Rutgers club helps students find rewarding internships, careers as actuaries
The Rutgers Actuarial Club is committed to guiding students in the right direction to obtain a career as an actuary through Rutgers.
Actuaries use statistics and financial theory to evaluate the likelihood of certain events and manage risk, helping companies plan for the future and protect themselves from loss. Aspiring actuaries at Rutgers should obtain strong quantitative and <g style="background-color: initial; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">problem-solving</g> skills through University courses.
Actuaries are needed in many different types of institutions ranging from insurance companies, banks and universities, according to the club's website.
The Rutgers Actuarial Club holds weekly meetings on Thursdays at 8:15 p.m. in the Livingston Student Center board room.
Working as an actuary was named the best job of 2013, ranked according to physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook. CNN named actuaries “the best job you’ve never thought of.”
Rose Nixon, vice president of the Rutgers Actuarial Club, said the club’s overall mission is to advise students as they <g>pursue</g> an actuarial career.
“The club provides an environment where students can meet and learn from other actuaries-to-be,” Nixon said. “We facilitate establishing professional connections, teach effective tips and studying strategies and provide relevant information about career opportunities in actuarial science.”
The club holds a variety of meetings throughout the year.
“We have meetings ranging from discussing the best Rutgers classes (to take) to prepare for actuarial exams, to hosting events with actuaries from insurance companies like MetLife and Prudential,” Nixon said.
In the fall, the club holds an actuarial science career fair to help club members land internships and <g>full-time</g> positions, Nixon said.
“We also hold resume clinics, interview workshops, lessons in VBA and Microsoft Excel and networking events with our alumni,” Nixon said.
The main purpose of the actuarial club is to find internships for members to gain experience in the field. The club dedicates its focus primarily to resumes, interview preparation and networking in the fall and early spring semesters, Nixon said.
As the hiring period comes to an end, the club is planning to shift their focus on other skills.
“We will most likely have some exam study sessions and another computer skills course. We are also hoping to have an actuary from the Society of Actuaries or Casualty Actuarial Society speak about the career at a meeting this semester,” Nixon said.
The actuarial club is also planning to improve on maintaining member participation from the fall semester into the spring semester.
In the fall semester, many students come to events to boost their chances of getting an internship or job at the end of the school year. As students get their job offers, they usually participate less in the club, Nixon said.
“The good news is that we are very successful in helping our members find positions,” Nixon said.
Nixon believes that the club is an important addition to Rutgers because actuarial science is a very specific career path that not many students discover until they are in college.
“It is important that people are aware of the field so they best utilize their time in school by joining the club and taking classes to help them pass the exams," she said. "The earlier you can take an exam, the better."
Victoria Nazarov is a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore majoring in journalism and media studies. She is a contributing writer for The Daily Targum.
