Ambivalence
I’ve got word back from Durham: apparently I am their reserve choice (and apparently the preferred applicant turns the offer down more often than you’d think).
I knew I should have arranged to go on a date when I wouldn’t have been so shattered….
But, yes, I’m feeling rather ambivalent about the whole thing. Intellectually, I want to do a PhD. Socially, I would love to stay in Manchester. And financially, of course, I’d like to have money. (Um, would that be amtrivalent, then?)
The 3rd aspect is leading me to considering seriously something that I previously rejected outright: actuarial work. Michael Hall has been making frequent suggestions on the banter list that someone should join his company, and a part of me is definitely thinking that if I can’t go for what I want academically I should just go for the money and use it to fulfil myself in whatever ways money lets you.
Of course, that would involve moving to Croyden….
Oh, and here’s some poker stats for you all to enjoy! (Or… not)
| Date | Hours | BB | Seats | Tables | Buy-in | BR in | BR out | Profit | Profit p/h |
| 06/02/07 | 3 | $0.05 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $43.00 | $55.00 | $12.00 | $4.00 |
| 07/02/07 | 2 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $55.00 | $62.81 | $7.81 | $3.91 |
| 07/02/07 | 1.5 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $62.81 | $68.41 | $5.60 | $3.73 |
| 07/02/07 | 1 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $68.41 | $70.91 | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| 08/02/07 | 1.75 | $0.05 | 6 | 2 | $20.00 | $70.91 | $54.59 | -$16.32 | -$9.33 |
| 08/02/07 | 1.5 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $54.59 | $48.14 | -$6.45 | -$4.30 |
| 21/02/07 | 0.5 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $48.14 | $52.59 | $4.45 | $8.90 |
| 21/02/07 | 0.75 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $52.59 | $60.49 | $7.90 | $10.53 |
| 22/02/07 | 1 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $60.49 | $62.84 | $2.35 | $2.35 |
| 24/02/07 | 2 | $0.10 | 6 | 1 | $10.00 | $62.84 | $75.14 | $12.30 | $6.15 |
Listen, think about it, because it would be a tough decision. The actuarial profession is a serious career, but a very rewarding one, which so few people have the skills for. And given your high-level maths and obvious poker numeracy (in terms of both monetary values and probabilities), I can think of very few people who would be better suited than you.
You may even be able to have one or two exemptions from the exams, if there was some statistics in the syllabus you’ve studied at university.
It wouldn’t necessarily be _very_ high paying in the first year or so, but once you have some exam passes under your belt, the salary and bonus would soon tot up.
There are plenty of other actuarial companies in Manchester too: see http://www.actuaries.org.uk/advisers/cgi-bin/doSearch.cgi?region=6. You could even work for my Former Employer - his website is still marked “vacancy” where my name used to be - but I would NOT recommend it.
Comment by Michael Hall — February 25, 2007, 1:33 am @ 1:33 am
Looking down again, I see you were going for an admin job at A&L.
Strangely enough, £17K was exactly what I was on when I first started with Jagger in August 2004. Judging by this: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_types_of_jobs/Types_of_Job/p!eipaL?state=showocc&idno=329&pageno=2 it looks like I might have been underpaid a bit. ;-)
I can promise you that salary increases will be much more generous in the actuarial field (commensurate with exam passes) than they would be in an admin job (probably not more than inflation +1%).
Comment by Michael Hall — February 25, 2007, 1:50 am @ 1:50 am
One more comment: on all the other profiles of actuarial students and actuaries I’ve seen, it’s always the intellectual stimulation they mention first.
Comment by Michael Hall — February 25, 2007, 11:11 pm @ 11:11 pm
Josephine, one of my closest friends, is now a fully-qualified actuary. I don’t know exactly how much she’s earning, but it’s a shedload. Definitely the peak of the financial sector.
If you can stand the studying, and the sheer probability-based mathematicalness of it, it’s a damn fine career path to go down.
Michael - where’d you spring up from? Don’t tell me you’ve been lurking on _all_ our blogs?!
Comment by Mahinda — February 28, 2007, 12:18 pm @ 12:18 pm
Oh, I always check Facebook and the Banter list. Occasionally go onto people’s blogs.
It is a very intellectually stimulating career. It takes a lot of commitment, but it’s very rewarding when things go well!
Who does your friend Josephine work for?
Comment by Michael Hall — February 28, 2007, 9:42 pm @ 9:42 pm
Michael - Josephine works for Norwich Union, over in York. She likes it there.
Comment by Mahinda — March 1, 2007, 5:37 pm @ 5:37 pm
Ah, Chris, the Marco to my Giuseppe in the 48-hour Gondoliers, also works for NU in York. He’s not an actuarial. I don’t think he likes it quite so much.
Comment by Michael Hall — March 2, 2007, 10:23 pm @ 10:23 pm