On 18th of March 2021, APU ASC has had the honour to invite Ms. Yap Huey Ling and Ms. Divya Dhandevi Woodun to share their precious experience through our Alumni Sharing Session: Transitioning from University to work!

 

Featured Questions & Answers with Ms. Huey Ling and Ms. Divya:

Interviewee: Yap Huey Ling & Divya Dhandevi Woodun

Interviewer: Liew Soon Yee 

Edited by Lim Hua Ying

 

 

 

 

 

1.What are the main job scopes of your current position/role? 

 

Huey Ling: 

Well, I am currently an Actuarial Analyst at Liberty Insurance. The core function of our actuarial department is about reserving. I assist the team on the actuarial valuation process including updating the valuation models, having discussions on assumptions/selections that we have made. Other than that, I also provide analytical insights on company's business portfolio and in charge of some of the Bank Negara reporting. Apart from reserving, which is my core function, data analytics is also our focus area. I worked on some data initiatives as well as perform some in-depth analysis for the company. 

 

Divya: 

Just to add on to the information, I am from Mauritius. For foreigners, yes, it is possible to secure a post in Malaysia. I have already been here for 5 to 6 years. I started with my Degree in Actuarial Studies in APU. 

 

So, why did I shift from Actuarial Analyst to Business Intelligence Analyst? Basically, I started as an actuarial analyst because after completing my degree programme in APU. I was also always very intrigued by the actuarial science modules. I started working with Actuarial Consulting Partners Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia where I work as a junior actuarial analyst. My work was basically in general insurance, similar to what Huey Ling mentioned. 

 

However, I was later offered a position to work as a lecturer in APU in the actuarial science field and the requirement was basically to pass your masters. However, the master’s degree that interested me to pursue was Data Science and Business Analytics which ended up getting more interesting for me instead of Actuarial Science. That’s why after I finished my masters, I started working as a Business Intelligence Analyst, at the same time I am also working as a Data Scientist at my current company. 

 

I won’t say that it’s way two different fields. It's just that now I’m more into programming, building models and predicting, compared to just coming up with assumptions or doing pricing and modeling. 

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2.Do you think sitting for professional exams is important before graduation? Will it help us, the fresh graduates in securing a job? Do you have any job searching tips for fresh graduates? 

 

Huey Ling:

If you want to work as an actuarial analyst, professional paper is a must. Because you need to become a fellow or associate in order to compete with others. Nowadays, people are passing more papers, maybe there are just few who left with us waiting to become a certified actuary/ fellow. For me, I think it is a must to complete your professional exams as an actuary. My advice is to secure all 6 IFoA exempted papers before you graduate. 

 

Divya:

Nowadays, actuarial science programme is becoming famous. Advice those who working towards your professional exams is to always keep in mind that you are going to follow the same path in the future. Don’t end up giving up after investing so much time and money in your exams. If you start taking SOA exams, you are most likely to fail at the first attempt as many do so. Therefore, the consistency and perseverance should be there to support you to complete all the professional papers. Since now the market is very competitive as many people are pursuing it, companies might start requesting for more professional papers. Therefore, no matter when you are working or studying, you should always check out on companies that are recruiting to get an idea on the latest requirements. Always remember to look out what outside world is expecting from you and keep up with it.

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3) Why did you choose to be an actuarial analyst and what are the working conditions e.g.,hardships or fun moments, of  your role?

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Huey Ling: 

Actually, I didn’t have much idea in my mind when I graduated, I just submitted a few job applications, went for interviews and ended up being an actuarial analyst. For now, my working environment is pretty ok for me. I have a bunch of crazy and helpful colleagues. They were all about my age or maybe about 3 or 5 years older than me. We have fun moments together and I look forward to having more fun together with them in the near future. 

 

Well, I have been working from home since the MCO 1.0. Work from home doesn’t affect much on my work. There is still a lot of workload as usual. The only difference is I don’t need to travel to the office so I could save myself sometime on the transportation. That’s the happy stuff. 

 

No doubt, I do feel stressed sometimes as we are still human beings. Sometimes, you’ll feel like there is no work life balance. For us who pursue this path, we will need to study after work unlike others who can just enjoy and rest after work. That’s what makes me feel tired sometimes. 

 

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4) Why did you choose to be a business intelligence analyst and what are the working conditions .e.g. hardships or fun moments, of the role? 

 

Divya:

I think as long as you are enjoying your job, having no work life balance also can be ok as well. For me, I really love my job as a Business Intelligence Analyst. So, I enjoy my work. Sometimes, I would stay late in office as I only live 5 minutes away from my office. I would say that the mindset was there since my university years. Being actuarial science students, we are very hardworking. Once the habits get built up, you’ll tend to apply it even in work. I don’t mean to set up a bad example. But it's just that when you enjoy your work, it won’t matter if you’re overworking. Always enjoy what you’re doing. If you feel that you’re not enjoying, leave it, quit. Don’t be stuck at it and at the end of the day, there is not a concrete pathway to pursue for you.

 

In my opinion, colleagues are also an important element because we spend most of our day in the office. For me, my current colleagues are super fun and cool. Sometimes we just order food, hang around or organise karaoke sessions. Imagine you can just enjoy to the fullest where you can just stay around in the office because you don’t mind staying. You’ll also become more productive when you’re actually enjoy what you’re doing.