I come from a family of volunteers. My sister and I grew up volunteering alongside our parents at church, at school, and at our community theater. With this background, I was so excited to be asked to serve as an officer in our CAS regional affiliate in Texas after I attained my ACAS credential. When I filled out my first participation survey, I wanted to sign up for everything! I had to think about the volunteer work that I would find especially fulfilling. When deciding what volunteerism I could participate in, I thought back to my own experiences. I didn’t learn about the actuarial profession until my senior year of college, and I wanted other students to know about this career path sooner than I did. So, I decided to get involved with student outreach – first with the Joint CAS/SOA Committee on Career Encouragement and Actuarial Diversity, then later with the CAS University Engagement Committee.
My favorite thing about volunteering with the CAS is the opportunity to work with actuaries from other companies and build my professional network. I feel that the most meaningful relationships are built when working together to achieve a goal. Meeting people through this committee has helped me get to know other actuaries in a way that you just can’t from a conversation over lunch at a conference. I’ve also appreciated the opportunity to build leadership skills that will serve me well my entire career. I have learned so much about motivating and influencing others by working with volunteers who have day jobs and families to prioritize in addition to their volunteer work.
I encourage everyone to take a look at the myriad volunteer opportunities available with the CAS! Where else can you make new friends, achieve shared goals, and potentially develop the skills you need to get that next promotion? If you already volunteer, why did you get involved as a CAS volunteer? What’s your favorite aspect of volunteering? How have you benefited, either personally or professionally? Please leave a comment and share your experiences as a CAS volunteer!
