Networking With Potential Employers

Lately I have been thinking about ways to network so I will know more potential employers, which will give me an upper hand when I start applying for jobs within the next few weeks. It is not essential to know a potential employer to land a job, but it definitely helps. I am planning on being an actuary, so as long as I pass the first two actuarial exams I shouldn't have a problem finding a job since actuarial jobs are in high demand. However, if I network with potential employers, I will have more of a choice as to which company I end up working for. I want to get a job in either Salt Lake City or Seattle, so I have been using current contacts to meet actuaries in those areas. I have spoken and met with several in Salt Lake City and I recently called my uncle in Seattle, who knows several actuaries, and he is going to arrange some opportunities to get to know them. I'm excited to see what happens and hopefully my networking efforts will pay off with a job this spring in Salt Lake City or Seattle.

September 14

It's amazing how much credibility someone loses when he or she uses poor grammar or punctuation in writing. I spend a good amount of time reading about sports, which includes reading message boards for teams I'm interested in. Posters often use very poor punctuation and grammar when writing on online forums and when I read these posts I immediately question their validity. If I feel this way about a forum on the internet, good communication in a business setting should be a high priority so as to instill confidence in those who are being communicated with. On occasion, I've had to read something written by someone who was supposed to be a business professional and used bad grammar or improper punctuation. When these occasions arose, it was hard to believe in the writer's capabilities and trust in his or her knowledge. I personally believe that good business communication is essential to success. People don't often recognize good communication, but they definitely recognize bad communication, so it's important to develop good communication skills.

First Blog

The new semester is already two and a half weeks over. It's amazing how fast the semesters have flown by. This will be my last semester at Utah State, which is bittersweet since it will be nice to get on with my life, but I grew up in North Logan so it will be sad to leave.

I am planning on becoming an actuary so a lot of my time has been spent contacting personal employers and networking with them. I've sent out many emails and have made several phone calls. It's exciting and invigorating to speak with potential employers. Actuarial work is only available in certain areas of the country so I'm somewhat limited in the areas I can start my career. I will probably end up accepting a position in either Seattle or Phoenix, which are two of my favorite places, so I'm excited about that. I also have family members in both cities who know actuaries so, of course, I have been in contact with them. It's an exciting time and I'm looking forward to the events that take place in the next half a year.