Actuarial and Investment Intern Review

Work within both the Actuarial Consulting and Investment Consulting divisions on rotation. Role requires a mixture of training, client work and meetings. Client work involves technical tasks, both short term and longer projects, such as cash equivalent transfer values (CETVs) and investment monitoring reports (IMRs). Meetings are both informal, such as discussions over workloads, and formal, such as visits from investment managers. Training workshops are used to help interns understand technical mathematical and financial concepts.

The first week of the internship involves a large amount of training workshops, introducing you to concepts such as the pensions industry and asset allocations. During the 8 weeks I've developed my excel skills through working on client projects, communication abilities through explaining a problem to colleagues or speaking to clients and overall understanding of the actuarial profession.

There are many opportunities to take on client work with varying degrees of urgency. Barnett Waddingham operate a doer/checker system and so encourage interns to work on important tasks throughout the 8 weeks; ensuring interns feel valued by the company.

Interns are given both mentors, with approximately 2 years of graduate experience, and supervisors who are qualified actuaries. There is an informal discussion in week 4 of the internship, giving summer students an opportunity to reflect on their development and identify ways to improve on their performance - this is followed by an overall review in week 8 of the internship. There are many opportunities and support channels to discuss issues during the placement

Colleagues are welcoming and encourage personal development throughout the placement. There are many social opportunities such as the annual Barnett Waddingham football and netball tournaments. The company operates a 'hot desk' policy which actively encourages interns to sit next to and learn from various members of the firm, from new graduates to partners.

My experience at Barnett Waddingham has been extremely positive! The work opportunities offered, both client projects and developmental, are relevant to the firm and allowed me to develop my technical and interpersonal skills. Interns rotate between the actuarial and investment divisions, allowing you to make informed decisions on which aspects of the work suit their career goals. I would return to work at Barnett Waddingham as a graduate without hesitation.

Yes

The application process is challenging and may take several months in total. Prepare thoroughly for each stage of the application and ensure you have an understanding of what each stage involves. On the assessment centre, try to relax - the day is quite intense but there is a relaxed and friendly atmosphere on the day.