Name: Candy Zhu

Company: Deloitte

Age: 26

Year of joining Actuarial Profession: 2007

Year of joining current company: 2007

Exams passed to date: CT 1,3,4,8

Why did you choose to become an actuary?

• Chance to apply the analytical skills I developed at university
• Well recognised qualification
• Good pay
• Very clear career development objective in 3 to 4 years

Did you find it hard to adjust to working life when you first started?

It wasn’t too bad. It is difficult to study after work especially after a busy day, and I am not an early person as well. However, with study days and some weekends before the exams, I found it ok.

How do you find balancing work and study?

It’s good that I don’t have to work overtime although there might be a few late nights. I could actually study for a while after work in the weekday, but my main study time would be study days and weekends. I might need to study at home for a few weekends instead of going out with friends, but once I pass the exams, it’s totally worth it.

Do you find you have much free time?

Within a month after each sitting—yes

Other than that—no

How relevant are the exams you’ve studied to the job you do? (i.e. Do you apply what you've learned?)

I wouldn’t say I could apply the knowledge directly to work, but with exam progress, I definitely find that I can understand more about the industry and other people’s conversations.

How do you find working in the life industry?

There is a lot going on currently and for a new starter, I would say it’s quite interesting and challenging to learn new things almost everyday.

How easy is it to move between departments in your company?

This is not really an issue in a consultancy firm as I have the opportunity to get involved in all types of work.

Which is better, in your opinion? To change roles frequently or to remain in one area where you can build up a strong level of expertise?

It’s a bit in between I think. At the moment, it is worth doing similar projects for a while and then move on to have a taste of other areas. But as time moves on, I think I would prefer to build up a strong level of expertise in one area I like.

What is expected today from new actuaries?

Adapting to the changes!

What skills, if any, would you recommend trying to develop before starting work with a company?

Get into the habit of reading regularly. Relevant news articles and industry publications are useful but reading in general should be encouraged. Being able to read and absorb information quickly is a vital skill for an actuary with respect to both work and study.

Give an example of a kind of project you have or are currently working on?

I was recently seconded to a large life company where I was involved in the review of internal valuation methodology. This gave me great opportunity to see how a life office works.

What prospects do you see for actuaries in the future?

Apply actuarial knowledge to other industries.