How do I find an actuarial job?

Contents

Company Websites

This is where the actual applying for actuarial jobs usually takes place. Most companies take applications through their online website (using a common system like Taleo for example).
But where do you actually find these companies, and how do you know when they have postings? You can find places to apply from using Google, Word of Mouth, and our list of actuarial consulting firms.

Career Websites

There are several websites that aggregate job postings from different companies. The most popular one depends on your country. I recommend Workopolis for Canadian jobs and Monster for American jobs.
I recommend searching for “actuarial” as a keyword. That’s because common entry level job titles for actuarial students are “Actuarial Analyst”, “Actuarial Assistant”, and “Actuarial Technician” in order of what’s most common. Intern postings are usually listed as “Actuarial Intern”, “Actuarial Analyst”, and “Actuarial Co-Op”. “Actuary” usually refers to more senior actuarial roles (usually after you’re fully qualified as a Fellow, such as FSA or FCAS).

Campus Recruiting

Campus recruiting is an important aspect to consider if your school has a major actuarial science program. If your school does not have an actuarial science program, companies may not recruit at your school for actuarial jobs.
Campus recruiting comprises of employer info sessions and job postings through your school’s career portal. Info sessions are very important to attend because you can meet the hiring managers, where you’ll hopefully make a good impression. In addition, you may find out more about the company (which comes in handy during interviews) and there is often free food! Some companies may post intern and new graduate actuarial jobs directly to target schools’ career portal instead of posting it externally. It’s always a good idea to check your school’s career portal on a regular basis IF your school’s career center is effective. Some schools are very good at this (for example, University of Waterloo for students in their co-op program) and some are very bad.

Personal Networking

For many people, especially in actuarial science, this can be the hardest to accomplish but also with the best rewards. I remember a time when a major consulting firm had a position open, and the head called a friend who recommended someone. That person was then hired as the only candidate.

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