| Ten to 12 hour days are nothing new for Linda Tran, an Actuarial
Associate at Towers Perrin Human Resource and Management Consulting
Firm. While she was in school, Tran, who graduated with a bachelor’s
of science degree in mathematics and statistics from UNL in 1998,
stayed busy with classes, work, and extra-curricular activities. A
shortage of qualified actuaries assured that Tran would remain busy.
Tran’s workday starts between 7 and 9 a.m. As an associate
in the retirement division, Tran works with models and processes
related to the valuation of pension plans. These processes involve
statistical methods and formulas that attempt to account for future
liabilities, assets, and economic forecasts. For example, Tran recently
helped to identify the pension valuation of a company that had been
absorbed by another firm. In order to make financial plans and to
satisfy government regulations, the company’s new owners needed
to consider the assets and liabilities that they had incurred through
the acquisition.
Tran relies heavily upon her people skills as well as her technical
expertise. The development and application of the pension plan models
requires Tran to attend meetings with work teams and with clients.
Communication skills are also useful when she trains some of Towers
Perrin’s new hires.
Tran’s position provides opportunities for professional development.
She travels to other Towers Perrin offices across the nation, attending
workshops, seminars, and company meetings. “My company makes
sure that I get the proper training,” Tran said.
After work, Tran studies for the exams that are required to become
an accredited actuary through the Society of Actuaries. In order
to obtain accreditation, Tran must pass all ten examinations. The
combined demands of her job and the exams create a hectic schedule.
“During exam season, I would ‘ideally’ get off
work at 7 p.m., grab dinner, and then study from 8-11 each night,”
she says. Despite the long hours, Tran remains very enthusiastic
about her work. “I enjoy the challenge of problem shooting.
Usually, we are given the problem and it is up to us to find the
solution. It can also be challenging at times to complete a project
efficiently when you have to meet the budget deadline demands without
compromising quality, while at the same time learning.”
Tran says her educational and extracurricular experiences provided
a capacity for her to manage projects and to apply her analytical
skills toward meeting professional challenges. She credits the courses
she took at UNL with giving her an edge on the actuarial exams.
Tran says, “My college courses exposed me to the subjects
that I now need to study for the exams. Having a strong mathematics
background has taught me how to think. I am able to apply my skills
to creatively and analytically come up with solutions in a wide
range of careers. So for those who are hesitant about a math or
science career, just take my advice- the possibilities limit to
infinity.” |
