Is pursuing FSA worth it if I have only a few years of work experience and may be out of the workforce for 5–10 years?
Looking for some advice from people further along in their actuarial careers!
I’m currently only a few exams away from ASA and have a few years of actuarial experience. After having my first child, I decided to leave the workforce to be a stay-at-home parent. At this point, I’m not sure when (or if) I’ll return to work full-time. It could be in 5 years or it could be 10 years.
I have time to study but I don’t have an employer sponsoring exam fees or study materials, so the financial aspect is definitely something I need to consider.
I’m wondering whether it still makes sense to continue pursuing exams, potentially all the way to FSA, during this period.
Is it worth investing the money to finish ASA/FSA if I may not return to the workforce for several years?
If you saw an applicant with an FSA without corresponding years of experience because of a 5–10 year career gap due to being a stay-at-home parent, would that be seen as a red flag?
Part of my hesitation is that I’m not sure how difficult it would be to find a job after being out of the workforce for a long time. There’s also a possibility that I may ultimately decide on a different career path. Given that exams are expensive, I’m wondering whether pursuing FSA is still a worthwhile investment, or whether it would make more sense to pursue other study or certifications as backup plan.