We’re celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2024 with a new story to mark each day. In our sixth interview, Darshan Purmessur tells us about one of the more unique opportunities.
What surprised you about volunteering with the IFoA?
Volunteering has been more beneficial to my career than I initially expected. Although I work in Mauritius, a relatively remote island in the Indian Ocean, the impact of my volunteering efforts reaches far and wide. For instance, during a client visit overseas, I was surprised to learn they had seen my feature in The Actuary magazine. Volunteering has also significantly expanded my professional network. After joining the Risk Management Lifelong Committee, the Chair of the committee invited me to meet for coffee with the team during my upcoming trip to London.
Do you have any favourite stories from volunteering?
My favourite volunteering experience is being part of the examining team. Having been a student myself, I was always intrigued by the 'process behind' the exams. Now, I get to test future examination papers as an Exam Test Candidate, where I provide feedback to the Chief Examiner about typos, ambiguities, and other details. Another thrilling role is serving as a marker for the profession. This role allows me to actively participate in markers’ meetings, contribute to finalising the mark scheme, and be directly involved in marking actual examination papers.
What advice do you have for students looking to volunteer?
You don’t need to be a qualified actuary to start volunteering. There are numerous working groups eager for new participants. Volunteering not only helps you stand out from the crowd, but it also enriches your CV and professional profile. I've frequently discussed my volunteering experiences in interviews and have included these articles on my CV and LinkedIn profile
Darshan Purmessur is an Actuarial Executive at QED Actuaries and Consultants. He is a general insurance actuary and as well as a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary with over 5 years of experience consulting to short-term insurers across the African continent. He is a member of the Risk Management Lifelong Learning Committee as well as a member of the IAA’s Risk Book Editorial Board.
From the lesser-known benefits to the impact you can have as a volunteer, delve into more stories in the series. We are publishing each day of Volunteers’ Week 2024.
