Can I get into actuarial profession with a Music degree...

I think you definitely stand a chance...If it helps, last November I went to an assessment centre at Hewitt Associates for a actuarial graduate role, and I remember very clearly that one of the trainees that were having lunch with us said they had a colleague who had studied Music at university. So, definitely, some firms do not require a maths-based degree..but there will be others that will (for instance, I think both Deloitte and KPMG require a degree with a maths content, don't know about the other Big Fours).

Depending on what area you want to go into. Not sure about the maths content bit either, I am nearly finished with an Accountancy degree and that counts even though I only did one mathematics and one statistics module.

Does that warrant you an actuarial position? Initially I would have thought not, but on further review, A-level Mathematics is apparently the bare minimum requirement.

Still, don't actuarial recruiters prefer Mathematics, Economics, physics or engineering graduates?

Jelkin, why don't you ask me some more questions.

Anyway, that's not why I'm here. I've just been on the ActEd website and on their suggested study schedule for new students, they give the distinct impression that you should start studying in May for the Sept/Oct exams. This frightens me somewhat! I'm going home from Sweden at the beginning of July (eek) but I don't have any plans job-wise right now, so I could hang around and study full-time for a while before sorting that out.

Also, is the study pack huge? I ask because I could order it now, but I'm only going to have 20kg luggage when I go home. If it's a ringbinder with detachable notes, though, I could give it to my parents to take away when they come to visit and keep the bits I want to look at. What do you think?

Hewitt are bastards. Who knows what's happened, but either way it's very unprofessional.

I started studying for CT1 (exam date of 30th September) around mid-May time, and I felt that was ample time. I had ~3 weeks to do past exam questions and could have a couple of weekend off from study. However, bear in mind I had a 9-5 job during all this so I was restricted to Saturday study pretty much. I think the website will assume the same thing, that is a combination of study days and weekend study. Also, they're naturally going to recommend dates that fit around the 1/2/3 day tutorials they run. Profits innit.

The notes might be a couple of kilos? I dunno exactly to be honest. You're talking the weight of a couple of reams of paper. They send you the (holepunched) paper and a couple of ringbinders so your idea sounds plausible to me.

Ah thanks, that's muchos helpful. Maybe I would be okay. In the brochure PDF on the ActEd website, it says, "In most cases study material arrives within 4–5 working days of ordering, assuming the relevant availability date stated below has passed. [...] Items sent overseas may take considerably longer, so we recommend that you order as early as possible." Now, I could order the pack to be sent here, or I could get it sent to my boyfriend in the UK as he is coming to visit on 7th June. I'd feel a little bad about making him lug it here, but I could tell him just to bring half of it I guess. I can't work out what it means by "considerably longer" - do you think I should play it safe and get it sent to him? I wouldn't get it for a while but what can you do.

Hmmm, that wasn't really an actuary-specific question. Sorry. I do have another one though ... why isn't there a noun for actuarial work? Like you can say, I want to get into law/journalism/publishing/accountancy, but you can't say, "I want to get into actuarialism/actuariancy/actuarialing." It's most frustrating.

EDIT: By the way, do I have to order the CT1 stuff from ActEd and the tables from the Actuaries website? Seems a bit inefficient, somehow.

EDIT 2: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1286300

Okay, I've managed to get a good offer a consulting actuarial position and was wondering something about becoming fully qualified - I haven't been able to find how the 3 years requirement works exactly?

How do they determine if you are working directly under a senior actuary? And is it 3 years of time, or a certain number of days? Would be great if you guys could help!

I liiiiike biiiiig BUTTS and I cannot lie!

Maffffffs

Thanks for the rep :bhangra: I was actually hoping you might unleash some fury at the unsuspecting poster

I noticed FAC actually, and since you recommend it it is probably a good idea. I'll have to re-teach myself A level as well while I'm at it I was pretty bloody good at it at school and I always really enjoyed stats, so I just hope my class notes were as good as I think they are. Also, I wish my mum hadn't got rid of my really good revision guide I had. Guess I could get another one just to help me out if my notes weren't up to scratch.

Okay, so if the FAC teaches you maths for all the CT exams, it goes beyond what is needed for CT1. What sort of order of study do you think I should do? Should I concentrate on CT1 as it has a time limit, or have a look at FAC first to get the basics down?

According to this page - http://www.acted.co.uk/Html/ordering_reduced_rate_material.htm - dispatching abroad costs an absolute bomb. So it might be better to have it sent within the UK, then pick it up myself.

Thanks AGAIN - earlier I was thinking about what I'd be doing if this thread didn't exist (more specifically, if you weren't about), and I almost definitely would have convinced myself out of the whole actuarial thing if you hadn't been so informative and encouraging about the things I can do to advance myself as a candidate.

EDIT: By the way, the Actuaries.org website is the only place I can order the tables and calculator, right?

Don't take it from me that the FAC course is good - I've never seen the course notes! Might be worth doing some googling to see if some other helpful chap or chapette has useful insight into them.

Also, because I don't know what's in the FAC course I don't know what you should focus on tbh. The only mathsy CT1 things I think you'd have to brush up on is linear interpolation (piece of piss), A-level integration (piece of piss unless you're rusty with parts) and the limit definition of the derivative (uni level stuff, but I don't think you'll really need it for CT1 for practical, i.e. Exam purposes). I personally don't think the FAC would be much use at all; but then I have a first in Maths and, not that I want to big myself up too much, I struggle to comprehend the fact that people will need help with that kind of thing :dunno:

I just hope there are other people out there who appeciate how much there is out there, resource-wise. Thing is, there are a lot of people posting in here condemning the idea, but they unanimously don't have a solid foundation to their arguments. I can't see why it's impossible for you, especially if you're competing for jobs with some of the other morons on here who are, like, "duhhhh wat dus an aktuari do i here dey get paid well so i wana dooo dat 4 a job innit but ow mani xams do you av 2 do and will an aktuarial science degree be appropriat 2 bekum an aktuari* am not sure GIMME SUM PINOT GRIDGIOT 4 MI TEA INNIT"

As far as I'm aware you can only get the tables, eBay aside. The calculators should be available in all kinds of places - I think I got mine in Ryman's because it was cheaper than in WHSmith's.

* I'm pretty sure people have asked that question on here before.

I like to think that once I have some proof of maths competence under my belt as well as proof of enthusiasm for the career, I might stand out a little. Perhaps that's optimistic though! The people posting on here seem to have fallen victim to hearsay without questioning it.

EDIT: By the way, I have just been researching more into the profession - buying hundreds of pounds' worth of study resources is making quite a commitment! So I want to be really sure - and I found this http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071218163053AAnHhuU ... how true is what the "Best Answer" says? I mean, I know and am fine with the fact I will have to study alongside working, but that post makes it sound really hellish As well as the stuff about being unsocial and actuaries being arrogant. I'm hoping the poster was exaggerating ...

That doesn't seem optimistic to me at all. By the way, have you started phoning recruitment agencies up yet? You'd be amazed by the quality of jobs they have (such as mine ) - by no means should you think it's grad scheme or bust. We tend to give ****** tasks to the grad schemers that pass through our department for six months, and apparently it's the same with the place my flatmate works for

The best answer is talking ********. I can kinda see where they're coming from with being qualified before starting a family, but otherwise complete rubbish. Besides, even if it takes you six years to qualify (top end of estimates) you'll still have ample time for young 'uns. Study contracts will give you a day a week off to get most of your studying completed so weekends should stay relatively free except for the 4-6 weeks immediately prior to exam periods. I can't speak for all places of work but the guys on my floor are all an awesome, really sociable bunch and who you'd easily regard as being 'normal' if you started chatting in a bar or something. Oh, and as Actuary? says, if you end up on a study contract your company will pay for stuff. It'll vary from place to place, but I get all subscription fees, study materials and two exam entry fees paid for. Only thing is, you have to pay 50-75% of it back if you leave before you're qualified.

By the way Actuary?, you only have four day weeks when you're in study periods (but that will still account for over half the year probbaly), and pass rates for exams are notoriously low. I definitely wouldn't go boasting about how easy they are before you've even started studying. It's easy to talk the talk, and all that

Having spoken to people in the Corporate Finance/Actuarial department at the Big 4 I'm going to, there are only 4 days a week, they all go out together socially and none of them really seemed stressed about the exams too much, having looked through CT1 and even some of the later CT past papers, it certainly doesn't look too hard.

Also, you do know that if you get a position and they sponsor you through your exams that they'll pay for all your study materials?

So did you contact specifically actuarial recruitment agencies (I think Reed has an actuarial branch?) and ask what they had? I guess I'll start doing that in the UK, although I fear they might laugh at my degree subject for now.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080816145508AAT84j9 Would you say this is more accurate? (By the way, you needn't bother these obviously non-vital questions as I'm really asking out of interest!)

I feel I should warn you that if/when I have issues understanding anything, you are likely to be my first port of call (after a lot of thought and consideration, of course). You can always tell me to **** off though And who knows, maybe I'll be uber-competent and need no help whatsoever.

I initially uploaded my CV onto Monster and a few of them came flooding my way. If you want more though I'd flick to the back of The Actuary if you can still access them and give them a general phone call. I'd personally recommend Reed Actuarial (who got me the job I'm in, and who were even nice enough to talk me through that interview beforehand in a coffee shop in Victoria) and Emerald. Be wary of Emerald though; while they're incredibly nice and helpful, they went out of their way to put me off the job I was offered (saying the study contract was crap and impossible to get), presumably because they saw I was a strong candidate and could sniff a good commission if they found me another job.

Key thing about recruitment agencies: Build up a rapport with them, and feel free to be open, chatty and pleasant. Your degree choice will automatically mean they might immediately think of other people before you, but if you show that you have other 'personable' skills as well as a whole heap of enthusiasm, general knowledge and initiative you'll get remembered.

EDIT: Other key thing: Under no circumstances should you tell other agencies the jobs you've been put up for. If you do said agency will simply flood those companies with a squillion other of their own clients

Without working in a consultancy I can't really say if that dude is right or not. I'm working in one of the largest general insurers and his description of my job sounds fair.

Given I'm planning on sitting CT2 in October I'll definitely need to be recalling knowledge duly forgotten from my days of CT1 last year. As such, feel free to ask questions