Name: Caroline Twomey

Company: Deloitte

Age: 27

Year of joining Actuarial Profession: 2006

Year of joining current company: 2006

Exams passed to date: all CTs

Why did you choose to become an actuary?

I like maths and I wanted a career that involved using mathematical skills.

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

Not really. We are assigned buddies to help us settle into work and mentors to help guide us through the exams. Everyone was very supportive and it’s not difficult to settle into something you enjoy.

How do you find balancing work and study?

Finding the right balance is a skill and it gets harder as I get more involved in the work. As I gain experience, I get more responsibilities and more opportunities to get involved in interesting projects. This can make it tempting to focus on the job and neglect the study but there is a lot of support across the company which helps to motivate me back to the books.

Do you find you have much free time?

Generally yes, I have enough time to do the things I want to although the month just after an exam sitting tends to be the best! It is difficult to commit to regular weekday activities (such as joining a sports team) because of the travelling required for my role but the opportunities the travel provides more than compensates for that.

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

I haven’t directly used anything from the CTs, but the knowledge gained is a good basis for understanding many of the concepts I encounter at work. I have applied some of the knowledge learnt from ST6 in my daily work.

How do you find working in the life industry?

I love it.

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

It’s not really possible although some collaborative work and internal secondments do take place. Moving departments is not really an issue in a consultancy because the other departments are different industry sectors i.e. Life, General, Pensions, and Investment. Within the life department you get exposed to all types of work for life companies.

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?

I like variety so I would always opt for changing roles frequently – that’s why I chose consultancy. I enjoy the breadth of knowledge this builds, the understanding of ‘big picture’ and the chance to figure out exactly what interests me before specialising in a particular area.

What is expected today from new actuaries?

Attention to detail, hard work and a passion for understanding the issues facing their company/department/clients.

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

Presentation skills, don’t underestimate how difficult it can be to communicate your ideas to an audience of people that are not your classmates.

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

Review of asset-liability modelling methodology.

What prospects do you see for actuaries in the future?

Taking our skills into other industries.