22nd September 2009 · Comments Off
Having our regional office in Brisbane gives me the much loved excuse to travel, and more often than not, Sydney is the destination.
It’s now Spring in Australia with the new financial year well underway, many of my clients are in budget mode. It never ceases to amaze me how many will still find the time to catch up for at least a coffee for the overview of the market. On this occasion I could only afford 4 days out of the office, but when averaging 8 – 9 meetings a day, your caffeine levels can go through the roof.
With Australia’s unemployment rate remaining steady at 5.8%, and positive sounds from the Asian and US economies, there is definitely positive sentiment in the air about the improving global economy. This seems to have many of our clients thawing out their recruitment freezes from September 08, and bringing a mixture of new and replacement roles to the table. Given Australia dodged the global trend of “mass redundancies” in the actuarial space, there is definitely more heat placed on the demand for the actuarial skill set.
With many wage freeze policies put in place at the end of 2009, there is also heat coming from the talent pool. Many young actuaries are beginning to look actively again at external opportunities to progress their careers as they are finding that staff turnover + recruitment freeze = increased workload, without increased salary compensation. And if this Spring time visit to Sydney has taught me one thing, it’s that the job market in Australia this summer may be very hot.
Register for Actuarial Jobs in Australia
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: Actuarial jobs, Asian economy, Australia, Brisbane, Coffee, Sydney, US economy
8th September 2009 · Comments Off
The journey from Munich Airport to the LIFE / AFIR conference was further than I had expected but was a journey through a magical green landscape and I now understand where childhood fairy-tales come from.
The conference itself is excellent and for the first time ever I have understood how Swiss pensions work – a great tribute to the presenter of that session.
In the evening, the social event was a visit to a beer garden. I was very trepiditious and even managed to miss the coach that had been arranged so I ended up walking. Again it was like a scene out of ‘The Student Prince’ (the operetta).
Very worthwhile! Very well organised!
Register for Actuarial Jobs in Germany
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuarial events, Conference, Germany, Munich
4th September 2009 · Comments Off
Unusually for Travel GAAPS this journey was a short taxi ride within London to Covent Garden, but Oh – what another world!
Amidst street performers and musicians I had a fruitful meeting and we now have a vacancy for an American startup.
Register for Actuarial Jobs in America
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuarial, actuary, America, London, Meeting, Vacancy
2nd September 2009 · Comments Off
At Travel GAAPS we are always in search of actuaries in extreme locations. I spent the bank holiday weekend hiking in the Peak District.
Somewhat surprisingly, I did not come across the head offices of any major insurance companies whilst trekking along the Pennine Way.
It seems that actuarial vacancies are concentrated in financial centres such as London, Paris and New York, rather than on mountain-tops populated primarily by sheep.
Register for Worldwide Actuarial Jobs
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuaries, actuary, Head Office, Insurance, Insurance companies, Peak district, Pennine Way
19th August 2009 · Comments Off
Usually, when I go on client-candidate visit, I try to turn it into a long weekend so that I can get a feel for the environment and to have an element of enjoyment. At the moment, we are so busy that I could only afford a day’s time.
I went to Madrid to conduct two candidate interviews. It seems incredible that it takes a whole day to do what was essentially three hours work but there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting.
As we met at the nearest Regus offices – only twenty minutes from the airport – the only thing that I can really tell you about Spain is to describe Madrid Airport.
The airport is absolutely enormous and it takes a long time to walk from the entrance to whichever terminal you require, whilst taking in the unusual architecture. There are lots of shops but, unusually for me, I could not find anything that I wanted to buy. The day however, was worthwhile as I met with two excellent candidates.
Register for Actuarial Jobs in Spain
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuary, Airport, Candidates, Client meetings, Interview, Madrid, Shopping, Spain
3rd August 2009 · Comments Off
Our current advert invites you to register with us for more challenging positions. There are two types of these available: for actuarial positions register at www.gaaps.com where a wide variety of actuarial opportunities are available.
If you want more advice on being bendy then we reccomend the Everything Yoga blog which offers these tips for staying happy and comfortable when travelling.
- Hydrating
- Packing my bag full of goodies that bring me pleasure — books, aromatherapy, healthy snacks, a comfy wrap, my iPod, etc.
- Leaving for the airport with plenty of time to spare — I don’t mind getting to the airport early. I simply use the time to catch up on reading or thanks to my nifty phone, I catch up on email.
- Stretch — take breaks in the airport and on the plane to stretch. Seated stretches on the airplane are my favorite!
- Smile and be open — I’ve met some wonderful folks during flights and at airports.
- Keeping it simple — I pack light and I plan my travel outfit according to the airport security restrictions (I wear little jewlery and slip on shoes)
We hope that these tips help to ensure that actuaries as well as Actuarial Skills Travel Well.
If you are interested in navigating the actuarial world then please get in touch and register for international vacancies.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuarial, actuaries, actuary, International, Travel, Yoga
29th July 2009 · Comments Off
Having arrived late on Thursday night because of a delayed flight we found ourselves in a delightful hotel. First thing next morning I had a visit to the chief executive of a reinsurance company and, amongst other things, discussed a potential non-exec.
The view from his window over the lake was stunning. I can understand anyone wanting to work in Zurich.
I went from there to a lunch with a different client and then to interview a potential candidate.
My husband arrived for the weekend and we took a taxi from the centre of Zurich to a spa on the top of a mountain, a journey of 25 min in total. A most relaxing weekend.
Monday morning I transferred back to a city hotel and my husband returned to London. More meetings, plus, how on earth could I come to a city like Zurich without allowing some time for shopping? 3 pairs of shoes and lots of useful contacts later I returned to London on Wednesday morning.
Register for Actuarial Jobs in Switzerland
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuarial, actuary, Non-exec, Reinsurance, Shoes, Shopping, Spa, Switzerland, Vacancy, Zurich
6th July 2009 · Comments Off
Clearly a Shakespearian month for our actuarial recruiters – GAAPS consultant Leena Chakraburtty will be performing next week as Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Come and enjoy an evening of open-air theatre in the Monastery Gardens in Bishops Stortford.
If you need to give the bard an actuarial twist then why not come to asses the risk of deceit.
PLACE: The Monastery Gardens, Bishops Stortford
DATES: 16, 17 & 18 JULY 2009
BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES: 01279 651746 or 07788744489
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: actuarial, actuarial events, actuary, Comedy, Deceit, Event, GAAPS, Humour, Risk, Shakespeare, Theatre
6th July 2009 · Comments Off
“Who will believe my verse in time to come if it were fill’d with your most high deserts?”
Passion. Tenderness. Lust. Betrayal. Loveletters and puppies. From young romance to experience and wisdom, Shakespeare runs the gamut of love. And it ain’t all Romeo and Juliet.
Come fall in love the bard way in this exploration of Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, brought about with tenderness and humour; produced by and starring GAAPS consultant Andrew Hodwitz.
“Shakespeare On Love,” is a revue of various scenes of the different type of love written about by the bard — fantastically romantic, dangerously abusive . . . even the love of a dog!
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PLACE: the upper room of The Oxford Pub, 256 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AA (steps away from Kentish Town tube stop on the Northern Line (High Barnet)).
DATES: July 22, 23, 24, 25 (Wed. to Sat.)
TIME: 7:30 pm (approximately 1 hour long)
TICKETS: £10 at the door
BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES: 07504 092 167
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: Event, GAAPS, London, networking, Shakespeare, Show, Theatre
