Internship at CSAA!
Huzzah! Some good news today after lots of rambling type posts. I got an offer for an internship with CSAA (aka AAA) this upcoming summer! Here's the screenshot of the email that made my day:
I applied for the internship late September when the team came over to promote the position and their company, and wanted it pretty badly but thought I didn't stand a chance because I didn't have any exams passed yet. For those of you who don't know, to become an official actuary, you need to pass a set of exams to become certified. Most aspiring actuaries pass at least 2 exams coming out of college. Yeah, I found this out kinda late into my academic career and was worried I'd fall behind the pack of strong candidates who DID pass those exams. I remember bothering John with my worries and kept saying how I doubt I'd be a competitive candidate based on that one issue alone.
There were a total of 5 interviews. I know! So jia lat! Everyone of them had very different personalities, and I felt I passed some of them with flying colors but completely missed the mark on some others. Still, I thought they were all very friendly and had a genuine interest in sharing and explaining their work in detail with me whenever I asked questions or didn't get a "test question" right. I really liked the interviewers, so I really wanted an opportunity to work with them. Not to mention this is the only insurance company in the bay area besides Willis Towers Watson. However, whenever I subtly asked them questions regarding my chances, they always said, "We have a very competitive pool of candidates this year and have many more interviews to conduct with students all over the US."
All. Over. The. US.
That was pretty disheartening to hear even to the most eligible candidate. I mean, the US has 50 states. The odds of finding another individual more intellectual, capable, passionate etc. than you is way more likely than a local job scout.
But by God's grace, they chose me as one of the interns! I was also quite surprised to hear friends say "You are silly for worrying. You are highly competitive yourself." I know I am by no means incapable, and I don't have a low self esteem, yet I don't quite always see myself as someone who is a "competitive" candidate. From my years of studying, I've learned that there are always, always smarter and more talented people out there. Being surrounded by said people very often doesn't help me see how I can possibly compare. So being told I am at least on par with some of those people is refreshing and reassuring. But at the end of the day, I know every blessing and opportunity is the work of God in my life. I am truly grateful.
I am also beyond excited. This will be my first real-world industry internship so I'm not sure what to expect, but I definitely hope to learn a lot. You learn best on the job after all.
In the meantime, I have to study for exams and pass them to show my seriousness. Oh, and let's not forget figuring out commute/living arrangements since the HQ is a good 1 hour away. Yeaaaah. But I'll worry about those later. Right now, I'd rather focus on cherishing this good feeling. :)
I applied for the internship late September when the team came over to promote the position and their company, and wanted it pretty badly but thought I didn't stand a chance because I didn't have any exams passed yet. For those of you who don't know, to become an official actuary, you need to pass a set of exams to become certified. Most aspiring actuaries pass at least 2 exams coming out of college. Yeah, I found this out kinda late into my academic career and was worried I'd fall behind the pack of strong candidates who DID pass those exams. I remember bothering John with my worries and kept saying how I doubt I'd be a competitive candidate based on that one issue alone.
There were a total of 5 interviews. I know! So jia lat! Everyone of them had very different personalities, and I felt I passed some of them with flying colors but completely missed the mark on some others. Still, I thought they were all very friendly and had a genuine interest in sharing and explaining their work in detail with me whenever I asked questions or didn't get a "test question" right. I really liked the interviewers, so I really wanted an opportunity to work with them. Not to mention this is the only insurance company in the bay area besides Willis Towers Watson. However, whenever I subtly asked them questions regarding my chances, they always said, "We have a very competitive pool of candidates this year and have many more interviews to conduct with students all over the US."
All. Over. The. US.
That was pretty disheartening to hear even to the most eligible candidate. I mean, the US has 50 states. The odds of finding another individual more intellectual, capable, passionate etc. than you is way more likely than a local job scout.
But by God's grace, they chose me as one of the interns! I was also quite surprised to hear friends say "You are silly for worrying. You are highly competitive yourself." I know I am by no means incapable, and I don't have a low self esteem, yet I don't quite always see myself as someone who is a "competitive" candidate. From my years of studying, I've learned that there are always, always smarter and more talented people out there. Being surrounded by said people very often doesn't help me see how I can possibly compare. So being told I am at least on par with some of those people is refreshing and reassuring. But at the end of the day, I know every blessing and opportunity is the work of God in my life. I am truly grateful.
I am also beyond excited. This will be my first real-world industry internship so I'm not sure what to expect, but I definitely hope to learn a lot. You learn best on the job after all.
In the meantime, I have to study for exams and pass them to show my seriousness. Oh, and let's not forget figuring out commute/living arrangements since the HQ is a good 1 hour away. Yeaaaah. But I'll worry about those later. Right now, I'd rather focus on cherishing this good feeling. :)
Comments