Prospective actuary....need guidance from credentialled actuaries please?

Question

im graduating with a BS in math since my school does not offer an actuarial program. would you say that a BS degree is enough to take the first few tests ( of course internship before tests) or should i apply for my masters?

also would that make a difference in getting a starter's job?

and one more question....

would you recommend a big firm or private for my first internship?

ps i know about the websites such as soa and be an actuary etc. and i have read up quite a few QandA and everything esle i just want real ppl to answer thanks in advance :)

Answer 1

You don't need to go get your masters. If you pass the first two exams you should be able to get a job (especially if you have had internships). To pass the exams, you will have to do independent study if you do not have college level courses with the exam material. This is possible, lots of people do it. You can buy study materials online for the exams.

I would recommend a big firm for your first internship, there would likely be more social events over the course of the summer and other interns. Also they are more likley to be hiring fulltime students from the pool of interns. I would also recommend looking at actuary.ca - a discussion forum for actuaries.

Answer 2

Qualifying as an actuary will take the student down a long and very demanding road, but the rewards are worth the trouble.