I’m a qualified life actuary with more than a decade of experience but I’m struggling to find work in life insurance here. Any tips/leads? Are other people also experiencing this?

Hi everyone,

I’ve received offers for two master’s programs in Sydney:

Macquarie University – Actuarial Practice

UTS – Quantitative Finance

I’m a Chinese international student and completed my bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Canada.

I’ve already passed three SOA actuarial exams. Macquarie has confirmed that with exemptions I should be able to finish the actuarial master’s in about 1 year.

UTS Quantitative Finance is normally 1.5 years. It may also be possible to reduce it to around 1 year with credit exemptions, but I haven’t confirmed this yet.

I’m more interested in quantitative finance, and I plan to keep taking actuarial exams anyway. So one of my main questions is: if I continue progressing through the actuarial exams anyway, is there still much value in doing a master’s specifically in Actuarial Studies, since Quantitative Finance may offer a broader range of career opportunities?

My main priorities are:

internships

graduate job prospects

career flexibility

career opportunities in Australia, Canada, the US, China, and globally

how much useful technical/quantitative knowledge I would gain

I’m not too concerned about campus life or which degree is easier.

Which would you choose: Macquarie Actuarial Studies or UTS Quantitative Finance?

Also, how realistic are internships and graduate roles for an international student in either path?

Thanks in advance for any advice or insights. I’d really appreciate hearing from people with experience in either field.

Hey everyone! 👋

I recently created a FocusTown server specifically for actuarial aspirants who want some company and accountability while studying.

The idea is pretty simple: body doubling, shared focus sessions, weekly check-ins, and a place to stay accountable while preparing for actuarial exams or studying actuarial subjects.

Whether you're just starting your actuarial journey or already preparing for exams, you're welcome to join. No pressure to be super active — just a space where we can sit down, focus, chat about actuarial stuffs and get some studying done together. :)

If anyone's interested, feel free to join!!

Here's the link:

https://focustown.app/i/UBkMsqLQYzH5UXLAPtFn

P.S I'm just a uni student trying to learn more about the job market.
It's not uncommon to hear that people working in the public service have better hours and more flexibility in working conditions but what about compensation?

Is working as an actuary in one of the many gov orgs (Treasury, NDIA, AGA, etc) worth it compared to working in industry?
What are the salaries like? Is it similar to industry or do actuaries in the APS have lower salaries that are more in line with the APS salary bands used in the general agencies?

I have passed CFA L1 this year, and am a stats major and have a chance to go for wtw insurance consulting role, but have no idea whether to join for the corporate experience(but have to pursue acturial exams eventually) or wait for a finance role and go for L2/mba eventually

Hey everyone!

r/ActuaryAustralia is looking for community members to join the moderation team and help shape the future of the subreddit 😊

This community is dedicated to discussing everything about being an actuary in Australia. From university pathways and actuarial exams to career development, industry insights and life in the profession.

Here’s where we could use your help:

• Keeping spam, self-promotion and irrelevant content under control
• Encouraging helpful, respectful and constructive discussions
• Reviewing posts and comments to ensure they follow the community rules
• Supporting conversations for students, graduates and experienced actuaries alike
• Helping develop the subreddit into a useful and welcoming resource for Australia’s actuarial community

Previous moderation experience isn’t required. Actuaries, students, graduates and others with a genuine connection to the profession are welcome to apply. All you need is good judgment, an interest in the community and a few minutes now and then to check the mod queue.

If you’re interested, please leave a comment below or message me directly. Don't forget to please include r/ActuaryAustralia in your message. I’ll review your profile and history with the community, and if it looks like a good fit, I’ll send you an invitation within the next few days.

A little extra context: I’m a Reddit admin and won’t remain on the moderation team once new moderators are in place. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about moderating or the process of becoming a mod!

Hi everyone, hope we are all well.

I won a case comp which has lead me to have a two week actuarial internship with a life insurance firm.

I would like to know how I can maximise this opportunity to hopefully get a grad at the company and maybe even part-time work as an analyst!

Currently I've got:
- Introduce myself to everyone as an intern

- Talk to everybody and try to set coffee chats with everyone to learn more about the LI space and so forth

- Make sure to get access to all the files as soon as possible since it takes forever to get clearance for them

- Be open-minded and curious, I guess just have a desire to grow

I'd appreciate anything else you guys have to suggest to maximise this. Thank you 🙏🏼

For any students currently stressed about employment, I wanted to share my experience from this year in case it gives someone a bit of hope.

I started the year with no internships, zero interview experience and a 75 WAM. Throughout the year, I applied to countless actuarial and non-actuarial roles and faced a lot of rejection. I genuinely felt hopeless at times and even considered delaying my graduation.

But as I went through more interviews, I started to understand where I was going wrong and what I could do better. I became much more confident over time and started going into each interview better prepared than the last. Most importantly, I stopped comparing myself to friends or other candidates who seemed more successful and focused on my own improvement.

Over time, things started to work out and I recently received two offers, including an actuarial graduate role in my first preference industry.

I just wanted to share this for anyone feeling discouraged by the job market right now. Keep putting yourself out there and learning from each experience. You never know which opportunity will be the one that works out :)

Hello all, hope you're doing well. I'm currently a high school freshmen (doing IGCSEs) who's about to choose his subjects. I want to pursue actuarial science in the future and my school offers between accounting and economics. Which subject would be better and/or easier? Preferably someone well-versed with both the subjects or an actuary who took either one (both in best-case scenario).

P.S.: I will most-likely double major with either data science, commerce, or something else related to tech/business/math (target universities are in Australia and Canada)

Also, I would appreciate quick responses, as I have to submit my choice by next week.

Thank ya'll!

I am a nearly qualified banking actuary (only one exam left) currently residing in Sa. I plan to move to Australia next year. I wanted to check what is the market like for actuaries in the banking market. I have ifrs9 and crddit risk modelling experience.

Not looking for actual job opportunities yet. Just want an overview of the work experience ,salaries. It is a very niche market ,so just want to check landscape before deciding on the move.

Hi, I'm currently in year 12 and will be in uni next year and am considering becoming an actuary.

As of what I know right now the pathway is to go to uni, which if you do well enough gives you exemptions from part 1 exams. Then you land a job as an actuarial analyst and then from there continue to progress from part 2 and 3 (please correct me if any of these are wrong). I was wondering a few things;

How easy is it to get a job out of Uni as an actuarial analyst?

What does the job security of an actuarial analyst look like in the next few years?

What does an average day look like and what do earnings typically look like?

How likely is it to pass the second and third exams within a few years?

Are there any other things I should know before I continue with my uni applications?

I am quite mathematically inclined as a student and have been considering this path for a few months but am not fully certain on what I want to do. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi,

Does anyone have a physical copy of the red book that I can purchase off them?

Thanks

Hi! I’m about to graduate with my undergrads in Economics at unsw (specialisation in econometrics & data analytics), I was wondering if anyone has anyone completed their masters in actuarial studies or self studied for their Part 1s with IFoA. I’ve done a few statistics and maths courses so I’m comfortable to complete foundation courses, not sure if I’m able to get an allied study exemption for CB2. Unfortunately, I’m not able to transfer internally to an Actuary degree at my uni as it’s already far too late for me since I don’t meet their requirements.

Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to working full-time (just over a year) and have noticed quite a few actuarial managers who spent 1–2 years working in the UK, US or Singapore earlier in their careers. A few of my seniors are also planning to move overseas for a few years, with the goal of eventually returning to Australia and settling down.
For those who’ve taken a similar path, I’d really love to hear about your experience:
-Where did you go? Did you enjoy the experience, both professionally and personally?

-Do you feel that working overseas significantly helped your career progression?

-How did you go about finding the opportunity — internal transfer, recruiters, applying directly, networking, etc.?

I graduated at the end of 2025 in a double degree or actuarial studies and commerce with a wam of 72. I got my actuarial part1s exemption from uni and actuarial control cycle part 2 but I barely got this (scraping at the 65 level). I’m stressing about the options I have in actuarial as I don’t even get past the cv stage for entry level roles. I currently have experience as a summer analyst in investments and current role in analytics. How screwed am I and should I give up. I think it might be cos of my wam but not sure what to do for my next steps.

Hi all, I am a student in Australia studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine, with hopes to becoming a doctor. However, this seems very hard to reach and need to have another option and strongly considering the Masters of actuarial science. Is there many job opportunities in this field in Melbourne after this degree? Any advice would help me so much, Thanks

I am graduating from my Actuarial degree in the middle of 2027. There are very little grad opportunities available since most of them start at the beginning of the year.
Does anyone have tips to landing their first actuarial role?
I have been applying to insurance roles, such as assistant underwriting, claims etc. but haven’t had any luck. Should I keep applying to these roles as well?

My parter & I are currently looking to move from the UK to Aus. I’m a qualified actuary with 8 years experience in the life industry. I’ve heard that the life market is quite difficult in Australia and just wanted to get some insight from actuaries there.

- What is the job market currently like? And if it’s poor, do you think it’ll continue this way?
- Is the market better for general insurance? And do actuaries in Aus tend to transition to GI?

Thanks!

Not at all sure if this is the right sub but I figure I should at least ask. Any advice at all is helpful!

I’m about to start college at Penn State Main Campus as an actuarial Science Major. I’m looking to apply for internships in the field, or pretty much in any financial mathematics field early on. Typically people don’t really get internships until their sophomore year is over but I figure, what’s the harm in trying. Problem I’m running into is that I have no college experience, no valuable or certifiable technical experience, or actuarial exams passed. By the time my internship would hypothetically start, I would have all of these and more. I do have plenty of accomplishments and awards, as well as exceptional grades in high school, and work experience as a golf course caddie, but none of these are directly related to the internship. Should I put these things on a resume, or should I just wait till I actually have accomplishments under my belt before trying to apply.

Did you know? Tribhuvan University (School of Mathematical Sciences) produces 40–60 Actuarial Science graduates every year. But to practice professionally in risk management, insurance, and banking, passing international certifications like the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI) is mandatory!

​Currently, Nepalese actuarial aspirants are forced to travel to cities in India like Patna, Kolkata, or Delhi just to sit for routine exam papers. This creates:

❌ Heavy financial burdens on students & families

❌ Travel hassles and accommodation stress right before intense exams

❌ Foreign currency outflow for US/UK alternatives

​The Solution is Right in Front of Us!

With coordination between Tribhuvan University, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu (Lainchaur), an official IAI examination centre can easily be established at state-of-the-art facilities like the TU Pulchowk Campus IT Labs.

​Nepal’s growing financial and insurance sector needs certified risk experts. Let’s make education and professional growth accessible for our youth right at home!

​💬 How you can help:

​Share this post to spread awareness.

​Tag @TribhuvanUniversity, @EmbassyofIndiaKathmandu, and student representatives.

​Submit a support message on the Hello Sarkar (हेलो सरकार) portal under विद्यार्थी सम्बन्धि / सुझाव सम्बन्धी!

​#ActuarialScience #TU #IAINepal #HelloSarkar #EducationNepal #ActuariesOfNepal #StudentVoices #NepalYouth