As JTBenson wrote, some people who didn't expect to like management find that they do. Some people don't. I hope that our messages have answered your question: there are plenty of opportunities and career paths for actuaries that don't lead to management.
__________________
If I weren't out here every day battling the white man, I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity—because you can hardly mention anything I'm not curious about. — Malcolm X |
#9
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#10
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![]() There is always room for people with no people skills in the actuarial profession.
However, depending on the company, the managers' (and up's) bonuses are quite higher than the at-most 5% pat on the back bonus or the "Here's a few shares of stock in your 401K -- good job" bonuses.
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"Facebook is a toilet." -- LWTwJO |
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