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Actuarial Work, Pensions & Insurance

Overview

Ageing populations mean growth in pensions, insurance and the actuary professions. Less sensitive to rapid economic and political changes, they are also perceived secure and stable.

The technical aspects of the sector entail high numerical skills, with the highest required for actuarial work. On top of this there is a growing demand for communication, IT, management, legal and sales skills. Watch out for new niche areas like climate-related insurance or change in pension and investment regulations.

Actuaries are usually recruited from highly numerical disciplines like mathematics, statistics or advance degrees (MSc, PhD) in life and physical sciences. Pensions and insurance professionals are recruited more widely, depending on the specific type of work and skills required (e.g., client facing, marketing, investment, compliance).

Interview Questions
  • Tell me about one of the clients/sectors we work with?
  • Describe a time when you had to use your initiative to carry out a task or solve a problem?
  • Tell me about a time you used your persuasion skills to influence others and negotiate a satisfactory outcome?
  • What has been your most challenging experience to date?
  • What skills do you use to manage conflicting priorities to meet deadlines?
  • How much time do you think you would need to commit per week to studying for your professional qualification exams?