Professionalism and Ethics Course. Raya Feldman Department of Statistics & Applied Probability University of California Santa Barbara

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1 Professionalism and Ethics Course Raya Feldman Department of Statistics & Applied Probability University of California Santa Barbara Actuarial Research Conference Indianapolis, June 23, 2015

2 UC Santa Barbara Actuarial Program Center of Actuarial Excellence B.S. in Actuarial Science (200+ majors) SOA-approved courses for all VEE subjects Courses cover 5 preliminary SOA/CAE exams Actuarial Association Officers Industry sponsored exam reimbursement program Combined B.S./M.S. in Actuarial Science Center for Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Research Undergraduate and Graduate Research Annual Actuary Day & Annual Actuarial Career Fair

3 Main motivation: PSTAT 195: Special Topics Students requested opportunity to practice presentations. Large program makes it hard to provide an advice on an individual level Sudden influx of non-california students interested to enter CA job market How the class helps our actuarial program: Preparing future leaders: half of the current Actuarial Association officers are PSTAT 195 graduates Keeping in touch with students needs: informal discussions lead to curriculum improvements, e.g., changing a textbook Brainstorming ideas: e.g., Board Game & Pizza Night Social, California Actuarial Student Conference, Actuary Day activities, etc.

4 From Class Syllabus: PSTAT 195: Special Topics The course objective is to help students sharpen their presentation skills, building confidence and gaining experience speaking in different settings: impromptu, planned, oral, multimedia, etc. Emphasis is placed upon aiding students to acquire a high level of professionalism. Students are asked to actively participate in the following activities: Reading, analyzing, discussing: students will be asked to read and discuss short articles related to the actuarial profession. Researching, writing and presenting: students will research and present a topic reflecting their interests in actuarial science, which will be critically appraised for both content and presentation. Interviewing: students will participate in mock interviews, discuss interview questions, and build good interview strategies, etc.

5 Selection of covered topics: Presentation skills. Specific: An Elevator Pitch. PSTAT 195: Special Topics Specific: Effective Power Point Presentation. Professional Etiquette. Specific: Thank You letter to an interviewer. Cover letter. US Professional culture. Specific: Attire, business & business causal. Greeting. Eye Contact. Specific: Small Talk topics of conversation. Specific: Dinner manners. Interview preparation: on campus, on location, on phone. Communication of complex methodology in basic terms

6 PSTAT 195: Special Topics Example: Presentation skills (Week 1) General topic: Presentation skills. In-class reading and discussion: The Hard Truth About Soft Skills by Joanne Ryan, The Actuary Magazine, December 2014/January 2015, Vol.11, No 6. Specific topic: An Elevator Pitch. Emphasis: create professional identity, help to identify skills and special strengths, build confidence, practice presentation skills. Homework: Reading: Presentation Techniques summary of class discussion Reading: Creating An Elevator Pitch - Two Minutes or Less, UCSB Career Services Assignment: Write and Practice your own elevator pitch

7 Discussing moral dilemmas in Interview preparation: PSTAT 195: Special Topics Has anyone asked you to do something unethical? What did you do? (from UCSB Career Services 50 Interview Questions) Accepting offers: - Accepting an offer, either verbally or in writing, is an agreement to work for an employer. Rejecting an offer after having previously accepted- for any reason- is a serious recruiting violation (UCSB Career Services) Working on a team project What to do about a partner who does not work? Discussing future work place and professional ethics Privacy protection, guarding against predisposition of the results or outside pressure in statistical study

8 PSTAT 195: Special Topics Selected topics of students PowerPoint presentations: Insurance company vs. consulting A day in a life of a health actuary (based on an interview with alumni) International opportunities Nontraditional jobs What is a mutual company? Company profile Is pension a dying business? History of consulting My experience as an actuarial intern in American International Assurance Cross-cultural communication Life of a consulting actuary

9 PSTAT 195: Special Topics PSTAT 195 Winter 2015 class Fall 2014 PSTAT 195 group at a brunch at Cajun Kitchen restaurant

10 PSTAT 195: Special Topics Lady Actuary Breakfast 1/2015 Actuarial Pizza and Board Game Social organized by Gary Wang At the California Actuarial Student Conference 4/2015

11 PSTAT 195: Special Topics Examples of articles read and discussed in class: The Hard Truth About Soft Skills by Joanne Ryan (The Actuary Magazine) Become a VIP: Victorious Interview Prospect, Michael Pacolay (The Future Actuary) The Cross-Cultural Do's And Don'ts Between Israel & US, Joel Leyden (Israel New Agency) Eight Tips for a Successful Interview, Bosco L. Chan and Claire X. Yang (SOA) 3 Tips for Landing an Actuarial Internship, Anthony Pragovich, III, ACAS How 'Power Poses' Can Help Your Career, Sue Shellenbarger (WSJ) Start Your Actuarial Career on the Right Foot, Michael Adams (The Stepping Stone) Are You Ready To Be Interviewed By Phone?, John Artise (Rollins Search Group, Inc.) Examples of props/activities: Index cards to provide anonymous critique of a presentation by a peer Acting as a news cast anchor, teaching assistant, interviewer Games

12 Thank you! Questions? PSTAT 195: Special Topics