From Actuary to Cheerleader: How to Get Yourself out There
by Sarah Klein, ASA
As actuaries, we know that passing exams is the bread and butter of our career success, and there is no substitute for solid technical know-how. But if all you’ve got is years of hard-core studying, technical experience gained behind a desk, and your computer and calculator handy, you might be missing out.
At the age of 24 I earned my ASA. I had conquered my first life goal, and I was faced with the question, “What next?” I naturally decided to continue my studies and earn my FSA. Having my FSA will give me respect and credibility in the market, but I also want to be a broad-based consultant with general business savvy and top-notch customer service skills. I would even like to go out and get my own clients someday. What else can I do to step up and stand out? How do I get noticed in the consulting world with three years of experience and few business connections?
Here are some tried and true ways to expand your actuarial career into areas outside of the traditional role and thus make yourself more valuable in the marketplace. My only caveat is to avoid trying to do too much at once, especially if you’ve got a big exam coming up. Pick and choose what might work for you, given your goals, your schedule and your life.
Speak up. We all know that the more you speak, the easier it becomes. Proactively look for opportunities to speak at work, otherwise they might not come as fast as you’d like. Join your office book club (or better yet, start one yourself!). Volunteer to lead a lunch-and-learn at the office. Ask your supervisor if you can give an update on something at the next staff meeting. Ask the lead consultant if you can walk your client through their pension plan contribution options at the next valuation meeting. The worst thing she can say is “no.” If you’re really serious about improving your speech-crafting and getting rid of your “ums” and “ahs”, join a Toastmasters speech-crafting club.
Get some LMNOPs. Especially if you’re young with only a few years of experience, getting some letters after your name, as in professional designations or certifications, can do wonders to enhance your professional credibility. While you’re already in the study mode, consider working toward a designation or certification in something non-actuarial. Upon earning my CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) designation, I gained instant credibility with my clients, many of whom also have the CEBS designation. After taking a series of actuarial exams, studying for something else was a nice change of pace and made me more aware of what my clients deal with on a daily basis.
Find your clients. If you work in consulting, join organizations that your clients belong to. If it’s important to your client, it should be important to you. For example, my clients are HR professionals, so I belong to every employee benefits and HR association I can find in Kansas City. These organizations provide both educational and networking opportunities. For several years after college I worked in pension consulting. After sitting next to my clients listening to experts speak about health care issues at several HR association meetings, I gained a better understanding of what my pension clients were dealing with on a daily basis on the health care side. Moreover, after attending several association meetings, I decided health care sounded like an interesting field, and I made a career change!
Do something you enjoy, whatever that is. A few months ago I tried out for the promotional squad for the Kansas City Wizards, our MLS Soccer Team. I was looking for something fun to do, something that would be completely for myself, and not my career. As hard as it is to believe, it has turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done for my career. First of all, I competed against 300 women in try-outs by giving a public mini-speech and going through a round of intimidating interviews with celebrity judges. This was a great opportunity to practice my public speaking. After making the squad, I found myself on sports talk radio shows telling people about my job as an actuary. “From actuary to cheerleader,” announced one radio D.J. Then he wanted me to tell the audience how long he will live! During the soccer games, I meet and mingle with the city’s top business executives—I usually deplete my pocket-full of business cards before the game is over. Cheerleading not for you? The point is, you never know who you will meet or how your career might benefit for doing something outside your box, even if you do it “just for fun”. Work/life balance is an added bonus.
Give back. Look for ways to give back to your community, particularly through channels that other young professionals go through. Volunteering through the United Way or participating in your company’s charity campaign are great examples. You will meet others like you who are energetic, motivated, and also want to help others.
Keep up on your current events. I spend the first five minutes of my day with the Wall Street Journal online. Keep an eye on the business issues of your clients—subscribe to a news alert that tracks your client as their name appears in the news. It’s nice to know about your client’s stock swings or latest acquisition before you head out to the meeting, so take it upon yourself to make your team aware of relevant current events.
Treat someone to lunch or coffee. Ask an executive or someone you’ve admired from afar if you can treat them to lunch or coffee. If you have a genuine interest in getting to know the person, they won’t say no. It’s a way to get some mentoring without having to ask the busy CFO to commit to meeting with you once a month as your “official mentor”. Ask lots of questions and market yourself and your goals. You will be in the forefront of the CFO’s mind when he or she is thinking about ambitious up-and-comers and who could step up and help on that next big project.
It took me several years to realize the importance of lifting my head out of the actuarial books every once in a while. By taking some time out to socialize with clients, friends, co-workers and even complete strangers, I am developing a broader view of the world and how I can leave my mark as an actuary and as a business professional. Find your own way to get out there!
Sarah Klein, ASA, MAAA, is a project manager for Lockton Companies in Kansas City, Mo.