Curiosity

Question

Hey! I’m currently applying for college courses and I’ve applied to study actuarial and mathematical sciences in various places. Ive done a lot of research into the career, and there’s no doubt that it’s clearly one that comes with financial benefits. Maths is literally one of my favorite things to study as well. However, I’ve read a lot about the ‘happiness’ of actuaries and if they enjoy their careers, but i’m seeing mixed opinions online which are slightly off-putting and did encourage me. Ive been told by some people that being an actuary is miserable and that actuaries don’t enjoy their work. I understand that it’s down to personal preference and opinions, but for all the actuaries on this reddit, do you think being one is miserable just like some people depict it to be?

Answer 1

No.

Happy people don’t come to Reddit to complain so you’re only seeing all the miserable ones.

Answer 2

A lot of people go into the field for the wrong reasons, like getting paid for exams and its historically high ranking in various "best jobs" news publications. But they don't actually consider what an actuary does for a living, which centers around maintaining the solvency of the insurance industry. That's why we've gotten a lot of threads like, "can I be an actuary outside of insurance?" Because they want external validation for having the (formerly) #1 job without actually doing that job. A lot of people wind up spending years, or decades chasing titles only to find out they should have left a long time ago.

If you want to enjoy the career, you really need to enjoy insurance. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

Answer 3

I’m liking it a lot so far but I also worked shitty jobs and was actually poor (not “actuary poor”) for quite a while before switching careers. That’s a different context for evaluating a job vs being a successful student who then has to adapt directly to white collar living.

Also, a lot of whether someone is happy with their career is predicated upon their general mental health. So if you feel unhappy/unsatisfied/unfulfilled with life in general, it’s going to be hard to find satisfaction in a job. And lots of people with objectively shitty jobs still have a great sense of contentment and happiness due to their disposition and temperament.

Answer 4

I've got 5 years under my belt and really wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I find my job rewarding, interesting, and it helps me achieve personal goals a lot earlier than anticipated.

Answer 5

There are so many different types of actuarial jobs, you can't make generalizations.