Summer Student Review

I have really enjoyed my internship at BW. It has given me a first hand experience of an actuarial career, on both the investment and trustee side. I have had countless opportunities to work on 'real client' work, this made me feel like a valued member of the team. I was able to see where the smaller jobs I did, contributed to the bigger picture and a final product is given back to the client.

By working on 'real client' work, I felt valued in the team. No one made me feel like I was a junior member of the team. My work was always given feedback so that I was credited when I did something well but also corrected when making mistakes. I was invited to lots of socials, this also made me feel like a member of the team.

I was always supported by my manager through regular reviews and catching up with them in the office. I was also supported by other members of the team throughout the internship. My managers were really helpful in guiding me through the projects we are required to complete.

I was always really busy with work. Before starting, I was worried that I would be bored with long days in an office but I couldn't have been more wrong. There's always work to be doing and the team are really understanding if you turn down jobs because your too busy. This helped me develop time management skills as well as learning how to prioritise.

I felt like I had a lot of responsibility throughout the internship. I carried out small jobs like calculations to big jobs such as drafting reports that are sent to clients. This sometimes felt like a lot of pressure but I enjoyed having such responsibility, it helped me to feel like a valued part of the team.

Regardless of whether I go on to be an actuary, I have learnt a lot of useful skills. I have developed my Excel skills as well as my communication skills through doing presentations. I have learnt how to prioritise and manage my time better. I have worked both independently, in pairs and in a team. These are all skills I will carry forward to any career. I have also learnt valuable actuarial skills, if you want to be an actuary, this is the placement for you!

The atmosphere changes day to day, some days people are more chatting and others, people are more focussed. I was always able to get my head down and do work regardless, but at the same time, I never felt like I couldn't spark up a conversation with someone.

The training days were informative and well organised. So were the projects we did. But other than that, its all down to you and how you organise your work. Its one of them things where you get out what you put in.

I was able to talk about my personal development in my mid-term and final review. This was helpful, but other than that, there weren't many other opportunities. I think I have definitely developed as a person and with my skills over the placement though.

I would definitely consider future employment with BW, but it is a big decision to make so I know I need to spend some time thinking about this.

There weren't enough interns to organise our own social events, but we went to all of the events offered by the company. I would have liked some more opportunities to do social things, especially with the graduates working there.

Normal

There's a good nightlife here but I didn't really take advantage of this during the internship.

There was a netball and football tournament during the placement but not much other than that. I would have liked to get involved in more.