Assistant Pricing Actuary Review
by Zurich Insurance
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.3
-
The Company
3.6
-
The Culture
2.5
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I thoroughly enjoyed the job, the work was varied and interesting and I was given responsibility whilst I was on my placement as well.
I felt valued by my colleagues, we all got on really well together. As a relatively young team who had gone through a lot of recent transition there was still a great deal of team spirit and motivation.
I was given all the support that I needed, if I ever had a problem or difficulty with my work then any member of the team, but particularly my manager was always willing to help and advise.
I was busy throughout the year, at times there was a big workload but I enjoyed the pressure of this and at other times the workload was lighter. There was always enough for us to do.
I was given a lot of responsibility including conducting my own pricing review and completing individual case pricing assessments.
The skills that I have developed will help me through into my career as i would like to train to be an actuary so the placement year has been pivotal in that sense. Similarly the other skills learnt such as team work, business communication, organisation have all come into play during my final year and throughout graduate application processes.
The Company
The office was generally relaxed, everyone was friendly and approachable.
There was no specific placement set-up and the manager I was working with had no previous management role. However I found that this was ideal as i was treated as an ordinary employee and given the experiences and responsibilities of a first year graduate without the exams!
I had external training courses and also internal knowledge-sharing training sessions and a team-building session so I feel the company invested well in my personal training and development.
Subsidised Canteen
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
I am applying for the graduate scheme with Zurich.
The Culture
I was the only placement student however there was a good social scene with my colleagues particularly the graduates.
Farnborough isn't really the most exciting of areas, there are plenty of pubs though and nearby Fleet has a club. I commuted to Farnborough so I'm not sure what living costs were like but the drinks/food was reasonably priced nearby.
The nightlife was not really plentiful, but nearby towns offer more, Woking and Guildford are 20 minutes away.
There were charitable events, social occasions and plenty to be involved in.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Scotland
November 2008
