Summer Student Review

I very much enjoyed my internship from start to finish. Each day was well organised in the same manner as a regular day at work for any of my other colleagues and I found this very important in helping me to settle in properly. I looked forward to coming in to the office each day and very quickly got used to the relaxed working environment for the duration of my internship.

I felt very welcome from the beginning of my internship, both in the office as a whole and as a member of my team. I felt like a useful member of the team and I was able to carry out pieces of work with commercial value. As my internship progressed I felt able to take on bigger & more complex pieces of work and to carry them out independently.

I was assigned a People Manager within my team, and they were responsible for coordinating my initial introduction to the team and the work I would be doing. Every Friday we had a one-to-one catch up where we would discuss my progress throughout the last week, and identify any areas where I could still make progress. I felt very comfortable asking both my People Manager and my team Buddy for assistance when I required it and I found advice constructive.

I was generally given lots of notice for upcoming appointments so I was able to plan my day-to-day work accordingly. At the beginning of my internship much of my time was spent in training sessions and practicing various types of work. On quieter days I knew who to contact in my team to pick up any ongoing tasks, and I allocated time to my project to fit in with my team. On days when the office was quieter I would focus on my individual project so that I was available for general work when my team members were back in.

After being trained in various pieces of work I would be given time to practice them until I was proficient. Therefore, for work with commercial value I was given responsibility in gradual increases to mirror my competence in those areas. I was trusted with confidential information regarding clients when it was required. Tasks such as correspondence with clients were initially monitored until my colleagues were satisfied that I was competent in carrying them out on my own.

I have learned numerous valuable lessons throughout my internship. Many of these are personal: my confidence and skills in presenting, corresponding and organising have increased greatly. I have learned how to manage my time and work in the way that best suits my learning style - I am about to enter my final year of university and this knowledge will be invaluable in the coming year and beyond. Through being introduced to a working environment where I can see myself in the future, I will be able to focus my studies and future efforts on developing these skills.

The office was a very welcoming environment with an appropriately relaxed atmosphere. Teams sat together in small (<6) banks of desks which aided communication with colleagues. People were friendly, chatty and always happy to assist each other when required - work was often shared on quieter days and the layout of the office meant that informal discussions were possible without disturbing others. As an intern I did not feel like an extra part, but very much a useful member of my team. I felt as though other people in the office also viewed me as such and were keen for me to integrate well. An important feature of the office is that beyond the banks of desks where people sit, there is no formal hierarchical layout, such as offices for partners or actuaries. Everyone has the same desk and resources available to them, which removes any unnecessary formality. It also helped in organising meetings with people because I could always see if they were busy or away from their desk!

From the first day at Hymans I felt as though my path through the next eight weeks was clear. The initial induction took up the majority of my time, but even then was clearly timetabled with designated session leaders. As the weeks progressed and I had more responsibility in my work, I also had more responsibility to organise my own time. However, I was always updated by my People Manager and HR coordinator about upcoming appointments, such as my monthly and end-of-placement review.

I always felt as though Hymans placed great value in me as an individual and a prospective actuarial student after my internship. It did not seem to matter that I was only here for eight weeks - for those eight weeks, I was a full-time member of staff and was treated with that level of respect, trust and recognition. In many ways I was treated just like one of the new graduates - I was also encouraged to attend training sessions with my colleagues which would improve my understanding of pensions and consultancy.

I believe that Hymans offer wonderful prospects for employment and subsequent promotion within the firm. There is a clear route to follow in qualifying as an actuary and I have been well informed by my People Manager and also by HR in how I would go about achieving this. There is a process of recruitment on which interns are considered alongside other applicants.

The firm as a whole (and practices/teams within) are encouraged to socialise outside working hours and there are numerous opportunities to do this. Colleagues are keen to attend end-of-month drinks and celebratory events, such as when students have qualified. I attended a practice Away Day which was a great opportunity to get to know my colleagues more and to enjoy social activities together. Among the interns, we were keen to socialise among ourselves too and this gave us opportunities to share our experiences in the office.

I commuted to the city centre office and I found the cost of this to be reasonable. Glasgow is a moderately expensive city for living and working in, but I was already familiar with this and it did not cause me any difficulties. Socialising was not expensive beyond any average cost of food or drinks in an average bar or restaurant.

There is a great nightlife in Glasgow and therefore lots of opportunities to socialise with friends and colleagues. The Hymans Robertson office is located directly in Glasgow city centre and therefore is very close to bars and restaurants for any events, planned or otherwise. Colleagues in the office would often share tips about great places to visit!

There were numerous opportunities to get involved in sports activities within Hymans. There was organised football games and hockey matches, as well as a weekly running club in the evening, and interns were welcome at all of these events. There were also activities organised at the weekends such as hillwalking trips.