Gloves Up

You’re having a normal week, and then it happens: a job posting you weren’t expecting. A stretch role, a promotion, a pivot—something that makes you pause and think, “Should I go for this?”

I’m sure some actuaries feel a familiar mix of emotions in this moment: excitement, hope … and uncertainty about whether they’re ready for change and how to present their best selves.

If you decide to go for it, you’re stepping into what I call the “Opportunity Cycle”—a continuous and iterative loop of preparation, performance, and reflection before, during, and after each career opportunity. And the good news? I believe there are deliberate moves you can make at each phase of the cycle to improve your odds of success.

To make this fun and relatable, I’ll use a boxing analogy to bring the cycle to life. Gloves up!

ROUND 1: TRAINING BEFORE THE OPPORTUNITY

Your next big “fight” might not be scheduled yet, but preparation starts now. Round 1 is about building the foundation that makes opportunities feel less stressful and more achievable: strengthening your network, sharpening your skills, and improving your day-to-day performance—including using tools like AI to work smarter and create a visible impact. Do this consistently, and you’ll be ready with both the relationships and the “highlight reel” when the next opportunity appears.

Networking: Build your corner team. Networking isn’t about collecting contacts—it’s about building meaningful relationships. As you develop those relationships, a helpful mindset shift is to ask, “What can I do to help this person?” That might mean supporting them on a business problem, being a sounding board or connecting them with someone in your network. When you consistently show up for others, you build trust and goodwill—and over time, that often comes back to you through support, introductions and future opportunities.

Skill development—perfecting your jab. Self-reflection is key. Target to be the best that you can be. Regularly documenting the projects you’ve worked on—wins, losses and the impact you’ve had— in my opinion, makes it much easier to recall and showcase experiences when opportunities arise, and you’re asked to speak to them.

As part of that reflection, I believe it’s best to be honest and specific about what’s working and where you can improve. When you identify skill gaps—whether it’s public speaking, influencing or technical depth—look for deliberate ways to build those muscles:

• Join Toastmasters (or volunteer to present at work).
• Put your hand up for cross-functional projects.
• If relevant to your current career status, consider lateral moves (or even a short-term “step back”) if it helps you develop a skill you’re missing.

Careers are often more like jungle gyms than ladders—sometimes a sideways move is the fastest path to long-term growth.

Set a recurring calendar reminder (e.g., every six months) to review and document your work highlights, so you’re continuously building your “highlight reel”—not scrambling to reconstruct it when an opportunity arises.

AI: A daily work training partner. AI isn’t just for job applications and interviews—I believe actuaries should be leveraging it daily to excel in their current roles. These incremental improvements may not only boost performance now but could also help to create concrete “wins” you can bring into your next opportunity discussion. Here are four suggestions to integrate AI into day-to-day work:

1. Automate repetitive tasks such as data cleaning, report generation, report comparisons and model documentation.
2. Summarize complex material such as regulatory changes, industry updates and research papers into digestible insights.
3. Assist with coding (e.g., Using VBA or Python in Excel) to improve efficiency and reduce manual steps.
4. Editing communications tailored to stakeholder audiences of varying seniority (with you providing the judgment and final polish).

The key? Use AI as an assistant. When paired with actuarial judgment, I believe AI amplifies impact and frees up time for higher-value work. As a reminder, always comply with your company’s policies regarding AI use, and apply appropriate professional judgment when reviewing AI-generated content for accuracy and responsible use.

ROUND 2: FIGHT DAY ANNOUNCED—THE OPPORTUNITY APPEARS

The job posting is live. Before hitting “Apply,” consider requesting an interview before the interview: an informal coffee chat with the hiring leader. It’s a chance to build rapport, learn what success looks like in the role and assess whether the opportunity is actually a fit.

Use AI to assist with tailored cover letters and résumés that specifically align with the job posting. For instance, upload the following to an AI tool:

• The job description.
• A sample of an existing cover letter and résumé.
• Your work “highlight reel” that you’ve been maintaining in Round 1.
• Any notes from your pre-interview chat.

Let AI throw the first punches with the edits and modifications; then fine-tune the final version so it reflects your voice.

Note: Avoid uploading proprietary, confidential, or sensitive personal data unless explicitly permitted, and ensure the final output accurately reflects your experience and personal voice.

ROUND 3: MAIN EVENT—YOU’RE ON THE CARD

Congrats—you’ve landed the interview! Now it’s time to train with intention.

• Clarify your “why.” Prepare a response as to why you want this role. Honest reflection helps you avoid preventable missteps—such as accepting a position that isn’t truly a good fit—and helps to ensure your enthusiasm lands as authentic, rather than rehearsed. It also surfaces the key questions you should ask during the interview process to confirm the role aligns with your goals and personal values.
• Define your brand (your uppercut). Technical competence gets you in the ring—a three-point brand statement helps you win. Introduce it early and weave those themes and specific experiences that support these themes (developed in your highlight reel in Round 1) throughout the interview.

For example, you might structure your brand statement as shown in Figure 1, with three or four key, high-level themes that you can discuss and share experiences about in an interview.

Figure 1: Brand talking points

Source: Author

• Practice common questions. Map your documented achievements (from Round 1) to likely interview questions so your best examples come to mind quickly and clearly.

ROUND 4: POST-FIGHT: WIN OR LOSE, YOU LEARN

Whether you win or lose, I believe growth follows. Here are three things to keep in mind:

1. Debrief. Schedule feedback sessions with interviewers when appropriate. These conversations can lead to mentorship and future opportunities-even when the answer is, “not this time.”
2. Analyze the tape. When available, review recordings or transcripts. If the interview is recorded or a transcript is provided as part of the process, you might consider asking the interviewer if they would be willing to share them as a learning tool. (Some interviewers today are recording and transcribing interviews; AI tools can summarize interview highlights). You might consider telling the interviewer that you would like to use an AI tool to gather feedback on your personal performance (after removing any potentially identifying information from the transcript). It could help you spot presentational patterns (for example, your use of bridge words like “umm” or “like”) you might miss, especially if nerves tend to show up in your delivery.
3. Stay resilient. Rejection is common. Separate personal feelings from business decisions. Often, it’s a numbers game – and sometimes the “why” has more to do with fit, timing, or internal dynamics than your capability.

After the final bell

It’s time to return to off-season training and prepare for the next fight. Career development is a cycle of preparation, performance and reflection. Like boxing, it’s about consistency, adaptability and resilience. Opportunities will come—make sure you’re ready to step into the ring.

Note: This article was edited using Microsoft Copilot to improve its structure, flow and language. The author reviewed and finalized the content, retaining full responsibility for accuracy, originality, citations, any errors and opinions expressed, which are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer.

Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.

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