Actuaries have been called everything from accountants without personalities to computers that talk. In reality, this profession is exciting with new challenges to tackle every day. People who become actuaries are just as diverse as they are dedicated to finding ways to solve complex insurance problems.

I work in the Commercial Insurance Services department of Nationwide Insurance Co. at the home office in Columbus, Ohio. This department has several divisions that work together to provide technical, educational, and informational support to our regional offices and other departments in the home office. My division is called Pricing/Actuarial. We maintain statistical information on our experience and use it to “predict the future.” Using this information, we obtain an idea of how our company is doing and compare this to what is happening in the insurance industry.

The actuarial field is an exciting and growing field. People who take the actuarial exams are well compensated for their efforts and are in demand everywhere. In order to become an actuary, you must pass a series of ten examinations. They are given once every six months and require a lot of studying. But it's worth it! You gain invaluable knowledge and a great sense of accomplishment. I felt great after learning that I had passed the first two exams. I felt that I had mastered a part of mathematics. Mathematics isn't the only subject that you learn through studying for these exams. Other subjects relating to insurance are covered in later exams.