Actuarial Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and would highly recommend it. I did not know what to expect before I joined, but the internship has definitely exceeded my expectations. I have enjoyed the work I have been set and found the variation highly interesting and useful for learning many new skills.

I felt like most of my colleagues made an effort to get to know me during my time here. I had work set by many different people in the team and they all took time to explain it to me in a simple, clear manner. They ensured I was invited along to social events and organised a joining meal.

The managers were all very helpful and willing to give advice if needed. In particular, my buddy and career coach were very supportive during my time here and arranged regular catch ups to check how I was progressing. They were always on hand to ask questions and generally made me feel very welcome!

I was given plenty of work to be getting on with during my placement. I had a good balance of work, meaning I was busy but not overworked. If I was asked to do work and I already had too much, I would let them know and they were very understanding.

During my internship, I was given many pieces of client work, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was left to get on with my work independently but there was always someone there to help if I needed it. I particularly liked sitting in on meetings where the work was reviewed by an senior member of staff as I could see where my work was going.

I feel like I have gained valuable skills through completing my internship. I have developed my problem solving skills, which are an essential part of my degree and future working life. I have enhanced my organisational, time management and leadership skills, through working to deadlines and working with a wide range of people.

There was a great atmosphere in the office, everyone was friendly and welcoming from the minute I arrived. It is a relaxed working environment and the office is built so that everyone can work however they find comfortable. There was a also a good social side to the office and I was invited out with the rest of the team on summer socials.

The internship was very well organised and structured. There was a residential trip organised for the first few days of the internship, which was very helpful in getting to know everyone! On our first day in the office, we were given a guided tour and helped to set up our laptops.

The firm provided induction training on our trip to Windsor and put on events in the evenings which were very entertaining. During the first few weeks in the office there was specific training for my line of service, which I found extremely useful and will hopefully help me in the future.

Throughout my internship I requested feedback for the work I completed and then took it to an end of placement meeting. I was hoping for a graduate job offer and was extremely pleased when I was told on the final day of the internship that I had been successful and was made an offer!

There was a good social scene in the office and I was invited on all the socials whilst I was there. We did a range of activities and there was something for everyone. We also went on an away day during my first week in the office which was a good event for getting to know people from other offices.

I was not living out during the time of my internship, however the costs of trains were quite reasonable as I had a railcard. Food and drink around the office was quite expensive but there are cheaper places only a few minutes walk away. I went for drinks after work a few times which I found were around average price.

There was a good, lively nightlife in in the area I worked. There was a mixture of pubs and bars for a drink and a great choice of restaurants. There was also other more niche activities, such as a darts bar and street food pop up tents which I made the most of!

There were many opportunities to get involved with things outside of work, such as cooking competitions and lunch time tours of Manchester.