Summer Student Review

I have greatly enjoyed the experience of working in the Actuarial and Benefits practice in the London office. I have learned so much during the two month internship not just about pensions, but also about the inner workings of a consultancy and the sector as a whole. The experience has proved to me that an actuarial career is something that I would definitely want to pursue.

I would dare to say that the employees at Hymans Robertson are the friendliest actuaries around. I quickly became a regular member of the team and I was treated as any other colleague ¬ – I never felt I was treated just as a summer intern. Everyone showed their appreciation if I have gone out of my way to help them out on an urgent task.

Each intern is assigned a buddy, a people manager and a team leader to support them over the 8 weeks. I had a weekly catch up with my people manager to discuss how things were going and would speak to my buddy on a daily basis about any tasks that I was working on at the moment and any questions that I might have had. I could also seek support from the 4 colleagues sat at my bank of desks if I ever had any issues and they were always more than happy to help.

I had plenty of work to do from day one and this has kept me busy for the entire duration of the internship. I had transfer values to complete, work on my summer project, team meetings and ad-hoc client queries on top of that. The firm operates on a 9-to-5 basis so it was rare that I would have to stay late in the office unless there was a specific deadline.

I was given the same level of responsibility as a graduate trainee so I would draft documents and client emails, perform calculations, complete background research and preparatory work for presentations, etc. Each piece of work would undergo rigorous three tier checking and review process to ensure the work is of high quality and free of errors before being sent to the client. I also had a summer intern project that focused on one of the services offered by the firm. This project was entirely my responsibility and my input was greatly valued.

The internship not only helped me to improve a number of soft skills, including time management and communication skills, but also technical skills especially pensions theory and software necessary to complete relevant calculations. The day to day work allowed me to apply the theory I have learned in my undergrad at university to real world applications. Furthermore, all interns are required to set three learning aims at the start of the internship and then work throughout the two months with their people manager to complete a learning log that captures how these goals were achieved.

The atmosphere in the office was really friendly. The open-plan layout meant that not only was everyone very approachable if I had any questions but also that I was sat right next to a senior partner and a senior consultant. Our team leader would also check our busyness on a weekly basis to ensure our workload is not too heavy and we were encouraged to leave at 5pm.

We have received a detailed induction plan two weeks before commencing the internship, which outlined a plan for the full 8 weeks including a number of training sessions in the first week in the office. My buddy was also on hand for the entirety of the internship for when I had any questions.

In addition to the training sessions in the first week, my colleagues would sit down and take the time to talk me through the process every time I was given an unfamiliar piece of work. I was also able to take part in a number of Skype calls with colleagues from other offices/practices presenting the work that they do to give us an insight into the work of the rest of the firm. Thanks to the project I was working on, I also had a chance to have meetings with senior people in the firm and learn some tips and tricks from them.

The friendly atmosphere, supportive environment and work-life balance Hymans Robertson offers makes it an ideal company for any future actuarial consultant. I honestly did not want to leave at the end of the 8 weeks and would definitely love to return as a graduate trainee following the completion of my studies should I be offered the opportunity to do so.

There was always an opportunity to socialise with colleagues at least once a week, whether it be team lunches, social events or after work drinks. The interns also tried to meet up for lunch every day though not everyone was able to take part every time due to deadlines and conflicting meetings.

London in general is expensive, but there was a wide selection of shops and bars in various price ranges in the near proximity to the office.

Given the office’s close proximity to St. Paul’s, there was a vibrant nightlife in the surrounding area, which facilitated Friday after-work drinks with fellow interns and colleagues.

There were biweekly team events, which included socials, after work drinks and even a pub quiz! It was a great way to socialise with colleagues outside of the office.