Actuarial Intern - Summer Internship Review

I worked within the Actuarial P&O division. It was an enjoyable experience, where a lot of time is invested into their interns and they provide a lot of interesting work! There was always a variety of work on offer and if you are proactive there was generally always some work to be done.

Colleagues always listened to your ideas, supported and developed them. They were very inclusive, treating you as one of their own whether they were 1st year associates or partners of the division. I was invited out with colleges a lot for coffees, lunches and time after work, which really enhanced the experience.

The support and guidance couldn't be faulted really. You are assigned a buddy and a people manager, both of who consistently support you and provide advice through the internship. There is mid internship feedback which really allows you develop over the experience and creates a sense of progression.

A lot of the time it is great with lots to do from a range of staff, which is great to be able to get to know the whole team well. However, at times there is limited work that interns can undertake so there were 2/3 days in the 6 weeks that I wasn't very busy. But, overall it would be unfair to say that I wasn't busy as there was a lot of variety and quantity of work in general over the whole experience, which felt rewarding.

There is a lot of responsibility given to interns, who were allowed to jump straight into some complex topics and complete a bulk of work, before supervisors checked the work and gave you feedback/ changes. This was a great responsibility as you really got to learn how to complete the tasks well and from scratch, not just some parts.

A lot of work revolves around specific Excel functions and I learnt a lot to do with Excel overall, which i'm sure will be of great benefit in a spectrum of career choices that i could make, Further, a lot of training is put into their interns, from the 1st week of the internship getting training both in a hotel complex and in the offices, to the online webinars throughout the internship, you learn a lot of in depth Actuarial and financial knowledge.

This was the thing that makes PwC. Everyone is extremely kind, supportive, social and easy-going. There was always work to be done, so people are motivated, but you are always welcome to get guidance and support from workers throughout the day by going to their desks.

I found the internship to be well organised, which was to be expected considering the long-standing nature of the programme. The induction during the first week ensured we were well prepared for joining our teams and I found the induction to be very beneficial to my development. Throughout the internship, there were a number of skills sessions and networking events organised for us to get the most out of the placement.

As mentioned there is a week solely at the beginning of the internship dedicated to training and development both on-site and off-site. throughout the internship there are online webinars to learn more. Each day colleagues would take the time to brief you on a task, fill you in on the background and how we plan to help clients, which is nice to know all the information and feel part of a team.

Future job prospects at PwC are very good and there is a high conversion rate of job after completing the summer internship. If you work hard, network well and make a good impression, it is more than likely you will be offered a job on the graduate programme, which is a very well respected programme.

I found there to be a really great social scene at PwC, amongst the interns and permanent employees alike! We would very often go out for drinks in the evenings after work, which was a nice way to get to know employees out of a work context and network more informally.

The living cost associated with London, but this was always to be expected! However, I managed to find accommodation at a reasonable price and I was provided with a generous intern salary, so I never felt that I really struggled financially at any point. The cost of socialising is also quite high, but it is possible to find bars nearby doing good offers on drinks, food etc.

Based in Central London so nightlife was great! Lots of places to eat and drink. Easy to get to party areas. There is a range of Nightlife within range of the office and across the city so your options are not limited. Overall the nightlife is excellent in London. There is always something to do for everyone.

There were plenty of opportunities to engage with others outside of work, including sports day. This was a good opportunity, especially as it was so early on in the placement, to get to know other people, including the other interns. There was also the opportunity to socialise on a Friday evening with colleagues.