Actuarial Summer Intern

Abbie Rice

Mathematics/Statistics

Internship (1 Month+)

Barnett Waddingham LLP

Why did you apply for Barnett Waddingham?

I first came across Barnett Waddingham when looking for an actuarial summer internship. I wasn’t looking at any firms in particular but saw their summer student programme on a job search website and decided to look for further information. After visiting their website I liked the sound of the company ethos and principles, the job description was exactly what I was looking for. The website offered blog posts written by previous summer students and current staff which also persuaded me to apply.

What was the recruitment process like?

The recruitment process involved three main stages: an online application, a phone interview and an assessment centre. The assessment centre comprised of a case study; a 1:1 interview; a group exercise and online competency tests. It sounds like a lot but this was the norm for most internship and grad scheme applications. Even if I was unsuccessful I saw the process as a good opportunity for interview experience and I also felt supported the whole way through!

What have been your highlights?

The main highlights of the internship were getting involved in real client work, socialising with and feeling part of the team and learning about the actuarial profession. Prior to the summer student programme I had almost no knowledge of pensions or what an actuary does, the helpfulness of the team and the variety of work I was involved in really improved my knowledge, especially of technical terms.

What have been your challenges?

Although it was a highlight, learning lots of new information and complicated technical terms was a lot to deal with at first! However this definitely got easier as time went on. I also had a long commute to the office each day, but I soon realised this is part of the work life!

What advice would you give to a student following in your footsteps?

Having experience is really valuable, not just in helping secure a job but also allowing you to learn what kind of career you want. I would also advise to get involved in as much as possible, in both socials and work projects. You are largely responsible for how much you achieve.