Benefits Intern Review

I only spent six weeks in the retirement department at Towers Watson but came away feeling like I had received a real education in pensions. I met some really fantastic people in my time there - people with a gift for sharing experience, knowledge and skills. I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience overall.

On my first day, I felt really valued and very pleased when some of my new colleagues (including a very senior consultant) approached me to welcome me to the team. This sentiment did not waver for a second throughout my time there. My colleagues always recognised my work efforts and made me feel like I had made a worthwhile contribution. If I completed a task in a timely manner I was commended for doing so and if my presentation was neat this was remarked on. From the most menial job to some complex challenges I always felt that I was valued. The work I was given seemed to show that my colleagues had confidence in me and my abilities and this motivated me to excel.

In my office in Reigate I met a bunch of people with the most incredible ability to teach and to communicate effectively with junior employees like myself. I was apprehensive about the role I was in as my degree is only partly mathematical but everyone I worked with (at management level and below) was clear and coherent and above all, eager to assist me if I had any problems at all. I never felt that I was bothering anyone because everyone was so approachable. On a more general level, I had a line manager to report to with any questions or queries and she was really easy to get along with and always available.

The internship was really well structured. I didn't just have day-to-day work but also various tasks including designing a new layout for the Towers Watson recruitment webiste, presenting at a technical discussion, organising a pub quiz and assisting on projects. This meant that when I was light on work I had quite a lot to keep me occupied and engaged with the industry and my colleagues. Whilst everyone was off on holidays it was a little more difficult to keep busy but that is to be expected in any job.

I never felt that anyone held back on giving me work because I was only an intern. I worked alongside graduates and people at levels above that and always felt like I was treated just as they were. It gave me masses of confidence to think that my colleagues believed I was capable of working at the next level. The work I received was varied in terms of difficulty and nature. I learnt a lot though from all of the work I undertook and always received an explanation sufficient to understand why it was important, how it worked and how it impacted the client. On one task I got to work on a computer programme designed for client funding calculations so I could see the wider scope of my work.

In six weeks I picked up so many skills and so much information. The biggest thing was the knowledge I gained from my internship, which was vast. Prior to my internship I had great interest although I didn't know much about pensions but I left with almost a passion for pensions and a lot of very important foundation information about the industry and the job role. I also gained a number of personal skills. Being required to present on a technical subject I certainly had a chance to improve on my presenting. I also gained a little assertiveness and bettered my organisation skills. I left with confidence and enthusiasm.

I worked in what was mostly quite a quiet office, which I felt was conducive to getting work done effectively and efficiently. The area of the office that I was located in had a lovely atmosphere. There was always plenty of laughter to break up the day. Everyone seemed to share a love of treats and baking and silly jokes. And additionally there was a real sense of team work as my colleagues often discussed work problems amongst themselves. In addition, the office was lovely and light and airy and you could usually find whoever you needed somewhere in the nearby vicinity.

The internship was excellently designed and executed. From my first morning I was given work instructions and a whole host of other tasks to keep me busy. I was introduced to all the right people. I was even told what to do when I was light on work. Everything had been thought of and prepared for. I absolutely loved all the extra tasks too - the technical discussion we had to present on was daunting but such an experience and an insight too!

I received quite considerable training, which is so important in an actuarial role. The training was very informative (although it was a little overwhelming having this in the very early stages of my internship). We had a meeting with a colleague who advised on training too and she made us aware of all the many ways of qualifying as an actuary and all the extra development the company offers. Towers Watson seem to invest all they can in ensuring their employees receive all the support and guidance necessary to qualify as actuaries and to evolve in their roles. I was very impressed by the company's commitment to development.

Such an impressive company to begin your career with!

I was one of about 8 interns at Reigate. We had all been tasked with group projects and presentations and social planning so we had ample opportunity to work together and get to know each other. It was really comforting to have peers to ask silly questions or have a casual chat to. It was also nice to have a group of people to socialise with. I particularly enjoyed attending the wine and cheese evening arranged by three of the other interns - a chance to get to know colleagues, to get to know the interns and to have some wine and cheese!

Reigate certainly does not fall onto the same scale as London in terms of costs although it isn't cheap either. Reigate is a good alternative to London as the rent is more affordable and there is still a great transport link into the capital. I felt that my internship was incredibly well paid and my rent was well subsidised which made it much easier for me to afford living in London and travelling to Surrey.

There are a few lovely pubs in Reigate and some brilliant restaurants too. The people of the Reigate office also make a real effort to organise events around the area too, for example pub quizzes and rounders competitions. Reigate does lack some of the big attractions of London but is still a gorgeous location with plenty to offer in the way of wining and dining, activities and beautiful scenery.

Many people in the office had a very big interest in sports, especially cricket and rounders. There were numerous events going on outside work.