In this blog post, we will introduce ways to effectively incorporate your practical experience as an insurance actuary into your cover letter.

 

Growing up

“Maturing due to a brother with health issues.”
I was not in good health while growing up. I was born as a twin, and both my brother and I were premature babies with abnormal body weights, which caused my parents a lot of worry. I was just underweight and small, but my brother had chronic illnesses and allergies. That was my older brother, who was always sick and frequently hospitalized. As soon as he recovered from one illness, he would develop another, and he was constantly in and out of the hospital.
Because of my brother’s illness, all the attention in the family was focused on him, and I ended up doing everything on my own. I studied on my own, and when my parents were often at the hospital taking care of my brother, I did the housework. However, I did not think that it was difficult or lonely. Even though we were twins, I felt sorry that I was less sick than my brother, and I felt sorry that he had to carry everything on his shoulders. So, whenever my parents went to the hospital, I tried to help them with difficult tasks such as preparing meals and cleaning.
Seeing this, not only my parents but also the neighbors and relatives praised my character. Some children grow up twisted when they don’t receive enough attention and care, but I often heard that my willingness to sacrifice myself for my family was beautiful. In fact, I can say that my brother helped me mature and become more open-minded. This has become a positive trait for me, and wherever I go, I take the initiative and lead by example within the organization.

 

Specialty

“Performing the role of a problem solver.”
I graduated from college with a degree in accounting. My original goal was to become an accountant and work at an accounting firm. Now I am interested in insurance development and actuarial work, but before that, I was very interested in accounting firms, so that was where I got my first job. While working there, I was assigned basic office work. I went wherever I was needed and performed office work, and although it was the most basic work, I felt satisfied because it was an indispensable role.
However, the reason I was able to become an indispensable member of the organization was not because of the work itself, but because of my computer skills. While majoring in accounting at university, I also acquired knowledge of computer engineering. I acquired this knowledge through a university club, and since I was originally interested in computer repair and software development, it was not difficult to learn. At that time, I had many opportunities to practice repairs by handling the computer hardware in the club room, and based on this experience, I was mainly assigned to repair computers within the accounting firm.
My senior colleagues who were certified public accountants were clearly experts in their field, but they lacked knowledge in areas such as software and hardware repair. So I filled in the gaps and became known as a “problem solver” who could solve all kinds of problems. For example, if a senior colleague had trouble converting a Word file to a PDF file, I would rush over and solve the problem. And when there were problems with booting or the internet connection, I was recognized for my ability to solve problems effectively without needing to call for help.

 

Strengths and weaknesses

“Planning is my friend.”
In a nutshell, I am a meticulous person. Once I am given a task, I take responsibility for it and try to solve it meticulously without being told to do so. In this case, solving problems meticulously means making a thorough plan and moving and acting according to that plan. For example, when preparing for the insurance actuary exam, I experienced the process of executing a meticulous plan while passing the second exam. In particular, the actuary exam is difficult and complicated, with the first and second exams being difficult to pass.
It is not like a computer certification that can be easily obtained, and it requires a certain amount of study every day because you have to solve complex financial calculation questions. So, I used a planner to study properly. The planner I made is not a commercially available model. There are many weekly planners, daily planners, and 365 planners on the market, but I didn’t use any of them and created my own format. The format I created is to divide an A4 sheet of paper into four sections and divide the tasks into priority and importance in a way that is easy for me to see.
I made this planner when preparing for the actuarial exam and put it into practice. When studying insurance mathematics, I continued to study until I filled my notebook with practice problems in order to solve complex questions. I never skipped over specific topics such as actuarial modeling, and instead of just studying with my eyes, I assigned myself tasks so that my hands and head were always working together. Assigning myself a plan and tasks was a way of studying thoroughly, and as a result, I was able to pass the second stage of the exam.

 

Extracurricular activities and volunteer work

“I have experience volunteering in the religious field.”
I have volunteered at a religious organization providing free tutoring and meals. I am still involved in religious activities, but my experience volunteering to provide free tutoring and meals is definitely memorable. The reason is that the recipients of my service were young children. They were young, but many of them were from multicultural families, which made me feel even more rewarded for helping them. Children from multicultural families desperately needed tutoring in language and history, so I helped them with their studies so that they could adapt well to school.
In addition, in many multicultural families, both parents work due to financial circumstances, so we provided meals to the children to ensure that they ate well. The children from multicultural families who came to the church were grateful for our volunteer work because they were able to receive help with their studies and have meals. The experience of helping others and being appreciated meant a lot to me. This experience made me want to do work that is a win-win situation, where I can provide services that help others, no matter where I am or what I am doing, and in return, be appreciated by others.

 

Reason for applying

“Contributing to products that guarantee excellent profitability”
An insurance actuary is a person who examines insurance products and manages the entire procedure and process. The starting point is to acquire basic knowledge and skills to understand the contents of basic insurance documents. In addition, professional skills are required to contribute to product development by calculating dividends and adjusting insurance claims. In this regard, I can say that I am a well-rounded candidate who has acquired the necessary basic skills by preparing for and passing the second stage of the actuarial exam.
Specifically, I am confident in my abilities in the areas of pension calculation, actuarial modeling, and property and casualty insurance. When I previously worked in insurance actuarial work, I was in charge of property and casualty insurance and assessment, so I believe that my experience will allow me to reduce trial and error and maximize my abilities. If you place your trust in me, I will show you my growth and results in the form of increased profitability.