How does the job market look, particularly for entry level in the coming years? Is it worth to pursue them and how are the programs and colleges in Massachusetts?
If possible, could you include what university or college you went to and how it was? I’m in high school struggling to choose which path to pursue. I’m not very good at math (As and A-s at the honors level), but would be interested in both pathways.
Not sure if this is the right place to ask.
If you don’t love math, you will hate being an actuary. What is it about these two professions that interest you?
I don’t consider myself good at math, but I think it interests me. Someone recommended me, and I know people in science and pharmaceutical industry who seems to enjoy their job.
You have to be very good at math to be an actuary. I’d cross that off your list, if you say you’re not that great at math.
Pharmacy is not so great to go into, for at least 15 years now. They’re very overworked, and the field got crowded.
Since you seem to be choosing out of practicality, I’d think again, and not choose either of these.
There are tens of thousands of people who work in the pharmaceutical industry who are not pharmacists! Why not take a look at the required courses (Mass college of pharmacy is a good starting place) and see if you think you’d like studying those things?
Yes, I plan on not working in retail upon graduation as I have many that can refer me. I like biology and memorization, so I believe that is for me, but how does the work-life balance compare for the two, particularly in Massachusetts? Additionally, would you recommend engineering, data science, or computer science over being an actuary?
You don’t need to be sure of your career path when you are in HS. Perhaps you would be better served looking for colleges where you can explore many different options and you don’t need to declare a major until late in sophomore year.
You’ve now named four careers (engineering, data science, computer science and actuary) filled with people who love math, eat and sleep math, adore math.
There are thousands of careers out there!!! Why focus on something you don’t love at this stage of your life? What DO you love besides biology and memorization??
But I’m about to apply to colleges. I’m a rising senior.
Right, you haven’t applied yet and you don’t need to know what you want to do for the rest of your life at 17.
Of the schools you tagged, U Mass has an exploratory track for undecided students. BU doesn’t require you to declare a major until second semester sophomore year and you can also go in undecided.
My recommendation to you is to look for more of those kinds of schools to apply to.
If you want suggestions, start a chance me/match me and complete the template.
Thank you
I don’t know. I don’t think I necessarily love any subject. Biology was long ago, and I took it in a lower level (regular/standard). Hence why I may have liked biology compared to math which I took honors level recently. I think I’m open to both of these career track as my parent approves of those, in addition to robotics engineering, or engineering in general. I like memorization since I tend to do well on exams with memorization and I study a lot.
As for actuary, I believe I can improve my math skills and hopefully pass these exams.
But the reward for passing those exams is working as an actuary….do you know what they do all day and would you enjoy that work?
My 23 year old daughter graduated with a finance degree, math and accounting minors, loves math as works as an actuary. Had many offers for internships, was hired before senior year to work after graduation. It’s a nice work life balance for her. She loves her job and coworkers, works from home 3 days a week, works in the NJ office put can pop into the manhattan office and work there whenever (she will do that if she has evening plans in nyc or Hoboken). When she is signed up for an exam (she’s passed 5 so far) she gets off on Fridays to study. If she passes she gets a raise and bonus.
That said, she really enjoys math. Took stat as an elective sophomore year and was hooked. She doesn’t mind studying, and actually likes testing (she was sad when the act/Sat testing was over, took both 3 times). She was asked by her actuary advisor in college to give a Q & A presentation to math majors, she was so happy to present the exciting career of actuary science to those math “geeks” (which means quiet, she can be out there, outgoing, but funny).
Wow, that’s really impressive. Would you say it was hard to get a job in general? I’m just wondering about the job market. Also, if it’s okay to ask, what was her SAT score in math?
Actuaries generally like what they do.
I know several people who started out wanting to be an actuary, passed the first one or two or even three exams, and finally realized it’s not for them. There are certainly career paths for them – usually, being a consultant of some sort – but they were just not math-y enough to go through the entire set of exams to become an actuary.
I think college is a wonderful time to explore. If someone told you tomorrow that you’d be a good engineer, would you pursue that, even if it didn’t interest you?
So many people end up in jobs they didn’t know existed - not just out of college but later in life.
No need to lock yourself down at 17 years old.
Explore things that interest you, not that others say fit you.
None of us has a particularly good crystal ball. It’s hard to say what things will look like in 5 or 6 years when you graduate college.
You are fine in math. Everyone doesn’t take accelerated or AP math courses. What makes you think A and A- grades aren’t very good?
You do not need to choose your career or college major now. In fact, at many colleges, students don’t declare a major until sophomore year or so. And many many many students enter college with one major in mind and change majors sometimes multiple times.
My opinion…you are a high school student now. Your job now is to do your personal best in your high school courses, do some ECs that you enjoy, and cultivate good study skills. These will position you well to do well in college.
Both actuary and pharmacy require courses of study beyond four years of undergrad school. You might find out that you actually don’t want to do either of these things by the time you get to college.
Oh…and take time to enjoy your high school years also. You will never get those years back.
YOU need to decide this…based on your interests and where you feel you can do well.
Okay, thank you.