From the day I started preparing for actuarial science(9 months ago) I have been wondering what kind of work does an actuary do? I will specify my question further. Few days back I met one of my ex-college professors(aged not more than 25) who is also pursuing actuarial science. He has completed 5 papers and also carries an experience of 1 year in actuarial work. Since I have just set my foot into this profession I wanted to know what kind of work does an actuary do or how is a day in the life of an actuary? From what I know for getting into a job as a student actuary recruiters demand students who have cleared at least 3 papers(in India). When asked about the job he said it is much easier and you can do it even if you have not passed the examinations since everything is computerized. I would like comments on this. I think everybody will agree that passing actuarial examinations is not one of the easier things to do in life. But is the job is equally challenging(if not more)? This query came to me after the may 2011 CT3 exam. There is no doubt that the questions were tougher than the previous versions and a 0% result reflects that. I know it is inappropriate to compare math problems to a real life situation but in terms of the difficulty level which one is difficult? Passing exams or working as an actuary?
