BACKGROUND:
So I enjoyed "making" things when I was in school:
1. went to attend classes to learn Visual Basic when in 9th grade. Heck, after the very first introductory class, I made the "calculator" that you can see in Start > Accessories > Calculator. Everyone, including the teacher was amazed, asking what was I even doing attending the classes in the first place.
2. in high school, the teacher gave me a circuit diagram for me to make an electronic gadget for a science exhibition. Had very little background in electronics, except that I was to only acquire the components and assemble them to make the gadget. Turns out, the components were archaic and unavailable.
I completely redesigned the circuit with whatever components that were available, and the gadget worked flawlessly.
3. currently, I am the man that everyone comes to for help with Excel/VBA. I have saved people countless hours with my little tricks here and there, that takes me a few minutes, but have saved them hours and days of work. Everyone's absolutely amazed.
4. An actuarial software (~ Prophet) got introduced at the employer. Had all the programs implemented there with speed and accuracy - and have again become the go-to guy for people needing help on this.
CURRENT:
I have now qualified as an actuary. Haven't gone to a university, ever. Started working and the actuarial career, at age 20, with a Life Insurer. 10 years of actuarial experience, same company. In a developing country, with only a handful of actuaries and actuarial employers.
Range of work - pricing, valuation, embedded value, illustrations etc - for life, health etc. Nothing stochastic, all deterministic. Would very much enjoy doing stochastic stuff though, but haven't got a chance.
Softwares used - Excel, VBA, Access/SQL, and the actuarial software (~ Prophet)
I oversee or do "all" the actuarial work. From collecting data, to coming up with appropriate actuarial methods, to working with the Appointed Actuary, to working with the Regulator, working with the Management, managing students etc. But the work has gradually become boring and unchallenging as I have progressed.
FUTURE:
I enjoy actuarial modelling. I have acquired the Residency of a developed country now, where I now wish to migrate to.
What kind of an actuarial role should I now look for? I would like a technical role. How does that work for the career in the long term?
I can go to a university too. Either part-time or full-time. Say an MBA or Data Science Masters. Don't know if part-time Masters is manageable with work (coz have never been to a university)
I understand the actuarial work I do in my (developing) country, is going to be very different from the way it is done in developed countries, where the roles are more "siloed" so to speak, e.g. there might be a pricing actuary, a valuation actuary, an illustration actuary, but none that would do it all - but that is ok, as long as it is a role that I enjoy.
Don't get me wrong - I am paid well. I have the money here in my country. But the work no longer satisfies me.
Communicating things to the stakeholders is not at all intellectually challenging to me - I am bored with that. I want to get my hands dirty with some challenging technical work, which I have not done before.
One problem is that it might not be easy moving to a new country, as I do not have the actuarial experience of that country.
I am now beginning to contact recruiters in this new country, but I need to be clear on how exactly I want to relaunch my career, which I am not clear about and need your input.
QUESTONS:
if you have persisted till here:
What kind of actuarial roles should I initially start off with in the new country?
What kind of long term career direction should I take?
Further, what about Data Science? Does it seem something that would be suited in this situation/as a backup of some sort/later on?
Thank you for bearing with me.. AO rocks!!
So I enjoyed "making" things when I was in school:
1. went to attend classes to learn Visual Basic when in 9th grade. Heck, after the very first introductory class, I made the "calculator" that you can see in Start > Accessories > Calculator. Everyone, including the teacher was amazed, asking what was I even doing attending the classes in the first place.
2. in high school, the teacher gave me a circuit diagram for me to make an electronic gadget for a science exhibition. Had very little background in electronics, except that I was to only acquire the components and assemble them to make the gadget. Turns out, the components were archaic and unavailable.
I completely redesigned the circuit with whatever components that were available, and the gadget worked flawlessly.
3. currently, I am the man that everyone comes to for help with Excel/VBA. I have saved people countless hours with my little tricks here and there, that takes me a few minutes, but have saved them hours and days of work. Everyone's absolutely amazed.
4. An actuarial software (~ Prophet) got introduced at the employer. Had all the programs implemented there with speed and accuracy - and have again become the go-to guy for people needing help on this.
CURRENT:
I have now qualified as an actuary. Haven't gone to a university, ever. Started working and the actuarial career, at age 20, with a Life Insurer. 10 years of actuarial experience, same company. In a developing country, with only a handful of actuaries and actuarial employers.
Range of work - pricing, valuation, embedded value, illustrations etc - for life, health etc. Nothing stochastic, all deterministic. Would very much enjoy doing stochastic stuff though, but haven't got a chance.
Softwares used - Excel, VBA, Access/SQL, and the actuarial software (~ Prophet)
I oversee or do "all" the actuarial work. From collecting data, to coming up with appropriate actuarial methods, to working with the Appointed Actuary, to working with the Regulator, working with the Management, managing students etc. But the work has gradually become boring and unchallenging as I have progressed.
FUTURE:
I enjoy actuarial modelling. I have acquired the Residency of a developed country now, where I now wish to migrate to.
What kind of an actuarial role should I now look for? I would like a technical role. How does that work for the career in the long term?
I can go to a university too. Either part-time or full-time. Say an MBA or Data Science Masters. Don't know if part-time Masters is manageable with work (coz have never been to a university)
I understand the actuarial work I do in my (developing) country, is going to be very different from the way it is done in developed countries, where the roles are more "siloed" so to speak, e.g. there might be a pricing actuary, a valuation actuary, an illustration actuary, but none that would do it all - but that is ok, as long as it is a role that I enjoy.
Don't get me wrong - I am paid well. I have the money here in my country. But the work no longer satisfies me.
Communicating things to the stakeholders is not at all intellectually challenging to me - I am bored with that. I want to get my hands dirty with some challenging technical work, which I have not done before.
One problem is that it might not be easy moving to a new country, as I do not have the actuarial experience of that country.
I am now beginning to contact recruiters in this new country, but I need to be clear on how exactly I want to relaunch my career, which I am not clear about and need your input.
QUESTONS:
if you have persisted till here:
What kind of actuarial roles should I initially start off with in the new country?
What kind of long term career direction should I take?
Further, what about Data Science? Does it seem something that would be suited in this situation/as a backup of some sort/later on?
Thank you for bearing with me.. AO rocks!!
An aspiring engineer who became an actuary - relaunching actuarial career