The CAS exam process provides aspiring property and casualty actuaries with a solid foundation in insurance and actuarial topics. But how can university students, candidates, and credentialed actuaries stay informed and up-to-date on the latest industry trends?

The first place to turn to is the CAS, which produces a variety of publications. You may already be familiar with Future Fellows, the quarterly newsletter geared toward exam-taking university students and candidates.

Other periodicals produced by the CAS help actuaries keep abreast of current events. Published six times a year, Actuarial Review is the premier P&C actuarial periodical. Recent cover stories include driverless vehicles, actuarial/underwriting collaboration, and the regulatory impact of Dodd-Frank. Actuarial Review can be read online, in print, or even via an app.

For those looking to keep up with current events as well as the latest research findings, CAS’ Variance is another resource available to members and non-members. This peer-reviewed journal, featuring both theoretical and practical actuarial research, is published by the CAS two times a year. In addition, other actuarial organizations publish informative periodicals, such as the American Academy of Actuaries’ Contingencies.

But there are other opportunities to stay informed beyond just reading. Actuaries are subject to a 30-hour per year continuing education requirement. One of the most common methods of fulfilling this quota is attending meetings and webinars, which cover the latest developments in the actuarial landscape. The CAS offers several meetings each year, some broad and some more specialized. For example, the CAS Ratemaking and Product Management (RPM) seminar, held in mid-March in Orlando, featured sessions such as “Big Data in the Insurance Sector”; “Flying Into the New World of Drones”; and “The Emerging Technologies of Usage-Based Insurance.” In recent years, the CAS has offered a complimentary parallel program for university students at these meetings and seminars.

CAS Regional Affiliates offer similar educational opportunities with less travel required and a more abbreviated schedule. Most affiliates hold two meetings per year in locations central to their constituency, and many have opportunities for students at these meetings. Find the contact information for the CAS Regional Affiliate in your area on the following webpage.

For those who cannot travel due to school, work, or personal reasons, the CAS offers webinars to members of CAS Student Central once a semester. The next webinar, taking place on April 14^th, will cover the entry-level market for actuaries; details are available on the CAS Student Central website. For more information on upcoming events and webinars, contact Tamar Gertner, the CAS University Engagement Manager.

Today’s actuary is more than just an actuary – he is an insurance industry professional. As such, a great way to stay informed is by branching out beyond the actuarial sphere and engaging in other insurance-related resources. Some actuaries read non-actuarial insurance industry publications, such as Insurance Insider.  I subscribe to III Daily, an email newsletter published by the Insurance Information Institute (III), which summarizes eight to ten insurance-related articles of the day.

Other resources are available throughout the internet. Follow notable insurance companies and industry professionals on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If there are topics or companies of interest to you, set up a Google Alert to get updates emailed to you or sent to an RSS feed. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Actuarial Outpost, the unofficial water cooler of the actuarial industry.

Today’s actuaries have countless tools at their fingertips to help keep a pulse on the industry. So how will you stay informed as you advance in your actuarial career? Let us know in the comments!

We thank Syed Danish Ali, for sharing this post with members of CAS Student Central.  A version of this post was originally on the University of London’s student blog.

There are two aspects to consider that are relevant in undertaking any actuarial exam. The first is the psychological and the second is technical; I will try to elaborate on both holistically.

From the psychological side we have to realize that we ourselves are our greatest teachers; tutors and professors can show us the way, but we have to travel that path ourselves. A person who is determined and keeps on pursuing ultimately gets his/her rewards, with or without any tutor. Later on in our lives we will realize that ‘one repays a teacher badly if one remains only a pupil’ (Friedrich Nietzsche).The best tool we have for passing actuarial exams are study resources like study manuals and practice exams. From there, thoroughly read the technical concepts like time value of money, bonds and generalized linear modeling, etc. Understand them and then practice taking past exams.

Practice, and practice again; through practice and comparing your answers with the solutions you will be able to look inside the minds of examiners and see what they want from students in order to pass. An important requirement here is to give yourself ample time to study. There is no one time requirement because every student is unique, but you should feel that you have given yourself enough time.

Another crucial aspect is how to handle the possibility of failure.  We have to have the courage to face failures and still continue and not give up. Yes actuarial exams are difficult to pass, but the rewards after passing can be equally immense, so never give up. With consistent hard work, ample time and unconditional confidence in your abilities whether we pass or fail each and every one of us can perform miracles.

Syed Danish Ali is a graduate of the University of London. He is also a student of the IFoA and has four years of work experience as an actuarial analyst.

For more than a decade, the CAS Trust Scholarship has been awarded annually to post-secondary student leaders dedicated to a career in casualty actuarial science. I am grateful to have been selected as one of this year’s winners and thrilled to have been offered an invitation and all-expenses-paid trip to the 2016 CAS Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, on top of the hefty $10,000 check towards my university tuition.

Attendance at the Annual Meeting is a valuable professional development opportunity — and a rather rare one for pre-ACAS candidates. (A surprising number of my interactions with other attendees included the following exchange: “Are you a new Associate? New Fellow?” “Neither.” “Wait, how are you here?” “I won a scholarship!”)

I attended several fascinating conference sessions, which ranged broadly from an interactive workshop that taught us how to more effectively present technical topics; to a presentation about the current connection between data science and actuarial science; to a guest keynote showing us how actuaries, as business professionals, can apply marketing principles to make our ideas more “contagious”.

The presentations were interspersed with numerous networking breaks, giving attendees a chance to refresh old connections as well as forge new ones. The CAS Student Program, a full-day event tailored for a select group of Student Central members, was yet another forum to connect, this time with volunteer mentors and actuarial students from local colleges.

The CAS Trust Scholarship is much more than a (material) offset to tuition costs. It is an uncommon chance to meet and learn from actuaries across all geographies and all casualty actuarial disciplines — people who may have traveled down the very paths that you aspire to navigate in your own actuarial career. It is a way to educate yourself about the profession that you seek to join, the challenges that it is facing, and the brilliant efforts of actuaries and other risk managers to turn those obstacles into opportunities.

I urge you to pursue the 2016 CAS Trust Scholarship, and witness for yourself the vast benefits of this experience.

Isabel Ji is a 4^th year actuarial science and economics student at the University of Waterloo, currently completing an internship at Intact Financial in Toronto, Canada. She has previous experience with Intact in commercial lines and personal lines pricing, and has also interned in U.S. P&C consulting. She has held several leadership positions within the Actuarial Students’ National Association (ASNA), an organization run by and for undergraduate actuarial students across Canada.

The Actuarial Students National Association (ASNA) is a student-led organization that was established by three individuals in 1990. It has now grown to include fourteen universities as member organizations. Our primary goal is to provide students a larger resource base, keeping them abreast with industry knowledge while they attend university, and to foster a dialogue between the member universities and professional organizations.

In its 26th year, ASNA has maintained its tradition of hosting a well-tailored annual convention that offers a unique experience for students. By attending the upcoming 2016 convention, you will hear from industry leaders about trending topics that concern and impact the actuarial field, as well as newly developed avenues where actuaries could provide their invaluable expertise. These seminars touch base on topics which you simply cannot learn in the confined walls of a classroom. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet with recruiting and job placement firms that can help you stand out as a candidate in the competitive actuarial market. In addition to attending traditional events, you’ll also attend networking and cultural events. Such events highlight a different side of actuaries, their social nature, which is a must in the actuarial community of today. 

The upcoming 2016 ASNA Convention is being held in scenic Niagara Falls, January 8 – 10, 2016. The theme for this convention is “Redefining Risk”. Students attending the convention must get out of their comfort zone to make the most of the events that have been planned for you all. So here is some insight on how you can prepare yourself for key conference events. 

Actuarial Career Fair
Be a part of Canada’s largest actuarial career fair with 27+ sponsors participating in it. As the name suggests, it is not just a job fair but a very diverse stage to meet professionals from different blocks of the actuarial industry. Top employers use this platform to identify and interview their next intern or full-time candidate; recruiting sponsors are looking forward to building a relationship with you while you’re attaining your designation; and last but not the least, you could also meet education organizations, such as Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and speak with their top executives about the growth in the industry, the future of actuarial work, and the demand of actuaries. 

Suggestion: Set objectives on what you want to achieve in this career fair. If you are looking to secure a job, then research the companies who will most likely be interviewing. Find the field of practice of your interest and try to build your resume around that.

Professional Panel 
We bring together brilliant leaders from different disciplines of the industry on a single platform. They will share their experience and expertise with you, and also answer all your questions at this forum.

Suggestion: Know what the speakers’ backgrounds are and ask target-specific questions. Stay attentive and see what others have to ask. You will come out of this event with a wealth of knowledge and ideas, which will resonate with you for a lifetime.

Seminars & Career Scope 
This is the best medium to learn about the trending topics in the industry and get different perspectives on the subjects that might be of interest to you from the actuaries who work in related fields on a day-to-day basis.

Suggestion: Stay attentive and generate good questions for the speakers. This is another great learning opportunity and also a place to build a strong network with industry professionals by engaging in intelligent conversations. 

CAS Luncheon
After a busy Saturday morning, enjoy a sumptuous lunch sponsored by CAS. Nourish your mind with a keynote speech from the President of CAS that addresses new projects under development at CAS and the pressing topics in the global Property and Casualty industry.

Suggestion: Use this opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the Property and Casualty discipline within actuarial practice and see in what ways it interests you. Get to know more about the global value of CAS credentials.

Case Competition 
This is the best way to showcase your technical, communication, and teamwork skills in a single event. These cases are well developed to bring the best out of students and make the experience worthwhile. 

Suggestion: It is not about winning or losing, but rather about participating and gaining the experience. The synopsis of the case topic should provide you with sufficient knowledge to compete well amongst bright opponents.

Social Events 
The most enjoyed and cherished segment of the convention. A thrill-filled series of events on both nights of the weekend. This is where you will realize that actuaries are more than stats and numbers… We are people!

Suggestion: This is the best way to network with professionals and also students from different universities to build a stronger and wider social group. Have conversations in a relaxed environment and unwind while having fun and displaying your social side.

Registration for the 2016 ASNA Convention is now open on the ASNA website! 

Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to stay updated with current events and the convention.

We hope to see you in Niagara Falls this January! All the best!

About Siddhesh Pawar:

Siddhesh Pawar is the President of ANEA-ASNA. He has previously conducted an internship at Manulife Financial and is currently interning at Munich RE in Toronto. Siddhesh will graduate in 2016 with an Actuarial Science and Statistic degree with the second concentration in Economics from University of Calgary. In addition to his studies, Siddhesh has held leadership positions at University’s Actuarial student club and their Tax Audit program in partnership with Canada Revenue Agency.