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The lecture featured Felix Go, an alumnus of ITB’s 2012 Mathematics major and a graduate of the Master of Mathematics (MMath) in Actuarial Science from the University of Waterloo in 2016. Felix is also a certified Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS). He shared his experience as an actuary working abroad in Canada.

Felix emphasized the importance of internship experience for students, as many soft skills are not taught in the classroom. He explained that internships provide valuable trial-and-error opportunities and help guide career paths. “Interactions with your peers and your manager are just as important as the work you’re engaged in,” he said.

In addition to technical skills, Felix highlighted the crucial role of communication skills for actuaries. Many actuarial concepts are not widely known, so actuaries must be able to effectively convey these ideas to teams or other stakeholders. “Being able to communicate actuarial concepts to non-actuarial audiences in actuarial language is the most important skill,” he stated.

He advised ITB’s actuarial students, particularly those considering a career as an actuary, to explore fields outside actuarial science, such as Business Administration (MBA) or Computer Science, if they plan to continue their studies. For those aiming to enter the industry directly, he recommended graduating with strong academic results, obtaining certifications, and gaining as much internship experience as possible. 

Felix explained that some decisions are reversible, while others are irreversible. “If you make a decision and can reverse it, I think it’s fine to make mistakes, not like it, and then come back. But some decisions are irreversible; once you make them, they’re locked in, and you can’t go back,” he said.

Reporter: Indra Putra Lohanata (Aktuaria, 2021)

Translator: Atika Widya Nurfaizah (Postharvest Technology, 2021)