When it comes to deciding your career, things can get a little overwhelming especially because there are so many options out there and you can literally become anything. However, picking a career isn’t that easy even if you have multiple options laying in front of you. You have to consider your skills, the scope of the career and whether or not it will bring you enough money to make your ends meet. 

Speaking of career options, if you are here today, you’re probably looking forward to becoming an actuary or opting for careers in actuarial science. Well, for starters, you can be rest assured that this career can do a lot good to you but you need to have the right skills for it. 

What Does An Actuary Do? 

For starters, an actuary is someone who covers and evaluates the financial implications and the risks associated with it. This profession is all about devising different solutions that can reduce the risks and negative consequences of a particular financial implication. 

Businesses lose a whole fortune sometimes when they fail to see and deal with the negative consequences of their financial decisions. This is where an actuary comes into action. An actuary with the right skills and talent can help businesses prevent such losses so that they can succeed. 

What Do Actuaries Study?

To opt for an actuarial science career you first need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Your chances of getting jobs with an actuarial science degree become better if you major in actuary sciences. The courses of your degree will include; mathematics, statistics and industry relevant topics. 

However, if you want to be named among the well qualified candidates who have a better chance at getting better and well-paying jobs then you should opt for majors like economics, mathematics, statistics, physics and of course computer sciences. 

When you search “careers in actuarial science” on the internet, you’ll come across several options because the demand for an actuary is increasing with the passage of time. Especially all the huge business tycoons out there and industries who often have to deal with financial trouble require an actuary at their end to make sure that nothing goes wrong. In a nutshell, the actuary science career path is a great option for you if you have the right analytical skills for it. 

What Skills Do Actuaries Possess? 

To be successful in this career, you need to have a wide range of skills especially if you are looking for a well-paying job at some high end company. 

Problem Solving Skills 

As you have to analyze and study complex data and determine patterns, you need some real-time analytical problem solving skills. Once you analyze different quantitative and qualitative data, your next task is to make a new pattern/path to minimize the risks of any financial implications that the company is deciding to make.

Computer Skills 

To become an actuary, you need to have some great computer skills. You are supposed to know how to use all the statistical modeling software out there so that you can generate reports easily. Your job will be to study and analyze hundreds of different models and tables so you need to know the statistical programming language and ensure that you have the right computer skills. Moreover, knowing how to use Microsoft Office is of utmost importance here. 

Business and Finance Knowledge 

Usually financial institutions and large scale businesses hire actuaries to prevent any major financial loss. Your job would be to guide businesses on how to prevent exposure to any major financial risks. If it’s a bank, you’ll have to guide them on how they can increase their returns and make the most out of the money they have. For all of this, you of course need some great finance and business knowledge. From statistics to finance patterns, you should be familiar with all of that. 

Conclusion 

In a nutshell, the actuarial science career path will probably be a great option for you if you are good at math, business and finance. With these skills and some great effective communication skills, you’ll end up with a well-paying job and your future will probably be secure too.