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Actuaries' Survival Guide: How to Succeed in One of the Most Desirable Professions | 
 enlarge | Author: Fred Szabo
Publisher: Academic Press
Category: Book
List Price: $45.95
Buy New: $37.17
You Save: $8.78 (19%)
New (11) Used (1) from $37.17
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 215935
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 268
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.9
ISBN: 0126801460
Dewey Decimal Number: 368.01023
EAN: 9780126801460
Publication Date: February 23, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
This unique book is a guide for students and graduates of mathematics, statistics, economics, finance, and other number-based disciplines contemplating a career in actuarial science. Given the comprehensive range of the cases that are analyzed in the book, the Actuaries' Survival Guide can serve as a companion to existing study material for all courses designed to prepare students for actuarial examinations.
* Based on the curricula and examinations of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS)
* Presents an overview of career options and details on employment in different industries
* Provides a link between theory and practice; helps readers gain the qualitative and quantitative skills and knowledge required to succeed in actuarial exams
* Includes insights from over 50 actuaries and actuarial students
* Written by Fred Szabo, who has directed the actuarial co-op program at Concordia University for over ten years
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 This is wonderful book! September 14, 2004
Mirek Majewski (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
I have been searching with my students for a good book explaining challenges of the actuaries' job and the way to it. I could not find anything that would guide my students and help them in making an informed decision. Finally, I got Actuaries ' Survival Guide by Fred Szabo. I wish to share some of my thoughts with potential readers.
The book should be considered as good guide for people who want to pursue their career as actuaries. It shows step by step challenges as well as opportunities of this job. Most of my students after reading this book were able to say if this is really the job they want or not. For all of them it was quite clear what are the demands and if they are able to fulfill them.
Let me comment on the selection of topics. The content of the book is organized in a very logical way. It is as complete as it could be possible. We learn what is the actuarial job, what skills we need for it, types of accreditation, what education we must go through, how to start and continue an actuarial professional career.
It would be important to mention the style of the book. At first sight it is very unusual. Large parts of the book are written in Q&A style. I have been thinking a while why Fred Szabo decided to choose just this style instead of something more conventional. Finally, I understood that this book written in traditional style of narration could be very difficult to read. Writing it in the form of questions and answers Fred is taking away this difficulty and forces his readers to concentrate on one topic at a time. There is another advantage to this approach. I guess, some of my students could never even think about problems that are mentioned in Fred's questions. For most of them reading these questions was quite a good lesson.
Finally, we should look into answers. Who replied to these questions and how? It is evident that most of the answers were given by experienced actuaries. This book is not the knowledge of a single person; it is the wisdom of many top level professionals. As a scientist and author I admire the amount of work done in researching and writing this book. I admire the professionalism of Fred Szabo.
In conclusion I would like to say that this is a wonderful book written in a professional way for the people who wish to be professionals in one of the most difficult professions.
Highly recommended August 22, 2004
Chantal
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
I am a research mathematician who has often wondered what my life would be like today, had I chosen to become an actuary. Now I know. Dr. Szabo's insider profiles of working actuaries are entertaining, informative, and comprehensive. I have enjoyed the accounts of the day-to-day activities of actuaries at their various levels of seniority, and have found it intriguing to learn how some of the underlying mathematical ideas and techniques can be discussed in a book of this type without assuming advanced prior knowledge. I highly recommend this guide to anyone interested in an actuarial career.
Anyone linked to this profession MUST have this book August 20, 2004
Michael (Quebec, Canada)
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
As a second year actuarial mathematics student, several questions boggle my mind as to how the actuarial profession really is, what actuaries do exactly, how the SOA tests are, and what to do to achieve all of my actuarial goals. Through this book, I was able to get an answer to all of my questions that were circulating in my head. This book is an essential reference guide to anyone who is in the process of becoming an actuary or who is thinking about the actuarial profession as a future career.
This book includes, in detail, typical questions that any student may have while approaching his/her career. Instead of getting the opinion of only one author, the book delivers the answers of hundreds of present actuaries, giving in specific detail, how they approached their careers and what they did to resolve the common problems that erupt while striving for this challenging career. This book also includes a comprehensive description of each Actuarial exam, so I know what to expect and what to study, to give me the confidence to pass a course on my first attempt. The last few chapters give information about the typical employer and other sources of information for when I graduate from University.
This is one of the most demanding and hard professions present in our world today. How can a person achieve all of their goals if some unanswered questions still boggle the mind? If you are a student thinking about the actuarial profession, or a student already involved in actuarial studies, or even a graduate looking for a job, this book is a MUST to have. I now know what to expect from this profession and where I am headed.
Thank you for answering all of my questions.
Best Author, Great Book! September 5, 2004
S. Peker (Quebec, Canada)
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
Contrary to the last reviewer, I found Fred Szabo to be a very good author. Starting with the structure of the book and ending with the chosen style, I rate it as an A plus written book. I strongly believe Fred Szabo to be very skillful in giving both a clear and concise presentation of new and complex material. Immediately from the table of contents one can follow the logical consequence of problems and questions a person would encounter if he or she wanted to become an actuary. Short and full answers can be easily found in this well organized text.
Recently, actuarial jobs have become more and more popular. Good salaries, promising careers attract a lot of youngsters. Not to waste your time and dedicate yourself to a wrong career is very important in everybody's life. This book opens the door to what an actuarial career looks like, answers all standard questions, starting with typical responsibilities and ending with attainable salaries; it also guides the reader towards the right educational choice and explains what makes one a successful actuary. To spend time reading this book is a privileged shortcut to making the right career choice.
I haven't read the book, but...... June 26, 2007
C. Young (mo.)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Sorry to mislead. I haven't read the book, but having recently left the actuarial profession after 15 years, I can probably save you buying the book and tell you how to succeed in the profession:
Pass Exams!
No one cares about your personality, leadership skills, or anything else, when it comes down to it. It doesn't matter how good you are at your work related activities. In this profession, he/she who has the credentials is king/queen, and will get all opportunities for advancement. If you don't have the credentials, you can be the greatest business person and personality on earth, and you will not be recognized for it (not in this profession, anyway). I speak from 15 years experience. If you are getting in this profession, don't let anything get in the way of exam progress. You should know, to succeed, you should be willing to sacrifice possibly a decade of your life sitting in a dark corner studying advanced mathematics. I kid you not. I left the profession, because in my opinion, the payoff was not worth the sacrifice. That is, there are people making more money, that didn't have to go through the exam hell actuaries go through.
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