Emily Leonard

13301 94th Ave N, Maple Grove, MN 55369

DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:

September 28, 2016

Megan Even
Emily Leonard
Job Packet

As a mathematics and statistics student, I am lucky to have a wide variety of career opportunities
that will open upon graduation. Until then, I am searching internship opportunities to prepare
myself to enter the workforce. My degree emphasis is actuarial science, a field of statistics that
uses research and model building to develop insurance policies, retirement plans, and other
financial products for individuals and companies alike. A large part of the actuarial profession
involves passing a series of standardized examinations as a means of obtaining certification.
While every actuarial position is different, most companies fall into one of two groups: insurance
or consulting. Consulting firms generally deal with government agencies and large companies
rather than individuals and usually look for very experienced employees since the projects vary
so much in scope and require a high level of synthesis. With that said, most entry level positions
and internships will be with insurance companies because the work is more predictable and
exercises technical skills in a very formative way. While my long term career plan is to enter the
consulting side of actuarial science, I am open to an insurance internship because I know they are
more prevalent.
During my internship search, I came across many specialized actuarial internships. Securian
Financial, Thrivent Financial, One Beacon Insurance Group, Wakely Consulting Group, and
Deloitte all offer actuarial internships to college students with Junior standing. Each of the
companies requires a high grade point average and prefer a degree with actuarial emphasis. Of
these groups, Wakely Consulting Group requires applicants to have passed one or more actuarial
exams, so I crossed them off my list since my first exam wont be completed until spring. The
other four companies are looking for candidates with my education level and career goals, so
they are all possible opportunities that are worth pursuing. Securian, Thrivent, One Beacon, and
Deloitte all value strong communication skills and a strong work ethic because part of being an
actuary is studying for the examinations; all of the companies I am looking into provide paid
study time for exam preparation and either cover or reimburse exam expenses. I have always
been a very good student, so I feel confident that I will fulfil the academic requirements and my
teaching assistant position has introduced me to the professional environment and the
communication practices needed to work effectively with other employees and supervisors.

Table 1: Company Comparison

Company
Company Culture
Thrivent Financial
emphasis on charity
and public services
use interns as the
main recruitment
method for full-time
employees

Securian Financial

not-for-profit Fortune
500 Company, which
is very unique for a
financial
management firm
emphasis on
programming use in
model development

Work Environment
Industry Presence
more than 5000
employees; very large serves about 2.8
company
million clients
less group work than
consulting companies

headquartered in
Minneapolis, so I will
be able to commute
from home

about 5000
employees

serves about 7
million clients across
the U.S. and Puerto
Rico

many subsidiaries
as a Computerworlds including a sector
Top 100 Places to
that focuses on
Work in IT,
insurance in
Securian provides
Minnesota
alternate career paths specifically
should I decide to
pursue computer
science instead of
actuarial science

based in Minnesota
but supports offices
in many cities
1-2 billion in revenue
per year; very large
company with high
salary potential

While Thrivent and Securian both operate in the same field, they have very different structures
and company cultures. If I were to write my resume and cover letter specifically for Thrivent, I
would be sure to emphasize my involvement in my church and the volunteer experience I can use
as a base to grow with. Thrivent is a financial entity, but the company devotes a lot of time and
resources to community outreach and charity work. On the other hand, Securian does not place
quite as much importance on public service but really prides itself on innovation and
technological advancement. As a student with a computer science minor, I can use my
programming education as a selling point and really emphasize my experience with computers.
After speaking with a representative from Securian at a career fair earlier this fall, I know that
their internship involves a large project and presentation of an individual topic, so I would try to
focus my resume and cover letter on a previous internship where I completed a large project.

While I would include this experience on a resume for Thrivent, I would spend more time
focusing on volunteerism for that specific company.
After some consideration, I would prefer to work for Securian Financial because of their focus
on innovation and new technology. Securian has been providing insurance and retirement
services since 1880; they serve millions of customers across the country and even in Puerto Rico.
The Securian headquarters are located in St. Paul, so I will be able to live at home during an
internship which is very important to me. During my sophomore year at North Dakota State
University, I had my first exposure to computer science, particularly with C# and Java coding,
both of which are very common coding languages in the workplace. While I dont plan on
pursuing programming as the main focus of my career, I am interested in an internship that will
push the limits of my understanding and help me grow with regards to computer science;
Securian is known in the actuarial world for their use of technology to streamline, and in some
cases even automate, processes and increase efficiency, which is very appealing to me. Securian
does include a very renowned information technology department which means that even if I
dont finish all my actuarial examinations, I would have the opportunity to work in a computer
science field with the same company; it is very common in the field for actuaries to start in one
department and move to another since the skills required for data analysis are so transferable to
other subjects.
Table 2: Relevant Skills and Experience
Job Requirements
desire to grow within the company

excellent academic achievement

communication skills

Mathematics/Statistics major

problem-solving skills

My Skills and Experience

I have worked with Jimmy Johns for four
years and moved up the ranks at multiple
locations
I have a 4.0 GPA as well as a prestigious
scholarship based on test scores
I participate in weekly meetings with my TA
instructor as well as regular email
correspondence
My major includes emphasis on Pre-Actuarial
science, which will differentiate me from
other candidates
My previous internship centered on
submitting reports based on laboratory work
and experiment design

I believe I would be a benefit to Securian Financial because my strong academic history and
affinity for both research and theoretical concepts will aid me in passing my examinations in a
timely manner and enable me to formulate solutions accurately. Moreover, my collegiate track in
mathematics and statistics has been grooming me for actuarial science from the beginning. My
experience as a teaching assistant has helped me learn to communicate in a professional manner,
which is a vital skill for anyone who works in a group setting. My previous internship included a
large project like Securian will require, and my laboratory experience has helped me improve my

problem solving skills so I can approach projects with creativity and flexibility. Finally, I am
excited to explore the field of actuarial science further, and will use my strong work ethic to
produce quality projects and enrich the Securian workplace with innovative ideas.
Works Cited
Be An Actuary. (n.d.) Who employs actuaries? Retrieved from
http://www.beanactuary.org/jobs/?fa=jobs-by-type-of-employer
EBSCOhost. (2016). Securian Automates 401(k) Changes. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/
Glassdoor. (n.d.) Securian Financial. Retrieved from
https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Securian-FinancialEI_IE2902.11,29.htm
Glassdoor. (n.d.) Thrivent Financial. Retrieved from
https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Thrivent-FinancialEI_IE3663.11,29.htm
ProQuest. (2005). Securian Named to InformationWeeks Top 100 Tech Innovators. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/
ProQuest. (2005). Thrivent Financial Reports Strong Financial Results. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/
Thrivent Financial. (2016). University Recruiting- Actuarial Internship. Retrieved from
https://jobs.thrivent.com/jobs/search/job/Minneapolis-MN/University-Recruiting-Actuarial-Internship/

Note: some job ads were collected during the Actuarial Career Fair at the University of
Minnesota: Twin Cities on September 26, 2016. As such, the job ads are not print sources, but
rather spoken information from sanctioned representatives from Wakely Consulting Group,
Deloitte, and One Beacon Insurance Group.

Appendix

ternship
Securian Financial Group St. Paul, Minnesota
Position Type

Internship
Desired Class Level(s)

Junior, Senior
Description

IMPORTANT:
Please note that this work opportunity will be an Internship assignment and will be
taken for academic credit, course numbers 397 or 795 ONLY and applies to all Fall,
Spring or Summer Internships. This is a requirement of the program and students
are responsible for the TUITION PAYMENTS THAT ACCOMPANY THIS WORK
ASSIGNMENT. However, many employers will consider tuition reimbursement or
tuition payment. Please be sure to read the entire agreement that surfaces when
you log on to NDSU CAREERlink.
Please contact the Career Center with questions at 701.231.7111.
____________________________
POSITION SUMMARY:
There are two goals in our actuarial internship program. First and foremost, to give
students an opportunity to explore the actuarial field as a possible career choice.
Second, we use internship programs as a recruiting tool to hire full-time actuarial
analysts. The internship will include a variety of actuarial research activities
dependent upon the need of the department at the time of the internship. They may
include expense studies, lapse studies, interest studies, etc. These activities will
provide an overall exposure to the profession of actuarial science.
Qualifications:
Demonstrated leadership, excellent academic achievement, strong communication
skills, creativity, and analytical problem-solving skills.
Location

St. Paul, Minnesota

Job Status

Full-time
Period of Employment

Summer
Desired Major(s)

Mathematics, Physics, Applied Statistics, Statistics

Degree Level Seeking

Bachelors
We plan to attend the following career fair(s) and invite you to visit our booth:

Engineering & Tech Expo

Emily Leonard
th

13301 94 Ave N Maple Grove, MN 55369 612.816.1859 emily.leonard@.ndsu.edu

September 28, 2016

Securian Financial Group, Inc
400 Robert St N
St Paul, MN 55101
Dear Hiring Manger,
I am writing regarding an actuarial internship with Securian Financial for summer 2017. As a
current junior at North Dakota State University, I am eager to start gathering real world
experience before graduation. My major in Mathematics and Statistics: Pre-Actuarial Option
and accompanying minors in Economics and Computer Science have taught me the foundational
skills I need to really thrive in the professional environment. Through the Teaching Assistant and
Learning Assistant programs at North Dakota State University, I have developed professional
communication skills vital to effective group work, including meeting etiquette and email
correspondence. Even with two jobs and a full social life, I have conquered the collegiate
challenge with a perfect 4.0. Now I am ready for a new challenge.
An internship with Securian would be my second career internship; the first occurred with a
failure analysis lab, Materials Evaluation and Engineering, INC., which introduced me to the
world of materials science. During my time at MEE, I competed in an international collegiate
contest where applicants submitted failure reports. Even as a high school level student, I placed
second and earned both recognition and a monetary prize. Now that my career trajectory has
shifted toward actuarial science, I plan to work just as hard and strive for the same level of
success that I have achieved previously.
An internship is more than a just summer job to me; I plan on using every opportunity to pursue
a full career in actuarial science. I have always worked hard to achieve my goals, and exposure
to a successful workplace will go a long way in developing my professional skills and preparing
me to be an extremely productive team member.
I eagerly await the opportunity to continue my growth with the help of Securian Financial.
Sincerely,

Emily Leonard

Emily Leonard
th

13301 94 Ave N Maple Grove, MN 55369 612.816.1859 emily.leonard@.ndsu.edu

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OBJECTIVE
To obtain a summer internship focused on actuarial science
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDUCATION
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND
B.S. - Math and Statistics: Pre-Actuarial Science
Expected Graduation May 2018
Minors - Computer Science, Economics
Maple Grove Senior High
Maple Grove, MN
Graduated with High Honors
September 2010June 2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EXPERIENCE
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND
Teaching Assistant: Mathematics Department
Current
Led students in an Emporium style learning environment
Graded assignments, proctored exams, and monitored participation
Learning Assistant: Statistics Department
Current
Assisted students during lecture and held office hours for one-on-one tutoring
Attended weekly seminar focused on effective classroom communication strategies
Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches
ND
Sandwich Artist
Customer service and food service prep
Assisted with product and time management at multiple locations
Recommended for advancement (declined)

Maple Grove, MN / Fargo,

August 2012Current

Materials Evaluation and Engineering, Inc.

Plymouth, MN
Intern
June 2013August 2013
International Metallographic Contest (2nd place)
Completed failure analysis and submitted report without assistance
Assisted failure analysts with experiments and reports
Studied and completed certification for many ASTM standards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT
Treasurer, NDSU Actuarial Club
Current
Youth Soccer Coach, Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
Fall 2012
Catechist, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
Fall/Winter 2012
National Honor Society
September 2011May 2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECOGNITION AND HONORS
Four-Time NDSU Deans List Student (4.0 GPA)
2014--2016
National Merit Scholar
2014
NDSU Presidential Scholarship
2014
Two-Time All-Conference Musician (Orchestra)
2013--2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------REFERENCES: available upon request