Decent Actuarial Consultants Co., Ltd.

以下為本次德慎精算一位在學實習生與三位暑期實習生之心得：

Mike/許〇〇, 東吳大學財務工程與精算數學系 應屆畢業生

    由於德慎與東吳有獎學金上的合作，所以一直以來都對德慎有著好奇與憧憬，從大一開始就有想要進入德慎的想法，甚至有寄信過來詢問，今年一月時，得知德慎又有招募通知，二話不說的投下了履歷，帶著興奮的心情來面試，在面試的當下就有得到Offer，算是做到一件從大一就想做到的事，肯努力就有機會，但不去嘗試就沒有任何機會。

    以一位新人而言，在一般公司不大可能每天遇到Fellow並親自指導，我要感謝Chris & Amber 兩位FSA，讓我在一個剛起步的階段就可以見識到，心智強大的專業人員是如何去判斷和討論分析問題，例如，客戶高層主管看到簡報時，想知道甚麼，我們應該事先準備甚麼，呈現甚麼，甚至是在報告上更細微的格式等，一個報告裡就有許多需要注意的細節，我想就是德『慎』的嚴謹、謹慎和細心吧。

    在這份工作上，是可以幫助社會大眾的，比如說準備金查核，如果壽險公司，必未依照規範提存準備金，而少提了準備金，那是不是代表說保戶的權益受損，這時我們就能以查核人的身分，去提醒並修正這個錯誤，為別人爭取他們的權益，這就是『德』慎所需的正直的行為與良善的品性，必符合德慎的宗旨「同心為德，心真是慎」。

    對於喜歡面對挑戰的我而言，非常慶幸能夠進入德慎，明明只是實習生，但我接觸到的精算實務非常多，甚至有負責到客戶的新商品費率、一年期費率檢測以及半年檢查報表，第一次接到對方打來詢問專案內容，可說是緊張到發抖，希望之後能夠處理得遊刃有餘，也能感受到主管對我的用心，會督促我對精算實務的思考，對數字與合理性的敏感度，然而公司也有外國同事，如果有共同負責的專案需要一起溝通討論，這過程也是學習的好機會。

    最後我只想說，謝謝德慎以及自己當初的選擇，等我服完兵役希望可以繼續為德慎服務。

    The first time I heard about Decent Actuaries was because of Soochow University and Decent Actuaries collaborated on scholarships. I have always been curious and wanting to join Decent Actuaries. I even sent out letters back in freshman year to see if they were hiring. Fast forward to January of this year, I found that they had a new job opening, and I sent my resume over without any hesitation. I came to the interview with excitement and got an offer right after, turning my dream into reality. Regardless how difficult a challenge may seem to be, if you try your best, you'll have a chance.

    As a newcomer, it's impossible to meet a FSA in a general company, let alone being mentored by two. I would like to thank Chris Chan and Amber Lee for showing me how to judge, discuss, analyze, and make decisions. Board members will be asking questions when they see a presentation. Therefore, we should prepare well in advance. Even the subtle details from header color and alignment to font and line spacing should be consistent and precise in order to support the main content. I think this attention to detail is part of what makes Decent Actuaries decent.

    This profession plays a critical role in helping and giving back to the society. One of the many ways we do it is through reserve checking. If the insurance company went against regulations and underdrawn the reserve, it might not be able to help the customers when they need it the most. Before that happens, we can inform the insurance company and correct this error as an inspector. Integrity is another part of Decent Actuaries' company value.

    As a person who love challenges, I am thrilled about the projects I got to work on during the internship. I was responsible for inspecting new product rates and one-year rates for clients, as well as the half-year inspection report. Initially I was very nervous about receiving calls from clients asking about the project. After the practice I've had during this internship, I hope that I'll keep getting better at handling phone calls in the future. Throughout my time here, I can feel the supervisor's commitment to push me further and urge me to think about the underlying theories behind the numbers. Working with foreign colleagues has also been a rewarding experience. Communicating and brainstorming together on a jointly responsible project was a great learning opportunity and it taught me a great deal. Finally, I just want to say that I am grateful for the choice I made in the beginning.

Tina/許〇〇, 武漢大學金融系 四年級

    來到德慎短短兩個月的時間，發現自己接觸到了不少實務工作，其中包含了弄懂計算說明書、保險商品、準備金查核等。在接觸這些工作時，經常遇到許多困難，不懂的地方，公司同事們都會耐心指導，也從中了解到自主學習的重要性。除了基本的實務工作以外，主管安排了許多教育訓練課程，在短時間內，要做好工作，並且複習主管講授的課程內容，對當時通勤來回近三小時的我來說壓力頗大。實習第二周也曾因為感覺到自己的能力跟不上工作的進度，而思考自己是否適合這份實習，甚至一度想放棄過。就在我很想放棄的那一瞬間，其他同事和我們說，我們真的是非常幸運，在其他公司實習，並不會有在業界超過20年經驗的FSA，而且是兩位FSA，親自教導我們看底稿以及精算實務知識。正因如此，最後決定留下來好好學習，也很慶幸自己把握住了這個機會。

    記得從一開始拿到計算說明書，完全不知道該從哪看起，也不清楚CDMN分別代表什麼意思，再慢慢進步到看懂計算公式，這得感謝德慎的每位先進。主管花了很多時間，帶著我們實習生一頁頁講解計算說明書，讓我們更快進入工作狀況。在整理保險商品的過程中，也讓我們學習到拿到一份計算說明書時，應該先從哪些重點開始看，同時，也讓我們理解保險商品的發展過程。

    在工作過程中，除了在每堂新人培訓課程中學習到了新的知識點，也從實務工作的過程中，更加深刻體會到「謹慎」的涵義，每一個步驟，都有許多小細節需要注意，否則可能會造成嚴重的錯誤。在溝通方面，曾接聽過國外打來的電話，也曾協助打電話到越南去，接電話看似一件簡單的事，但也培養了我在面對不同情況時，應對進退的能力。

    最後，感謝德慎精算給了我這個機會。除了知識面的擴展，在報告、待人處事、應對進退方面的軟實力，讓我學了不少。感謝德慎精算每一位同仁的悉心照顧、指導，讓我不枉此行!

    In just two months, I found myself immersed in a significant amount of practical work such as understanding the calculation manual, sorting insurance product calculation instructions and reviewing reserve drafts. Towards the beginning of the internship, I encountered many challenges because my major is not actuarial science. In addition to basic practical work, the manager also arranged a lot of training courses. In a short period of time, I had to keep up and retain the new information from the training courses. It was very stressful for me who spent nearly three hours every day commuting. In the second week of the internship, the pressure accumulated as I was not able to keep up with the work. I doubted whether I was suitable for this internship and wanted to give up. During that time, the manager told us that this kind of opportunity is scarce. It's almost impossible to have Fellows, who have nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, guiding us in person. It is this reason that I decided to stay and try harder. I am very glad that I didn't give up.

    When I first received the calculation manual, I didn't understand what CDMN are.  As I gradually progressed to understanding the calculation formula, I was helped by everyone at DAC. The manager spent an afternoon explaining the calculation manual page by page, so that we can get on track faster. He told us that we should start with the payment content when we first receive a calculation manual. As we understand that, we can also recognize the development process of insurance products.

    In the process of work, not only did I acquire lots of new knowledge in each training course, but I also have a more profound understanding of the meaning of "cautious". During each step, there are many details that we must pay attention to. Otherwise, a small mistake could snowball into a significant one. In terms of general errands, I received calls from abroad and assisted in making calls to Vietnam. Answering the calls may seem like a simple matter, but it also prepare me to handle unexpected situations on the spot.

    Lastly, I am grateful that DAC gave me this summer internship opportunity. In addition to gaining new knowledge, I also got to improve my soft skills like presenting and talking with others. Thanks to every colleague at DAC for the guidance and advice. This internship has been extremely beneficial to me.

Tom/吳〇〇, 中山大學財務管理學系碩士班 二年級

    在進入德慎實習以前，雖然有學習過財金相關知識，關於保險也僅止於大框架，因此對於精算這個行業十分好奇。這次很幸運，有機會進到德慎精算實習。有別於一般保險公司的精算部門分工，這裡有機會去接觸每個精算實務上需要的流程，從一開始看懂計算說明書的計算方式，對照公司系統值後抽單檢查，以及自己建立excel工作底稿計算準備金，甚至是到後面的商品定價以及計算隱含價值，這些都是工作內容的一部份。

    在短短兩個月內，有機會接手的實務工作十分充實，例如我在這次實習期間負責其中一個project，是用統計軟體分析保險大數據資料後，進行結果摘要簡報。一開始接到交辦時內心是有點畏懼的，雖然平常在學校學習程式相關能力，但實際應用在業務上是第一次，在做的過程中也遇到一些困難，像是資料彙整和程式語法問題，不像在學校上課時拿到的都是處理過的資料，並且也有時間上需要完成的壓力，在這當中除了運用手邊資源，包含與同事之間討論請教，並且適時提出在執行上遇到的困難與主管協調，避免在最後期限時開天窗。此外，第一次向同事們簡報時，成效並不如我所想，在第一次簡報時我沒有考慮到聽眾的反應，也沒顧及外國同事需採英語簡報，並且將重點錯誤的放在我想呈現的內容，主管提到，對於顧問業而言，面對的客戶很多面向，因此報告要先界定好聽眾是誰?報告目的是什麼?如果面對高層時，想傳達的重點訊息可能只有短短 3~5 分鐘，所以需簡潔有力。而對於客戶端的工作人員，資料就要準備充足，細心解釋。不過也許會有客戶發問或一些突發狀況而導致報告時間不夠，所以資料雖然準備充沛，也要隨時有重點摘要報告方式的心理準備。

    最後，謝謝公司主管及同事在這段時間對我的栽培與指教，在執行實務上業務不了解時，主管及同事也願意多花時間指導，在回答我們的問題同時也會拋出問題思考為甚麼需要這樣做，可能是受到法規的改變或是精算假設的關係，並且在完成後給予建議與可以改進的地方；在精算顧問中，每個人需要負責的工作既廣且專精，對於喜歡挑戰的人來說，有利於增廣眼界培養實力，同時自己也必須投注大量的時間，去追上其他同事，假日時也須為了準備精算考試安排時間，即使已經具備FSA資格且工作超過20年的主管，仍舊每天花時間在學習新事物，深刻讓我體會到什麼是Qualified Actuary。”所謂專家就是重複做一件事做到熟練做到專精，在任何行業都是如此”，希望我能以此為標竿，在日後職場持續努力精進，謝謝!

    Before joining Decent Actuarial Consultants Company, my finance background only provided me small glimpses into the insurance field, but they sparked my interest to become an actuary. I was ecstatic when I found out that I'll be joining DAC as an intern. Unlike an insurance actuarial internship, this opportunity gives me hands-on experience on actuarial processes for multiple purposes like pricing and valuation. From understanding the calculation manual, to creating an excel worksheet that calculates reserve, premium, and embedded value, I got to experience what it's like to work for DAC.

    Within two months, I was exposed to a significant amount of real work. For example, I was assigned a project to use statistical software to analyze insurance data and present my findings. In the beginning, I was a little scared since it was my first time applying my programming skills in a professional setting. Unavoidably, I encountered some difficulties, such as collecting data and understanding the programming language. Unlike a classroom environment, the data I gathered was not processed. On top of that, I had to complete the task in a time crunch. Besides using the resources I was given, I brainstormed with my colleagues as well as my supervisors in order to finish the project on time. However, my presentation was not as effective as I expected. I did not take into account the audiences' point of view, and merely focused on the content that I wanted to present. My supervisor advised me on the importance of presentations in the consulting field. Since our clients might have different levels of understanding on the subject matter, you must know your target audiences and the purpose of the presentation. If you are presenting to board members, you might have 3 to 5 minutes to convey your message, therefore, precision is key. For general clients, the challenge lies in thoroughly preparing your material and carefully explaining it. It is also important to be adaptive. Unexpected questions and emergencies could leave you with less than ideal time to finish your presentation. On top of knowing your material, being able to give a concise summary at any given time is also crucial.

    Finally, I would like to thank everyone at DAC for their guidance and encouragement. Rather than giving me answers right away, my colleagues asked questions to guide me towards them. This made sure that I understand the underlying concept, instead of simply memorizing the solution. In the consulting field, everyone needs to be responsible for an array of tasks. These challenges bring more knowledge and skills to build upon. Time management becomes critical once we combine work and preparations for actuarial exams. What surprised me was that even those who are fellows of the Society of Actuaries still spend time to gain new insights into the industry every day. This gave me an understanding of what it takes to pass actuarial exams and obtain the FSA status. I will cherish my accomplishment and knowledge I gained from this internship and continue to work hard in the future. Thank you!

    在大三升大四暑假的兩個月中，有幸到德慎精算顧問公司實習。德慎是一家精算顧問公司，與保險公司在業務範圍與專業要求上有所不同。一進公司，就有工作資歷超過20年的FSA，親自教導我們準備金、負債適足性測試、EV、利源分析等重要知識。在這短短的兩個月中，我們面對的不像其他公司一般實習生的檔案整理或紙上談兵的工作，我們參與的都是公司實際專案，如半年報檢核，商品資料彙整，準備金查核等。自己雖然就讀本科系，但在實際執行這些工作時，發現自己需加強一些基本知識與技能，如Excel的運用，計算說明書內容理解，壽險數學公式的運用等，也許是自己在學校的學習還不夠努力。

    這次實習對我最大的啟發就是促進我對未來職涯的思考。在實習的這兩個月中，我看見同事們對於工作都十分盡忠職守，在休息時間或下班後都在努力完成自己的任務。我真實地了解這個產業所需要付出的時間與精力是非常多的，讓我開始思考精算是不是真的適合我。在分享我的疑惑後，主管們和同事都與我分享精算這條路最需要的特質在於好奇心與堅持，但是也要選擇適合自己的方向再堅持下去。聽完主管與同事們的建議後，我深有啟發，所以決定先不要急著拒絕精算這個產業。我很感激德慎給我實習的機會，讓我能實際嘗試精算工作，對精算產業有更全面的了解，相信這些經驗對我未來在職涯的抉擇中有很大的參考價值和幫助。

    此外，透過這兩個月的實習，我也見識到，一間顧問公司從無到有、從有到好、從好到國際化所需的特質與努力，不僅對於任何業務都需保持謹慎的態度，也要對客戶保持誠心的心態。讓我更佩服的是德慎精算對教育與社會都持續地默默貢獻心力。最後，非常感謝主管們與同事們的指導與分享，從他們身上學習到了許多實務知識與經驗，我相信這會是我一次充實的實習回憶！謝謝！