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> If you're good at math, and really good at standardized math exams you can advance through the various levels and work your way up the pay-scale ladder I was
by amigocontigo 8y ago
> If you're good at math, and really good at standardized math exams you can advance through the various levels and work your way up the pay-scale ladder
I was able to more than double my starting salary (ending at around 135k with bonus) 3 years out of school.
I worked in consulting and thought the work was incredibly boring. The main issue is that a lot of people in the field, even those good at passing exams, aren't particularly good at advanced modeling or programming. This means no one can or is interested in peer-reviewing complex models and as a result you end up spending most of your time shoveling numbers around in Excel. It was also very stressful. Leaving the profession, despite the time I sunk in it, was the best decision I ever made.
- mrep 8y ago>> If you're good at math, and really good at standardized math exams you can advance through the various levels and work your way up the pay-scale ladder > I was able to more than double my starting salary (ending at around 135k with bonus) 3 years out of school. Have you considered software engineering because current pay starts at around 150k in big tech and I'm now making 215k 2.5 years out of college? I say this because I work with a bunch of math and physics major people so it is definitely possible to switch careers (a lot of the advanced software we use utilizes complex concepts in physics and math so they are highly valued, though, you will definitely need to know basic algorithms and data structures but that isn't too hard to learn especially compared to advanced math and physics in my opinion).
- sizzle 8y agoWhat kind of systems are you working on that require math and physics? Aviation? Rockets?
- Nursie 8y ago> Have you considered software engineering because current pay starts at around 150k in big tech and I'm now making 215k This is highly area dependent though, surely? In the UK, outside of London, those figures would likely be $50k and $60k
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- rezeroed 8y agoYeah, I work in Gherkin area of London, many insurance companies there. The actuarial types I overhear at the coffee-shops are earning around 3x my software dev salary.
- Nursie 8y ago/waves from just behind St Kats Docks by Tower Bridge As a contractor, I'm making about 3x what I was for my last perm salary. But only if I work in London. I'm lucky to get two thirds of this near where I live, and AFAICT the perm staff in most places I've contracted nearer to home get paid really terribly.
- rezeroed 8y agoAh, nice, I used to work there, in the royal mint. /wave Enjoyed watching yachts prepare for races; now I watch insurance people.
- ubercow13 8y agoOr inside
- amigocontigo 8y agoI actually made the switch to software almost 5 years ago!
- sizzle 8y agoWhat did you leave the field for? What do you do now and are you happier since leaving?
- amigocontigo 8y agoI left for software development and am now working on a PhD in CS. It was the best choice I ever made. Being an actuary was a valuable experience though, mainly because I learned money really does not make you happy (as long as you have enough to live comfortably) and I won't be happy in a job where I do not feel challenged mentally. I also got really good at self-study, which has turned out to be an incredibly valuable skill.
- sizzle 8y ago"money really doesn't make you happy" I've come to this conclusion as well after losing a loved one, helping others makes me truly happy. Good luck in your future endeavors.
- metaphor 8y ago> I was able to more than double my starting salary (ending at around 135k with bonus) 3 years out of school. Care to disclose locality?
- amigocontigo 8y agoMostly the midwest and not in any major cities like Chicago. The key is finding a good company with a strong student program.