What Would You Do? False Pretenses

By John West Hadley

The Stepping Stone, September 2023

Here is our next entry in the “What Would You Do?” series. Write to me at SteppingStone@JHACareers.com to tell me what you would do. In a future issue, I’ll compile the responses received (preserving your anonymity, of course), along with what actually happened in the real-life situation.

Help me craft future case studies. Write to me about your own challenging, surprising or nightmarish situations involving business, leadership, management, or any of the topic areas covered by The Stepping Stone, and what lessons you learned from them. I’ll collaborate with you on turning your situation into a simple case study, being careful to ensure no one is identifiable. And share your own thoughts (pro and con) on the series as a whole at SteppingStone@JHACareers.com.

False Pretenses

Robert was a mid-career actuary working in the Midwest, who was offered a chance to become chief actuary of an east coast company. Although he and his wife loved the Midwest, this appeared to be a strong career move, so they uprooted and moved, which included taking his daughter out of her first year of high school to a new situation.

During the first month in the new job, Robert found out much about the company that had not come out during the interview process. The company was in such distress that it was in serious danger of receivership, and he felt that his new boss had lied to him about their situation and what would be expected of Robert. Further, he felt he would not be in a position to sign even a qualified actuarial opinion by year-end, and had concerns about what that would do to his position and actuarial credentials.

He considered whether he should resign, but they had just made the transition to a new home and neighborhood that they all liked, and he didn’t feel it was fair to his daughter to uproot her again after she had just settled into her new school. This role also put him at a significantly higher salary than before, and he worried about having to step back from that level, or face a potentially extended job search.

What would you do in this situation?

Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt misled by an employer? What advice might you have based on that?

Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries, the newsletter editors, or the respective authors’ employers.

John Hadley was an FSA for many years, and now works with job seekers frustrated with their search. He can be reached at John@JHACareers.com or +1 908-725-2437 or via LinkedIn. Find his free Career Tips newsletter and other resources at www.JHACareers.com.