Investment / Actuarial Consultant Review

by Barnett Waddingham LLP

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3/5
  • The Role
    3.1
  • The Company
    2.8
  • The Culture
    3.3

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • The people and atmosphere were very welcoming and helpful which enabled me to settle in very quickly. Regular socials and opportunities to interact which include summer students having to organise a social which was another opportunity to interact with members of the office. Overall it was a very enjoyable internship which I would recommend if looking to pursue an Actuarial career.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • The company places a huge emphasis on creating a worker friendly environment which was seen from the start. When mistakes were made, people were always very patient to explain and go over your work. Feedback was mostly provided.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • We had half way and end of internship reviews which addressed action points and assessed tasks we had to complete. However that is as far as it went in terms of formal interactions. We did always know that our line manager was on hand to help if need be.

    3/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Work would be relatively inconsistent because of the time of the year we are working I guess. Some weeks our plate is full with client work and the expectation of completing projects and tasks within a certain time limit however some weeks we would have very little to no work. The Actuarial and Investment teams would do their best to ensure we had at least something to do.

    2/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • Given client work from the very beginning and the responsibilities would increase as the internship went on. Given testing assessed tasks as well as opportunities to present at meetings and to our assessors.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Due to niche nature of the Actuarial profession (and my degree being unrelated to Actuarial science) I did not take a great deal from that front. However I found the Investment Consulting hugely insightful from the perspective of learning about investment strategy and tailoring portfolios to pension schemes needs. So this was relatively divided.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • A tale of two offices. Within the Investment Consulting desk the atmosphere was brilliant. Everyone being so friendly really makes you enjoy the days you are spending there. The Actuarial Consulting desk had everyone dispersed around the office with people not speaking to you much. The first half of my internship was much worse because of this being the case.

    3/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • I could tell there was a fixed programme that was conducted very well. We had training most Mondays, assessed tasks sent to us throughout with appropriate deadlines and 3 projects to complete over the duration of our summer. Being in the Cheltenham office I even got to go to Bristol for a few days that was helpful to change the scenery.

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • There was regular feedback by whoever set us tasks to do as well as 2 reviews to discuss action points. This was helpful to identify personal development points and actions to take relative to company specific work produced.

    3/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Company Parties/Events
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • 2/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • 5/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • 3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Mainly bars as its a small area. You would need to go to Gloucester for the clubs.

    2/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Constant volunteering day opportunities

    4/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

South West

August 2019

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