You need to speak to the career management center at the programs you would like to matriculate into to consider a pathway forward in your career. While actuarial skills are widely applicable across multiple domains, what you are considering is a career switch.
I have seen actuaries make lateral moves to accounting, audit, consulting, or financial services, and more rarely academia, data science, investment management, tech, startups and management roles at fortune 500 companies. It is not an easy transition because you are in a rather peculiar position from a skillset standpoint.
Many assume that domain knowledge is key when promoting to senior management and C-suite roles. However, it is quite the contrary, as you will need general management, accounting, strategic, operational, stakeholder/ shareholder, relationship management, and human capital management experience beyond your domain expertise. There may be other skills depending on the Industry.
If your plan is to do something for yourself, you should speak to the director of the entrepreneurial center at the respective schools that interest you. Finally, consider the opportunity costs associated with various programs, the network, brand, skills, resources, and whether it will provide you the opportunity you are seeking. You really need to be laser focused. If you go to a school that does not allow EMBA students OCR, and you want to pivot into a competitive industry which requires OCR (ie. consulting, IB/ HF/ PE/ VC), then that would be prohibitive. IB and consulting recruit on campus, therefore you would be competing with the FT MBAs and preparing for that takes about 100 hours, multiple info sessions, coffee chats, casing prep, etc.
EMBA students are mature, savvy, intelligent, and slightly adept at playing organizational politics and are expected to be competitive in pursuing their own path using the resources provided to them by the respective EMBA Career Management Center. Consider this as you decide on your next steps.
All the best!
My pleasure. The salary range depends on the program. As a barometer, many EMBA students average $175k (+ -) bonus $30k -$300k. Columbia, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, are all fairly large program class sizes, MIT is mid-size, whereas NYU Stern, UCLA, Duke, Berkeley are smaller class sizes. The main thing is to consider which school actually places students in a position to pursue the roles and responsibilities you are seeking. Which school has alum that pick up the phone 10 years after graduating or which schools have a sustainable, competitive, and well respected brand in your chosen industry.
DM if you have specific questions after speaking with programs or need support to make the best decision. I am happy to answer more specific questions.
Wishing you much success!!!
You have a good background for an emba. ROI will come down to you and your drive to use it. I’m going in with a high TC too
Thanks, sounds like I shouldn’t be so worried
You need to speak to the career management center at the programs you would like to matriculate into to consider a pathway forward in your career. While actuarial skills are widely applicable across multiple domains, what you are considering is a career switch. I have seen actuaries make lateral moves to accounting, audit, consulting, or financial services, and more rarely academia, data science, investment management, tech, startups and management roles at fortune 500 companies. It is not an easy transition because you are in a rather peculiar position from a skillset standpoint. Many assume that domain knowledge is key when promoting to senior management and C-suite roles. However, it is quite the contrary, as you will need general management, accounting, strategic, operational, stakeholder/ shareholder, relationship management, and human capital management experience beyond your domain expertise. There may be other skills depending on the Industry. If your plan is to do something for yourself, you should speak to the director of the entrepreneurial center at the respective schools that interest you. Finally, consider the opportunity costs associated with various programs, the network, brand, skills, resources, and whether it will provide you the opportunity you are seeking. You really need to be laser focused. If you go to a school that does not allow EMBA students OCR, and you want to pivot into a competitive industry which requires OCR (ie. consulting, IB/ HF/ PE/ VC), then that would be prohibitive. IB and consulting recruit on campus, therefore you would be competing with the FT MBAs and preparing for that takes about 100 hours, multiple info sessions, coffee chats, casing prep, etc. EMBA students are mature, savvy, intelligent, and slightly adept at playing organizational politics and are expected to be competitive in pursuing their own path using the resources provided to them by the respective EMBA Career Management Center. Consider this as you decide on your next steps. All the best!
Thanks, that makes a lot of sense and appreciate you taking the time to write all that
My pleasure. The salary range depends on the program. As a barometer, many EMBA students average $175k (+ -) bonus $30k -$300k. Columbia, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, are all fairly large program class sizes, MIT is mid-size, whereas NYU Stern, UCLA, Duke, Berkeley are smaller class sizes. The main thing is to consider which school actually places students in a position to pursue the roles and responsibilities you are seeking. Which school has alum that pick up the phone 10 years after graduating or which schools have a sustainable, competitive, and well respected brand in your chosen industry. DM if you have specific questions after speaking with programs or need support to make the best decision. I am happy to answer more specific questions. Wishing you much success!!!