Actuarial Summer Internship Day Review

I absolutely loved my online interns day with Barnett Waddingham! During the day we had highly informative sessions covering different areas at BW, such as 'Actuarial Consulting' and 'Employer Consulting'. I think the only way to improve the day would be to make some of the sessions more interactive, maybe with a group task like the ones we had during our assessment day. We also had smaller sessions in groups of around 8 throughout the day which was amazing as it created a close-knit environment that I wasn't expecting for a virtual event. It was so disappointing when the internship scheme was cancelled because of the pandemic, but the company managed to fit loads into the day and made us all feel welcome!

Everyone was so welcoming during the day, the BW staff took the time and effort to get to know all of us, and it made such a difference! Hearing from previous interns about their experiences was great. The company present a really friendly atmosphere that really came across during the virtual interns day, and in all previous interactions. For example, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] (talent acquisition advisor) was amazing and kept us informed of everything which was really reassuring when the country went into lockdown. Moreover, the staff constantly made an effort to ease the pressure during our assessment day and at the beginning of the virtual day when we were all getting to know each other!

We had so many opportunities to ask questions throughout the day, and we were given advice about different sectors and about life at Barnett Waddingham. During the smaller group sessions, we had a chance to ask more specific questions. I received a lot of advice about my own graduate prospects in a post-coronavirus job market. This was great as it was personable and I came across lots of different views on whether I should graduate or pursue a masters degree after my third year at university.

The internship day was jam-packed with information about all the work that BW does. It was really in-depth and gave me an insight into being an actuary that I would not have found anywhere else. Despite not having the summer at BW, the day succeeded in confirming my career goals. I now definitely want to pursue a job as an actuary, which wasn't an easy decision because of the time it takes to qualify. I don't think the information I've received is going to assist me in my Mathematics degree (as the information was related to work at BW rather than learning maths) but it will help me in my life outside of university.

The day covered so much information in so little time, and all of the large sessions were well-organised. A few of the talks ran over, but I'm happy about that as it was a one day experience and I felt like I got the most out the day as a result. There were plenty of small breaks in between the sessions, and the small close-knit discussions in between the larger talks also helped to break up the day. While the smaller sessions were less structured, this helped form the friendly atmosphere of the day and otherwise would have caused an 'information overload'.

The atmosphere was always amiable, and the BW staff made sure that none of us were too nervous. I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming and open the staff were, and for me, this was definitely what made the day so successful. Watching how everyone interacted with each other helped me form a clear picture of the company. They all work together as a team and support each other instead of competing, which makes Barnett Waddingham even more appealing as a place to work after we all graduate!

I have left my result as a five as I don't think this question is applicable because the virtual experience was only one day.

The virtual internship day gave us an in-depth insight into Barnett Waddingham's graduate programme. We learnt about the different rotations that graduates go through, and we heard from employees from various stages on/after the programme too! This was really helpful as it helped reassure us that we didn't have to immediately choose a sector, especially as we heard from people that had changed from one to the other. We also learnt a lot about life as a student actuary, and how the graduates manage working and studying for their exams at the same time.

During careers days and workshops, you hear a lot about companies following and living through their values. I learnt a lot about Barnett Waddingham's values before I even knew what they were - they didn't need to tell us as it came across through all of their employees! The staff at BW seemed honest, with an emphasis on doing the right thing. They also constantly highlighted how good the work-life balance is, as well as the community spirit within their teams!

The entire day helped me confirm that I do want to go down the 'actuarial career path' after I graduate. Learning about all the things they do in more depth than you can find from just perusing the internet was very helpful and insightful! Barnett Waddingham did a wonderful job at advertising themselves as a great company to work for. It was also good to hear about their study support and socials outside of work, but their atmosphere completely won me over. I've said this in nearly all my other comments already but the fact that they're so friendly and supportive has really helped me get a good impression of them!

In between the longer talks, we had smaller group sessions with 3/4 other interns. During these sessions, we'd have different employees from BW join us but we also one member stay with us for the whole day which was really great and helped us feel more at ease. The small groups were well thought out too. We were grouped together with interns and staff from the same office/region, which was nice as these were the people we would have worked with on the summer internship!

The close-knit group sessions were great for networking with each other and with people at the company. Given that we couldn't actually meet each other in person, we didn't have 'social events' but our networking sessions were very chill and felt like normal conversations rather and not forced at all! At the beginning of the day, we had a fun icebreaker and we talked about our lives at university, with some of the employees sharing some of their memories which really helped us feel at ease.

Hearing about all the socials at Barnett Waddingham made me very excited (and also a bit jealous after spending months in lockdown!). It seems really easy to make friends at the company and to get involved with other offices too!

The internship day was amazing! I learnt so much about becoming an actuary as well as working at Barnett Waddingham, and the atmosphere on the day was incredible. I would definitely recommend it to a friend if it takes place next year. But, at the same time, I think the actual internship would be more preferable for both the employees at the company and the interns! All in all, the experience was brilliant and by far the best careers day I have been involved with all year.