For the past decade, we have published a “What Would You Do?” series in the Society of Actuaries’ (SOA’s) Leadership & Personal Development section journal The Stepping Stone. In these, I posed a real-life situation involving a challenge faced by an actuary around management, leadership, hiring or other business decision, and invited readers to share what they would do. In a subsequent issue, I presented a compilation of responses received, designed to illustrate diverse suggestions and viewpoints, along with what actually happened.
I’m pleased to present a new entry in that series for the inaugural issue of the Career Development Community’s newsletter. Write to me at John@JHACareers.com to tell me what you would do. In a future issue, I’ll compile the responses received (preserving your anonymity, of course), along with what actually happened in the real-life situation.
Competing Offers
Achmed has been busily networking to find his next actuarial role. Along the line, he meets with Bryce, the chief actuary of a local company, even though they have no openings at the time. Bryce introduces him to their team, and Achmed is impressed with their operation.
A month later, Achmed receives an offer from Beautiful Life. It’s a good job but a notch below what he was hoping for in scope, title and salary. He attempts to negotiate but is told they have no room for movement on those. In addition, he will need to relocate his family to Beautiful Life’s location, although they will fully cover all expenses involved. After much thought, he decides that it’s close enough to what he really wants and accepts the offer. Relocation is scheduled to kick off on the following Monday.
The next day, Bryce calls him. It seems his appointed actuary has just resigned, and they both see Achmed as the person they want to replace him.
If you were Achmed, what would you do?
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Neither the Society of Actuaries nor the respective authors’ employers make any endorsement, representation or guarantee with regard to any content, and disclaim any liability in connection with the use or misuse of any information provided herein. This article should not be construed as professional or financial advice. 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.
John Hadley was an FSA for many years and now works with job seekers frustrated with their search. He can be reached at John@JHACareers.com, 908-725-2437 or via LinkedIn. Find his free Career Tips newsletter and other resources at www.JHACareers.com.