Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed the virtual experience provided by Barnett Waddingham. The day consisted of lots of little sessions explaining the different aspects of the company. It was very educational as the day gave an insight into the business and how it is run. Many employees from different actuarial teams and the recent graduates shared their experiences working for Barnett Waddingham and how the company has helped them with their careers. The employees of the company were friendly and created a relaxed atmosphere throughout the whole day.

During my time at the company I have felt very valued. The company were very keen to keep strong communication links between the summer interns and each of the different offices to ensure that everybody was informed on the process given the COVID-19 situation. This inclusivity made me feel very valued. During the virtual internship day, the employees at the company were very approachable and were keen to answer any questions that people had. They were also eager to involve the interns in discussions and valued our opinions and thoughts.

During the virtual experience we were given a lot of guidance and support. The Talent Acquisition Advisor was always available to answer any questions or advice to help with the experience. We were also split into little groups to and given graduates from different offices who mentored the group and were there to give support and guidance on different situations. They also shared their experiences with us to help us understand more about the career and business.

During the session I was able to develop my confidence as I had to talk in sessions to groups of people I has never met. One of the sessions was dedicated to exams and one of the recent graduates explained how the actuarial exams worked and the different types of exams we would have to pass to follow this career path. This helped with my studies because it enabled me to pick modules which would give me a good background knowledge on topics that we would be examined on.

The virtual experience was very well structured. During normal working office hours, the day was split into lots of sessions and mini sessions each dedicated to a different area of the company or the career. For the mini sessions, the summer interns were split into groups depending on which office they were based. These sessions were dedicated to: general Q&A, exams and office socials. The larger sessions involved all interns from all offices and were dedicated to the different types of consulting the company is involved in.

The general atmosphere of the virtual experience was relaxed and enjoyable. Barnett Waddingham staff and interns on the day were friendly and approachable. The sessions were very thought provoking as the presenters of each session were enthusiastic and had clearly put a lot of effort into ensuring that their sessions were easy to understand and informative. They were keen to answer any questions we had. This created an informal environment were everyone felt comfortable to talk to eachother. The mini sessions in the little groups were fun and lively.

The virtual experience gave me an excellent insight into what it would be like to have a full time role with the company. The recent graduates were able to provide the interns with a good understanding into what being a trainee consultant involves by explaining what their typical days would be like. They also explained some of the biggest successes and challenges they had faced in their roles. All the graduates had positive comments on their roles.

The experience was very educational on understanding the company's culture. The first session was presented by the senior partner who explained in detail the values and beliefs the company follows. We also learnt about how the employees interact and respect echother and how their health and wellbeing is an important factor in the company culture and ethos. Barnett Waddingham has a team-based ethos which encourages employee participation. The company has a key focus on providing a quality service to its customers.

The content of the virtual experience was very helpful on deciding my future career path. The sessions were very informative and provided details on the different actuarial work the company offers and what life as a trainee consultant for this company would be like. The internship was also insightful on what exams and requirements were required to pursue this career path. All the questions I had about this career were answered during the internship and the information provided was very valuable.

The way the the virtual internship day was structured, there were plenty of opportunities to meet other employees from the firm. On the calls, the summer interns were able to meet the other interns from the office they were based at and all the interns from other offices. We were able to communicate with eachother. The sessions were also presented by employees from different actuarial teams from different offices which enabled us to meet current employees from other offices too.

There was a session dedicated to the office socials which was very informative. In this session, employees described the different activities outside of work that employees could get involved in. There were activities such as sports events for netball and football where the teams from the different offices would compete in competitions against eachother. They also explained about the Christmas parties that the company hosted each year and the celebrations that were held at the end of exam seasons for those taking exams.

Yes, I would recommend this experience to a friend. I found the day very thought provoking and informative. The internship allowed the summer interns to meet current employees and graduates and learn how the company is run and its values. The experience was very well structured which made it easy to follow and to prepare for. I felt very valued and respected by the employees of the company. I enjoyed my experience with Barnett Waddingham.