Actuarial Consulting Intern Review

I found the internship to be very enjoyable. The team was extremely friendly and the interns were immersed into a great team straight away. The work was, in some cases, hard but very stimulating with lots of links to my course.The fact that we were always busy has meant the 8 weeks have flown by!

We were made to feel part of the team straight away. On our very first day in office we were invited to a staff BBQ at lunchtime and more subsequent team lunches followed. The interns were treated like graduates would be and thus trusted by our colleagues to complete actual client work.

The first two days of the programme was an induction in the Liverpool office. At the induction we were taught the basics of what we would need to have a worthwhile internship. On the first day in the office we were assigned mentors who were always on hand to help if we had questions, no matter how simple/complicated they may be.

Our days were always filled with tasks. In the first half of the internship we had a mix of client work training sessions with different members of the team. In the second half of the internship we still had a healthy stream of client work as well as a series of assessed exercise to do. The fact that I was always busy meant that I had to be organised meaning my time management skills developed well.

From the very start we were trusted with client work. Colleagues gave us this work and trusted us to complete it. In the start the work can seem very new and alien, but you are encouraged to ask questions and eventually the processes become second nature. The interns are treated like new graduates joining the company.

I found the learning to be very hands on, I valued this immensely as it is experience that I can’t get through my degree studies. Before the internship I had only a basic understanding of pensions, markets and investments but I have learnt a lot over the course of the 8 weeks and I can’t wait to go back to university with a greater depth of knowledge.

The entire office, not just the actuarial teams, was extremely friendly. There were a lot of office charity events and generally somewhat of a family feel. There was a lot of socialising within the Investment and Trustee Consulting teams both in and out of work. This friendly atmosphere made the internship all the more enjoyable.

The organisers of the internship had thought it through really well. There was a different training session more or less every day at the start of the internship. We later relied on when carrying out client work throughout the rest of the internship. The team as a whole is generally well set up technologically, a great integrated calendar integrated into emails made the whole operation seem very seamless.

The company invested lots of time and effort in the interns over the 8 weeks, this is because they are looking for potential new graduates to take on. If you are taken on as a graduate, BW will pay for you actuarial exams and also give you study leave. I know the graduates in office valued this immensely.

I started the internship having a limited knowledge on what an actuary actually does. I’ve come out of the internship with bags of experience and knowing that a career as an actuary is a brilliant route to take. Offers are made to interns and the prospect of joining and growing with BW is very appealing to an aspiring actuary.

There was only 1 other intern but we got on very well.

The area (Cheltenham) is relatively expensive compared to other area of the UK. Drinks prices are agreeable.

Doesn't compare to big cities but a very lively town with multiple clubs and bars.

Lots of staff social events and team lunches.