Catastrophe Modelling Analyst Review

My internship at Willis Re was a great experience. I enjoyed working in the industry. My project was tailored to the needs of the company and will be of use to current employees. I was exposed to many parts of the business and had opportunities to make contacts with various people in the company. Overall, my placement was very enjoyable and valuable.

The team I was put in was very friendly and I felt very welcome. Throughout my time, they gave me feedback on my project and were very excited about the final outcome. They never undermined my abilities and valued my input into the team. They made sure I was integrated with the team and invited me to group meetings. I never felt left out.

Willis employees are very easy to talk to and I never had a problem reaching out to more senior people than me. They were always happy to help and provide better expertise due to their experience in the (re)insurance market. I had weekly catch-ups with my line manager that were a great way of tracking my progress. I also sent weekly updates to senior management and was always given feedback and suggestions for future steps.

I was working on a project throughout my internship and I set myself goals for smaller parts of the project to complete. My work was busy enough because of the big scope of the project but I did not feel too busy on a daily basis. With correct time management, I was able to deliver everything on time.

During my internship I was doing a project that did not involve too much responsibility. While other people in the team were working on the client data, I was working towards my own deadline. I was responsible to finish the project and deliver a presentation to senior management. It was great to show my work to people other than my team.

I have been given insight into (re)insurance market from a catastrophe modelling point of view. It was a very valuable experience to see how a science undergraduate can fit into the insurance industry. During my time at Willis Re, I have learnt how to use software specific to re-insurance industry. The company was very keen on my personal development and let me explore areas non-specific to my job role during placement which made my experience even better at Willis.

The Ipswich office has a great atmosphere. We always had lunch together and would go for tea/coffee breaks during the day and have a chat to destress during work hours. They also scheduled welcome and leaving drinks for the interns which was really fun. I felt like a part of team and would enjoy such atmosphere during day-to-day job.

The internship was well organised. I had two day induction day in London which enabled me to meet other interns across different business units in Willis. During internship, I would often meet with graduate manager who would track our progress and make sure we are enjoying our time at the company.

The company was happy for me to explore other ideas than what was involved in my project. They were very encouraging to meet people from different business parts which let me decide what I like the most out of insurance industry. I was allowed an insight day in London office and was given training from other teams.

The company is very welcome to young professionals and has a lot of opportunities to take, not only specific to the internship I took part in. They are happy for people to develop and take personal career paths. I think the internship is a great way to see how the company works before going into graduate positions after university.

All other interns were very friendly and we become good friends during the internship. We all helped each other during work hours and met a few times outside work. We were working on different projects but still we were able to support one another in need. We will definitely stay good friends after the internship.

Working in Ipswich office decreased the cost of living significantly, which is a great addition to the good salary. It was definitely worth for a short internship. Socialising was not the best because the town is small. However, in terms of cost, it was definitely better than going out in the city of London.

I did not take much part in the nightlife during my internship. I moved to a new town alone and I did not feel like going out often in there. However, the harbour has many great places to sit down and have drink. There is definitely enough places if someone is looking for them.

As far as I am aware, not really. Moving house was temporary for me and I spent most of the weekends outside of the town with friends from university. Ipswich has great train connections to London so it is very easy to take part in activities there instead of the town.