Résumé How-to for Actuarial Science

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Résumé How-to for Actuarial Science 

Unique Formatting Considerations 

Different industries have different preferences when it comes to the formatting and content that appears on résumés. For students pursuing a career in actuarial science, there are some unique considerations you will want to take into consideration when crafting your résumé. To be a competitive applicant for internships or jobs, you will need to include information about VEE courses, actuarial examinations, and technical skills. 

Validation by Educational Experience (VEE)

Validation by Educational Experience is one component of the requirements to obtain an ASA designation from the Society of Actuaries (SOA). This credit can be obtained through SOA-approved coursework covering a broad range of topics. At Nebraska, you can take the following courses to progress toward this requirement: 

  • Economics: both ECON 211 and ECON 212 must be completed to earn credit 
  • Accounting and Corporate Finance: both ACCT 201 and FINA 461 must be completed to earn credit 
  • Mathematical Statistics: STAT 463 

These VEE courses can be listed on your résumé once completed, or you can put in parenthesis “in progress” during the semester you are taking them. Note that these courese must be completed with a B- or higher. Additionally, you will not earn VEE credit until you have passed two exams and completed the application process through the SOA.

Actuarial Examinations

Actuarial examinations ensure that all actuaries have a standardized, core set of knowledge through a series of preliminary exams. All actuarial examination information can be found on the SOA or Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) websites. As a part of the major curriculum at Nebraska, students are prepared for the first three actuarial examinations. 

  • Application tip: For most actuarial internships, employers expect students to have already completed an actuarial examination; most students take either P/1 or FM/2 for their first actuarial examination. 

Technical Skills

Possessing technical computer skills is critical for actuarial science students. While you will gain exposure to some technical skills in your coursework, some students will learn programming skills and other computer software independently to stand out in the application process. Students frequently use “The Infinite Actuary” website for courses on Excel, VBA, Access, SQL, SAS, R, and Python.

Example of Key Components on an Actuarial Science Résumé 

EDUCATION 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Center of Actuarial Excellence, Lincoln, NE 
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, May 20xx 
Major: Actuarial Science, GPA: #.##/4.00 

VEE Courses: Economics, Accounting and Finance, Mathematical Statistics 

ACTUARIAL EXAMS 

Passed: P/1 (April 20xx) and FM/2 (September 20xx) 
Scheduled: IFM/3F (February 20xx) 

TECHNICAL SKILLS 

Programming: R, C++ 
Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint