Actuarial Analyst (Intern) Review

Great variety of challenging work, really got to experience the daily role of a reserving actuary. Very friendly company and the 9:30 - 5:30 hours are very strict, not even the managers stay beyond 5:45 most days. Really useful Excel and presentation training days to give you a more all round experience with these key things for the workplace.

Didn't even feel like an intern, wasn't looked down on or given meaningless work.

Managers and other teammates were always willing to answer any questions I had and guide me into the work I was doing without spoon-feeding me.

Plenty of work to be done, even though it was the quiet season. On the rare occasions that I didn't have any work, I just asked any of my colleagues if they had something I could work on and was quickly introduced to some new part of the business.

Was given loads of responsibility, with the actual work I was doing being used to output the final figures, not just having it redone by others.

Excel and presentation skills are integral to any line of work in the city, training was invaluable. Also got plenty of exposure to more specific software used by actuaries in the insurance industry which is again a huge plus for future career options.

Was a bit of a quiet period between quarters, so people were often taking annual leave. Nonetheless, whoever was in the office at the time was always great company, with some friendly chat, but not too much that you couldn't focus on your work.

Well organised, with a group intern project to ensure we kept up with each other, even though we were spread across different departments. Good organisation before arrival meant I had a whole plan of the different work I would be doing in my time at Hiscox.

As mentioned before, Excel training and presentation training days. Also had a day of presentation entitled "Introduction to Insurance" to give us some understanding of how the industry works.

Competitive salary, great atmosphere, brilliant hours, definitely somewhere I would hope to get a job.

Met up for lunch on an almost daily basis with other interns as well as having an intern project to give us something we could really call our own and add something to the company. Grad buddy system in place where each intern was paired with a grad with whom they could speak to for advice on any topic of their choosing, whether it be work related or about potential other employment options outside of Hiscox.

Lived at home, being in the city, some of the bars could be a little expensive, but fellow colleagues always have tips on some of the cheaper places to go. Discounts as a result of being 'Company of the Month' at some local bars also helped bring down the cost.

For personal reasons I don't often go out late at night, but I gathered from my fellow interns that they had some rather fun evenings out together.

Some options within the office itself such as a personal trainer and massages etc. Outside of work is really your own time to do whatever activities you enjoy, there may be some company sports teams, but I don't know if it's something interns get involved in.