Actuary Turned Recruiter: Making the Switch

Despo Mouyis has had a fascinating career path. With a longstanding passion for maths, an actuarial science degree led to a fascinating corporate career that took her from South Africa to London, building skills and experience along the way. When an opportunity arose to help other actuaries find their dream roles, Despo made the leap from Actuary to Recruiter and she’s now Director of the Emerald Group Life Actuarial team.  We talked to her to find out about her career journey and why she’s made recruitment her future.

Des, why did you become an actuary in the first place? 

I have always loved maths. It was my favourite subject and as I made choices on what to study at school and university, I was always clear that it had to be maths. As I discovered more about the actuarial profession, it felt like a great option that would allow me to build a career around something I really enjoyed.

How did you find life as an actuary? 

I loved being able to use my maths skills as a foundation for my career. After completing my Actuarial Science degree, I worked in general insurance in South Africa before joining AIG Life (Alico) in London working in Business Development and Pricing. Alico was then bought by MetLife and this is when I felt it was a good time to make a move into consulting and experience this market first hand.

How did the switch to recruitment happen? 

As my career progressed, I gained project and people management experience.  I joined KPMG as a resource manager, supporting Life and Non-life teams. This was a very different role to my previous actuarial positions. I was responsible for allocating actuaries to a wide range of projects, so not only did I gain deep insights into a huge variety of complex projects, I also developed a great radar for understanding resourcing needs and role requirements as well as people skills. I didn’t realise it at the time, but this was the foundation for my move to a people-focused role.

Did you enjoy consultancy life? 

Consultancy and in-house roles are very different and I’m so glad I’ve experienced both. The fast-paced consultancy world is incredibly stimulating. It’s a fast track for development and my market knowledge rocketed. I was working at a senior level and interacting with knowledgeable colleagues on fascinating projects. Definitely a career highlight for me.

So why did you move on? 

I decided that I wanted to stay close to my actuarial roots, so when the time came for a new challenge, this was an important part of my decision making. I started exploring the market for opportunities and soon realised that my resourcing skills opened up a new avenue for me – one that kept me connected to my hands-on actuarial experience. I hadn’t considered recruitment as a career, but in my conversations with Emerald Group, they highlighted how well my skills would suit this role. 

Was joining Emerald Group an easy decision to make? 

No! I always commit fully to my decisions, so as you can imagine I gave this a lot of thought. I gathered as much information as I needed then took the time to really think through whether this was the right step for me. One of the key factors was my experience as a candidate. I actually loved the experience I had as a candidate with the Emerald Group. It helped me realise how important it is to work with recruiters who love what they do, have clear values about how they operate and treat their candidates well. I didn’t just choose recruitment: I chose recruitment with the Emerald Group, which has proven to be a great combination.

What was your first day like at Emerald Group? 

Quite a learning curve! I had all the people skills and actuarial skills I needed, but a recruitment environment is unique. It brings so many skills together and of course the focus is on successful placements, which was an entirely new dimension for me. At Emerald Group, we work both independently and as part of a team, so the team dynamic is really important. Luckily my colleagues were very welcoming. I certainly felt the pressure of being an experienced actuary, but helping my colleagues with technical questions is one of the ways we support each other. It turns out I can be quite competitive too, which is definitely an asset in a sales-driven environment! I settled in quickly and then it was a question of getting on with the job.

At what point did you know you’d made the right decision? 

I joined Emerald Group in the middle of a recession: it was a really tough market at the time, with more candidates than vacancies. I quickly realised that good recruitment is all about relationships and my network was an immediate strength. I love working with people and it was really rewarding to make successful placements, knowing that candidates and clients were a great match. I haven’t looked back.

What do clients and candidates gain when they work with you? 

My hands-on actuarial knowledge means I understand the finer details of what candidates do and what clients are looking for. My clients trust me, knowing that every candidate I put forward has the right technical skills and will be a great fit. My candidates know that I can advise them on their next steps and help them reach their career goals. I’m really motivated to place people into the right companies and positions, and everyone I work with benefits from that.

Tell us about your best day at Emerald Group. 

I had a candidate who was struggling to find a role for a number of different reasons. They were submitting CVs but hadn’t been able to get past the first stage with clients. They were so disheartened but because I understood the detail of their technical skills, I was able to cut through the barriers that were blocking their progress and really get to the heart of what they could do for an employer. A CV can only tell you so much. I was going to represent them and be the voice behind it. I spoke to an Emerald Group client that I knew would be a great fit: they were initially unsure but they trusted me and we set up an interview. My client was really impressed and the candidate got the job. My input made all the difference for this person and I can’t describe how rewarding it was to transform someone’s career prospects like this. The day their offer was confirmed was definitely my best day!

Ten years later, what advice do you have for anyone looking for a change in career?

Making a major career change like this is daunting but recruitment is an environment where you can thrive if you have the right transferrable skills. My Emerald Group colleagues have varied backgrounds but we all share a passion for working with people. It’s incredibly satisfying to help people on their career journeys and if you think that will motivate you too, recruitment is a great career choice.

If you’d like to know more about how Emerald Group can help you source the best candidates, find the best roles – or even discuss joining us as a recruiter, please call us on +44 (0)207 283 2520.