Actuarial Summer Intern Review

The tasks were varied and I was able to work on projects with many colleagues over the eight week period.

Being an intern there is a worry that you will be ignored. This wasn't at all the case. I was fully included in team briefs and social events.

Everyone starts with a 'buddy' who is a level above them, this helps as they identify with the problems you are going through as they've just overcome them! By Management, we were given a meeting at the end of the placement to discuss how things went. I was also given support by the managers on my floor on tasks they asked me to carry out.

I was on the wind-ups floor and they were particularly busy, so I had a lot of projects to work on. Leading up to my final few weeks, I was at my busiest but never felt overworked or stressed. There was always time to fit in outside interests into your day.

In terms of a summer placement and talking to like minded students on other schemes, Mercer do allow interns more responsibility than most. As all work is peer reviewed, no work will ever go out without being checked which enables colleagues to give you challenging work.

I have already started to use some of the skills I developed on Excel in Mathematical Projects in Third Year to manipulate data in some research. The internship also allows you to get a taste of a true office environment and lets you experience actuarial work before fully committing yourself.

All colleagues were friendly, helping you with any problems you had. On a personal level, as the Manchester office is fairly big you were able to chat to lots of different people and able to enjoy a variety of social events.

When I compared Mercer to other actuarial schemes I was particularly impressed with how the placement is planned out. The first two days are spent in a hotel with the rest of the Interns throughout the UK (about 45 in total), you also have the opportunity to meet up and share experiences on the final day in London. I was also taken on a training day in Leeds to help with my Excel training and the grad team were useful in co-ordinating the actual scheme.

Even though I was only there for eight weeks, I spent four days out of the office on training activities. All the staff were particularly helping in answers specific questions you might have about an actuarial career and helping you decide if it is for you. There was a meeting at the end to evaluate the placement.

There are a variety of different roles that Mercer recruit for.

UK wide, we met up at the start and end of the placement to share experiences. In terms of the Manchester office, we went out atleast once a week for a meal and/or drinks.

The office was in the centre of Manchester and some of the bars we went to weren't cheap but a lot of the activities were either subsidised by Mercer or some of the bosses themselves. For instance, on my last day our whole team went bowling & drinks...and I didn't pay a penny!

Manchester nightlife is whatever you want it to be. It's got a really big student night life but as the placement is over summer you don't see it fully.

There are 5 a side football competitions, adventure weekends away, exam celebrations etc...