Actuarial Trainee Review

by Punter Southall

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

Rating

3.5/5
  • The Role
    3.9
  • The Company
    3.2
  • The Culture
    3.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed my actuarial internship at the Edinburgh office of Punter Southall. This was down to the welcoming work colleagues, comfortable working hours and stimulating tasks I was required to complete.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I was delighted with how much responsibility I was given by colleagues and I believe this was down to how much they valued my help. I felt as though I was trusted to complete the work to a high standard.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • Whenever I had a question, all I had to do was ask. Although at times I felt as though I was being a bit of a pain repeatedly asking questions, the team never demeaned me but instead were always willing to offer support and guidance.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • As the internship progressed I found myself becoming increasingly busy as my workload built up. However, at the beginning work was a little slow and I found myself searching for jobs. Nevertheless, I think it is important to accept this as part and parcel of any internship to begin with.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • Naturally, as I became more confident with chargeable work I was given more responsibility with such tasks. By the final weeks of my internship I was taking on jobs without having to be informed of what I was able to manage and felt as though I was making a great deal of progress.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • As a student of mathematics, I found the numerical work fairly standard due to the courses I have covered within my degree work. What was slightly more challenging was getting to grips with the legislation involved, and also the economical side to which I was initially unfamiliar. I think these skills shall certainly prove to be valuable in my future career.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • I found everyone in the office to be exceptionally hard working, and thus there was little time for chat while people concentrated on their work. However, in the brief spells when the workload was lighter it was always easy to strike up conversation. There were a number of particularly upbeat characters and everyone had a similar sense of humour which always helps.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Although there wasn't necessarily a great deal of structure around myself, I was made to feel part of the team, which I feel actually proved more beneficial than if I had been singled out as the 'intern'. Instead I was made to feel involved with the actuarial team and given the chance to show initiative as opposed to being instructed all of the time.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • Whenever I was unfamiliar with any aspect of the work, one of the trainee actuaries would sit down with me for half an hour or so and explain the task in hand. Thus I believe I learned a great deal from being taught, instead of struggling to get to grips with things by trying to figure it all out for myself.

    3/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Company Parties/Events

    Above 25 days holiday

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • Although the internship is not designed to offer you a graduate job at the end, other previous interns I have spoken with have eventually secured a full time place as a result of their internship, and thus I am also hoping to achieve this.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • On a number of occasions we went out for lunch/evening drinks and this appears to be the norm within the office. The different teams all seem to socialise together which I think helps with the atmosphere in the office.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Having lived in Edinburgh for 3 years now, I am fully aware that it is not a particularly cheap place to live/socialise. However, I can say that it has a great deal to offer, especially with the fringe festival taking place over the same time as my internship, although prices also increase during this period.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Edinburgh has an abundance of pubs/clubs and comedy events and the city is so manageable in terms of accessibility that it is easy to walk around or take a short taxi ride to different parts of the city.

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Although I am aware that the office does involve itself in a number of activities, unfortunately none of these took place over the 6 week period in which I was an intern.

    3/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Actuary, Business Operations, Financial Management

Scotland

August 2013


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