Business Support Specialist - Retirement - Actuarial Review

I enjoyed the majority of my internship - my colleagues were very friendly and welcoming, and I found the work interesting and engaging. I was given a good level of responsibility and independence so I didn't feel like I was being watched over, but I also didn't feel like I was being left alone.

My colleagues were welcoming from the very first day, and by the end of the first week I already felt like a part of the team. This friendly atmosphere instantly made me feel more relaxed and confident, especially when it came to asking questions and needing help, and people were always happy to help out.

My line managers had a much more significant presence in my first 4 weeks, with frequent check-ins to see how we were getting along and to see if we needed any help or had any questions about anything. However, they also made sure they were not the sole point of contact, with other colleagues also offering individual support and guidance. In the last 4 weeks, they still carried the same role but on a much more reduced level, as by this point we were much more independent and able to take a larger range of work on from various other colleagues and had less questions to ask.

The majority of the time the workload was just right, with enough varied tasks on a day-to-day basis to deepen my understanding of both the company and job role. However, around the middle of my internship (weeks 3-6) the company was going through a bit of a quiet spell, and colleagues had very limited work that they were able to delegate to us. Although, this was not due to poor organisation of the internship from within the company, it was out of their hands as my colleagues could not delegate work that they didn't actually have!

We were given a high level of responsibility, doing a variety of work for a range of clients. While all colleagues were always available to help with everything we did, nobody shadowed over us whilst we were working, and we were often given pieces of work with very tight (sometimes same day) deadlines and trusted to organise ourselves and prioritise which work needed to be done first to meet these deadlines.

The skills will help me to a great extent. I have a greater knowledge of the entire industry and have first-hand experience using specialist software and programs. The level of responsibility we were given means I have a plethora of new skills and experience that the majority of graduates leaving uni with me will not have, giving me an incredible advantage over them within the job market. Some of the training, for example 'Excellence' and 'Professionalism' will assist me in any job I have for the rest of my life, whatever the industry. I'm not sure, however, how much the training will help towards my degree, but I think the level of responsibility given to us will have helped my problem solving skills.

Very happy and lively atmosphere, everyone is welcoming and friendly. There is a good balance between chatter and communicating in regards to work and focusing on tasks. Very relaxed atmosphere which creates happy employees and colleagues who are willing to work and help each other out. Enough space so the office doesn't feel crowded or cluttered

very well organised, lots of training sessions in the first three weeks so that we can get on with work in the subsequent weeks. There was already a strong and well set up structure within the office, so once we found our feet it was very easy to slip into

very appealing, there is constant room for progression with each actuarial exam that you pass, as well as other promotions. There are opportunities to take on other side-roles such as being a hub leader or be a 'champion' of something. Each of these will provide new challenges and develop different skills

yes, there were numerous emails circulated in regards to paid volunteer days outside of work. I took part in a conservation day at Woodhouse Ridge restoring an area of woodland for locals and dog walkers to be able to use. Also, there were of course many activities of an evening including drinking and eating that usually happened a couple of times per week