Jenni Hughes, careers marketing leader, gives an update on her work and details the opportunities for members to volunteer to raise awareness of the profession and the work that actuaries do
Jenni Hughes, careers marketing leader, gives an update on her work and details the opportunities for members to volunteer to raise awareness of the profession and the work that actuaries do
What does your role involve?
In August, the IFoA reached 25,000+ members. Out of all the new members who join the IFoA, each year around 30% of those come from the universities to which we actively promote. In my role, I promote the profession and the IFoA to school and university students as well as teachers, parents and career changers. I am helped by over 200 career ambassadors - active volunteers at all stages of qualification.
What activities have you undertaken?
This year, I have been working on new careers material, including A Guide To Becoming An Actuary, the fi rst go-to guide published by the IFoA. The brochure is filled with articles, case studies, hot topics and, of course, qualifi cation information. A photo shoot was organised with members of the IFoA, so the brochure will be engaging in terms of content and the look and feel will be unique. A huge thank you to all those who have written content, attended a photo shoot and helped me with the editing.
My work focuses not only on the UK but also internationally. This year, I have worked very closely with societies in Africa, Europe, China and the Middle East to raise the profile of the IFoA and the work that actuaries do. If you have any international opportunities that you would like to publicise then this could be arranged in our international newsletters.
What's next?
This year, we are attending 16 university events around the UK and hosting the Actuarial Careers Reception in London. These are fantastic opportunities for potential students to come and meet the IFoA and working actuaries to understand more about the career and the work that they may be involved with in the future. Visit bit.ly/QiJMhZ to see the full list of university career fairs.
How else can members get involved?
Well, you could become a career ambassador. The role of a career ambassador is to promote the IFoA by helping to advise those interested in the career path about the role of an actuary and to give them informal and personal advice about their route in. Our ambassadors are at many different stages in their actuarial qualification, from newly employed graduates to senior actuaries. They offer a huge variety of insight into a dynamic and ever-changing career and professional body.
To contact Jenni, phone +44 (0)20 7632 2137 or email [email protected]