Five Reasons to Become a Certified Actuarial Analyst

Following the creation of the Certified Actuarial Analyst (CAA) qualification in 2014, APR has followed developments closely and, with the launch of our Actuarial Analyst role in 2016, now have four (soon to be five) full-time staff working towards this qualification.  In this article we look at our top five reasons why choosing to work towards the CAA qualification with APR may be the best place to start a career in actuarial science.

CAA is a globally recognised qualification

The CAA qualification is offered by CAA Global, a joint venture between the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in the UK and Society of Actuaries (SoA) in the USA.  The qualification is available across the globe and has been designed to be a gateway into financial services as well as other industries – the skills developed as part of the qualification are wide-ranging and transferable.  You can find out more here: https://www.caa-global.org/.

It’s the perfect opportunity to earn while you learn

While traditionally people embarking on an actuarial career will do so following earning a degree at university, this is not required for the CAA qualification.  Therefore it is ideal for A-level or equivalent students who are worried about the growing cost of studying at university, or someone without a degree who is looking for a change of career.  With an Actuarial Analyst role at APR you will earn a competitive salary, while working towards a respected and internationally-recognised qualification, gaining relevant experience in a workplace setting and enhancing your future career prospects.

You can still work towards becoming a fully-fledged actuary in the future

According to the IFoA website, it is committed to providing a pathway for qualified CAAs to progress to the IFoA Fellowship examinations.  The exact route has yet to be mapped out, but details are expected to be published in the coming months.  Once you have qualified as a CAA (usually 2-3 years), you will have the chance to sit down with your manager and discuss your future ambitions and, as a default, we will normally support you through the IFoA fellowship exams if that is what you want to do.

We’ll support you along the way

Not wanting to blow our own trumpet, but we think we’re pretty good at training our staff.  When you start as an Actuarial Analyst, you will receive an intensive period of training to get you up to speed with everything you need to know to thrive while working on a client project – the same as we provide to our Graduate Associates.  On top of this, we will provide you with time off to study and all the necessary materials to help you get through the CAA exams as smoothly as possible.  We will of course also provide you with a manager / mentor who will be able to give you support, advice and any help you need.

APR is a small, but growing business with many clients across the UK

When joining APR you will initially be based in one of our London or Edinburgh offices, according to your preference.  However, with clients based throughout the UK, you will have the opportunity to travel to various locations across the country when working on client projects.  We think this is a great way to get a wide range of experience in a short period of time, but understand it may be daunting for some people.  All we would say to that is not to worry too much – all of your travel and accommodation is organised for you and we will always arrange for you to go home at the weekend!  Plus, there will quite often be another APR staff member working at the same client, so there usually will be someone to hang out with if you do need to stay away from home.

Interested?

Find out more about our Actuarial Analyst roles and how to apply here: https://aprllp.com/working-for-apr/actuarial-analyst/.  We’re happy to accept applications from candidates looking to start immediately, or up to September 2019.

Ross Gordon

July 2018