The University of Kent Careers and Employability Service

1. Actuarial and Maths Careers Presentation You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm The University of KentCareers and Employability Service

2. Skills gained on a Maths/Actuarial Degree Maths/Actuarial graduates are attractive to many employers because of their: • Ability to analyse information in a logical way • Investigative and problem solving skills. • Numeracy • IT skills • Especially finance & computing

3. Destinations of Kent Maths Graduates What can I do with a Maths degreewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/maths.htm

4. Destinations of Kent Actuarial Graduates

6. MATHS/ACTUARIAL JOB AREAS • Actuarial Work: insurance firms (Friends Provident) and Consultancies (Mercer) • Pensions Analyst: Deloitte, Nat West Bank • Accountancy: KPMG/PWC • Banking: Lloyds TSB • Tax: Coutts Bank • Statistical Work: GSS • Operational Research: GORS • Defence: GCHQ, DSTL • Computing:Logica, FDM • Teaching: PGCE • Risk Management

7. Actuary Relatively small profession – far less jobs than accountancy Consulting actuary • More people skills needed • Towers Perrin, Mercers • Early closing dates Insurance company actuary • Slightly less competition • AXA, Sun Life What can I do with an Actuarial Science degree?www.kent.ac.uk/careers/actuarial.htm Inside Careers Actuarial Careers Guidewww.insidecareers.co.uk

8. Biggest recruiter of graduates in the UK. PWC and KPMG recruit 1,000 graduates each 3 years training whilst working – paid a salary Audit, tax and consultancy Some similarities with actuarial work Focus on good A Level grades. Main area is Chartered Accountancy (ACA), but also Certified, Management and Public Sector Accountancy www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/accountancy.htm Accountancy

9. Banking Retail Banking • Similar to shop work! Selling loans and managing accounts Investment Banking • Much more competitive. • Get internships in your second year and apply early in your final year • High A Level grades normally needed.

10. Statistician Analyses and interprets data. Collects information, analyses it using statistical methods and computer programs such as SPSS. Interprets data for clients and users. Writes reports.EMPLOYERS: The largest employer is the Government Statistical Service GSS which employs 700 staff in more than 30 departments. Medical Statistics is also another large area with some major hospitals having statistical units.Biometrists work as statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry, as researchers in medical schools and hospitals and in agricultural institutes. SATISFACTIONS: intellectual stimulation of work.NEGATIVES: spend most of time in the office.DEGREE: Normally mathematics, statistics, economics or other statistics-related degrees. Graduates in other subjects can do an MSc in statistics.

11. “SCIENTIFIC” MATHEMATICS • Scientific Officer - Qinetiq (2),Research Project Ass't - Pfizer • Defence industry and other science and engineering companies: mathematical modeling and designing algorithms. The work is often research orientated and can be intellectually stimulatingGCHQwww.gchq.gov.uk national intelligence and security • HM Government Communications Centrewww.hmgcc.gov.uk • QinetiQ (an agency of the Ministry of Defence) • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl) (explosives/weapons technology) www.dstl.gov.uk/careers/index.php • Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG www.desg.mod.uk • BAe Systems global aerospace and defence • AWEwww.awe.co.uk   (Atomic Weapons Establishment) • Roke Manor Research communications research lab. of Siemens specialising in AEA Technologywww.aeat.co.uk does contract research • The Met Office

12. Teaching • £20,000 bursary with 1st or 2:1 Three ways in: • PGCE • Schools Direct • Teach First www.kent.ac.uk/careers/siteach.htm

14. CHOOSING A CAREER Prospects Planner: powerful career choice program www.prospects.ac.uk/links/PPlanner Choosing a career web pages www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/ChoosingCareer.htm Information on many different careers www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm

16. Actuarial CVwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actuary-cv.htm • Maths CV www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/mathematics-cv.htm • Finance and teaching practice interviews www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/mockivs.htm

17. Careers Talks and Employer Presentations www.kent.ac.uk/careers/casevents.htm VACANCY AND WORK EXPERIENCE DATABASEwww.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html Apply for jobs in the first term– vacancy emails every Monday in year 2. Graduate Employer Directories are available in Careers Service

18. Moodle Careers Employability Award • Much lower unemployment rate for graduates who completed the award last yearwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm • I won’t have any sympathy if you come to see me when you graduate without a job and haven’t bothered to do the award!

19. Moodle Careers Employability Award • 14 Quizzes: need 75% to pass • Employability skills quiz • Employability skills quiz: drag & drop • How to develop the skills employers want? • Test your spelling and grammar! • What makes you happy at work? • How commercially aware are you? • Special interests topic lesson • Interview preparation • Practice interview • What are the most common interview questions? • Aptitude tests and assessment centres • CV quiz • CVs and covering letters: drag &drop quiz • Career planning drag and drop quiz Complete 3 of the following seven assignments • Analyse your skills and learn how to make top quality applications • Do you want to live to work or work to live? • Researching careers • Choosing a career • Submit a CV • Social media • Action planning www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm#subject

20. The amount of time put into this is astounding! I actually spoke to friends from other universities who said they wished they had something like this. I enjoyed the depth of the module. It went far beyond some general tips on how to write a good CV and prepare for an interview. Rather it went in to detail about the whole process of graduate job search from the beginning to the end. It was very instructive . The module is very, very useful! I really love how it makes you to think about your personality and helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Comments from students who have completed the award It really blew my mind with some ideas I’ve never known before, such as portfolio working and working from home. I never thought about obtaining happiness from my work before. It was so easy, quick and I learned a lot. I found the module to be highly thought-provoking as it really encouraged me to consider how my degree will benefit my future and what I can be doing now to improve my graduate employment prospects. You get a really nice certificate! Without realising, you have finished the course and have already put together a very good CV and covering letter. It has made me feel a lot more confident when it comes to applications and interviews and has also made me think about skills that I didn't think I had before. It would be mad to apply for a job or attend an interview without doing it! Before the course I had only a vague idea of my career path and opportunities. Now I am applying for summer internships and know how to effectively sell my skills to a prospective employer and have a much more focused plan for my future. I recently had a very successful interview largely because I put the advice on the module into practice.

21. www.kent.ac.uk/ces Telephone: 01227 823299 Email: careerhelp@kent.ac.uk Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 including vacations Drop-in times (no appointment needed): 10.30 to 12.30 & 2 to 5 pm

22. You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm The University of KentCareers and Employability Service

23. WEB PAGES • Applications and Interviews (includes assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.)www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm • Example CVs & Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm • Practice Interviewswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/mockivs.htm • Interview videos www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntVid.htm

24. Careers Network • Helps current Kent students gain an insight into careers through contact with alumni - graduates of the University. • Information interviews, advice by letter/phone/email, work-shadowing.  • Visit the Careers Centre and ask to use the Careers Network at reception. www.kent.ac.uk/careers/careersnetwork.htm

25. Careers Fair 12 - 3 pm. Tues Nov 5th Sports Centre Meet employers from all sectors offering graduate jobs, placements and summer internships. Find out about the opportunities they offer and get first-hand advice and information. Everybody welcome, whatever your year or subject of study.  PWC, Morgan Stanley, Teach First, AXA, Barclays etc. www.kent.ac.uk/ces/careersfair