What to do if your employer pushes back? You’ve prepared for the negotiations, presented your case and your manager declines the raise. …so, what do you do next? While disheartening, a push back on a raise does not mean you will not obtain a salary increase down the track. Can …
Once you have come up with a new salary expectation, then comes the hard part – the negotiation. So how do you approach the conversation? The key to a negotiation is assertiveness, not aggression. Be assertive in laying out what you want and why you deserve it but do not …
When deciding on whether you want a raise or not, and by how much, it is important to factor in the bigger picture in terms of your career. . . . Where are you aiming to head towards in your career trajectory? Would this immediate next step align with your …
Coming up with an estimate range of what you believe your work is worth in terms of salary can be a challenging task. After gathering data points from multiple sources, it is also important to take into account other factors as well such as culture, work/life balance, hours of work, …
Salary Negotiating 102: Consider the non-financial factors Read More »
Think you are not being paid adequately for the work you are doing? Not sure of what the market rate is and if you are matching up to that? When researching prior to a salary negotiation, make sure you look at multiple sources of information to find a salary range …
Rebranding of SKL Following on from 2020’s year of big changes, SKL has rebranded in 2021. Away went the dark purple, orange and black, and in came a sleeker and more focused colour palette of navy, lilac and grey. Our logo also subtly morphed into a symbolic image of concentrated …
Summary of SKL’s 2021 and Actuarial Opportunities for 2022 Read More »
Now more than ever there seems to be an increased focus on health and wellbeing. As actuaries we know intellectually the impact good physical and mental health can have on morbidity and mortality rates, but how much attention do we give to our own body and mind health? Sometimes it …
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to work and home life across the globe. Many companies were forced to act swiftly to safeguard employees and migrate to a new way of working that even the most extreme business-continuity plans hadn’t envisioned. Across many industries, company C Suites will …
It is now well and truly March 2021 but it feels like January 2021 was such a long time ago. In terms of demand for actuarial resources, 2020 proved to be a lot more resilient relative to our expectations at the start of the lockdown. Work from home was the …
What are the reasons for considering what seems to be a counter-intuitive move? Let’s look at why individuals consider why they feel the ‘need’ to do so. We all experience times in our working career where we look at others and wonder what led them to their particular career paths. …
2020. The year of COVID, lockdown and working from home. No doubt this will be a memorable year for all us. For job hunters and recruiters, the terrain of looking for a job is now very different to pre-COVID days. No longer are we advising candidates to give a firm …
Well here we are coming out the other end of over 12 weeks of working from home (WFH). As a significant portion of my role involves people – meeting with people, interviewing people, relating to and advising people, I’ve found the change from face-to-face meetings the most dramatic difference. Yes, …
Lockdown during COVID and the Impact on Actuarial Recruitment Read More »
The current circumstances may have given many Australians their first experience of working prolonged, full time periods online from their home or personal space. Working from home is almost a dream come true for most of us. There are the obvious perks; no travel time so more sleep (I know …
Working at Home during a Crisis; Useful Productivity Tips from the SKL Team Read More »
As actuaries, we are lucky in these challenging times to be able to work remotely with most insurance companies having Business Continuity Plans and so are somewhat prepared for this situation. At times like this, having insurance companies fully functional to handle claims and give some reassurance to new and …
As we all come to terms with the size and impact of the COVID-19 crisis there is a great sense of uncertainty and this is not a comfortable place to be. As humans we often seek some clarity, perhaps you find yourself looking back on the “boring old day to …
Stepping Up to Leadership: Looking for Opportunity in Disruption. Read More »
In November 2003, the International Actuarial Association (IAA) created a special program called Actuaries Without Borders (AWB) with a mission to provide temporary actuarial services and actuarial education for geographical areas that clearly lack the resources and infrastructure needed to build their own actuarial industry. The AWB is consisted of …
1. Consistent effort day in day out Peak performance doesn’t happen instantly or naturally. To achieve optimal performance you need to put in the effort over an extended period of time. Research shows that many top athletes will start their next phase of training immediately after their major games are …
They may be the opposite sides of the world to each other, but is working as an actuary in Australia compared to the UK really that different? Having worked in the UK for 10 years and then Australia for 8 years as an actuary I share some of my observations. …
As part of running a growing recruitment consulting business in a fast paced, dynamic environment of “constant change”, both in our clients organisational structures and the market, this topic sits at the forefront of my mind. I strongly believe that team dynamics has a major influence on the performance of …
After 8 months travelling around Europe, I found myself in London looking for work. Jobs in recruitment were advertised everywhere. I thought my psychology studies would be beneficial and contribute productively in this type of role. Some months later when I gave recruiting actuaries a shot, I realised that …
“Why I’m in recruitment. The benefits of pursuing a career in something you love” Read More »
So when I googled images for Director this is what came up! But your view of Board directors is probably more like a senior white male in a suit who works in a room like this. My experience as a director has been for a small business, the Actuaries Institute …
Studying while working part-time is becoming a reality for more and more students. This can be attributed to a number of reasons including higher living costs associated with life in big cities, the ambition to gain professional experience early on, or perhaps the generational obsession with smashed avocado and …
Living and working overseas is something many aspire to. Alternatively an opportunity is suddenly presented and you need to know what to think about. As an actuary, global opportunities exist as the qualification is well recognised and the profession well regarded around the world. As an Associate or Fellow …
I love to travel – how can I combine this with my work? Read More »
Last year, I attended the “Women in Leadership Program”, a short course run through the UNSW Business School. It was an extremely insightful and reflective program and I walked away with some additional tools and learnings which have hugely benefited me in working on my leadership skills. In my …
Gender diversity within the workplace through the eyes of a gender studies student. Reading the title, you might think that this will be an opinion piece from the perspective of a young female, ranting about how there need to be more females in senior positions with equal pay. …
The current environment has generated a lot of excitement around the developments in data analytics and robotics. Clearly there are immense opportunities but there is also some concern and anxiety around the potential redundancy for actuaries and how this will affect job prospects in the future. My personal belief …
Arsene Wenger has resigned as Manager of Arsenal Football Club after 22 years in charge. He is credited with leading the evolution of English Premier League in terms of diet, training, stretching and preparation for matches; in short, with leading the overhaul of the whole support structure for professional …
Arsene Wenger resigns, John Killick is ongoing. 22 years in the business Read More »
Jenny Lyon, Director of SKL Actuarial was interviewed by Danielle Di Sano on 14 February 2018, uncovering some practical insights about moving roles. https://www.actuaries.digital/2018/02/26/the-ethics-of-moving-roles-careerview-podcast/
Interview Tips It is always good to treat any meeting with a prospective employer seriously whether it is a formal interview or a casual coffee catch-up as the first impression are important. It’s an opportunity for the prospective employer to find out about you and why you are the right …
February Highlight Jenny reflects on the actuarial profession and market for actuaries following her year as president of the Actuaries Institute in 2017 A key highlight for me as president was meeting so many members across Australia and overseas, particularly in Asia. This gave me the opportunity to discover the …
February Highlight- Jenny’s reflection on being President 2017 Read More »
Aliza attended the FSC retirement income conference and here is some of her insights: The big topic that the conference discussed was that although it was been 25 years since superannuation was introduced in Australia, many Australians are still unprepared for the risks of retirement today. The conference largely addressed …
Last week, SKL consultants Sara Lee and Aliza Yau attended the 2017 Data Analytics Seminar at the Actuaries Institute. It was indeed a very interesting seminar. It provided an opportunity to the actuarial community to get an insight into Data Analytics field. Speakers were from various backgrounds. Key highlights …
The entire team of SKL along with some of our industry friends and acquaintances attended the CPD session at the Institute yesterday. David Morrison, a retired senior office of the Australian Army has given a moving and powerful speech on his view on leadership. He served as Chief of …
2017 Actuaries Institute CPD Tour with David Morrison on Empowering Leadership Read More »
The speaker Dai Liu, who is a senior actuary at iCare has given a good summary on iCare in regards to its History, Vision & Purpose, Story and Actuarial Role. Operator: iCare Regulator: SIRA iCare’s Value: change the way people think about insurance & care Protect Insurance Care iCare’s Purpose: …
It was a useful session that SKL consultants have attended yesterday. The speakers Anthony Carey (Head of Investments at CommInsure) and Chit Wai Wong (Data Analytics Manager at AIA) have discussed the challenges for the insurance industry that were caused by the low interest rate environment in the recent years. …
Insight Session: Asset Liability Management in a Low Interest Rate Environment Read More »
SKL Consultants attended the Insight Session at the Actuaries Institute on Risk Culture today. The Head of Governance, Culture & Remuneration at APRA, Fahmi Hosain discussed the following key items. What’s the risk culture? – risk culture can be thought of as the impact of organisational culture on risk management. …
SKL consultants attended the “Impact of Big Data on the future insurance” session at the Actuaries Institute that was hosted by Jenny Lyon, the President of the Actuaries Institute. This Green Paper was authored by Deloitte and commissioned by the Actuaries Institute. The key speakers were Kaise Stephen, …
Actuaries Digital Editor Kirsten Flynn asks five experienced actuaries for their top tips, to help keep your career moving. Read more here : http://www.actuaries.digital/2016/01/28/seven-tips-to-keep-your-career-moving/ Jenny Lyon Director, SKL Executive Pty Ltd Make connections Try and develop connections with people outside your team and your organisation. You will …
Actuaries Digital : Top tips to keep your career moving Read More »
