Pensions Actuarial Summer Intern Review

Find work to do from colleagues, normally there is plenty to go round. Completing basic and some more advanced actuarial client work which is delegated from student and qualified actuaries. This can include things like transfer value calculations for individual cases or producing a summary funding statement from given data. Learn about new concepts in pensions and the wider company, such as the football analytics software Transferlab.

Communication - being able to listen and understand what you need to do in a task being set - asking the right questions - Being able to ask for help when you need it and not waste time Organisation/time management - sometimes you need to prioritise which task you do first, or turn down work if you don't have time Interpersonal skills - building relationships with colleagues, how to communicate professionally Computing - huge improvement in excel

From the third day I did real client work, which was daunting but a lot of fun. You 'do' a lot of client work which is then checked and reviewed. For example, I produced an Annual Actuarial Report which is used by Trustees to understand the pension scheme's position and a Summary Funding Statement which is sent to pensioners of the scheme. I ran a team meeting for my team of 20.

I felt very supported by my colleagues and manager - everyone was very approachable and encouraged me to ask questions if I was stuck or confused. Although some of the work was challenging, it never felt like I was being asked to do things I couldn't - people took the time to fully explain what was needed. I had a 'buddy' who helped me learn the ropes and was a friendly face I could turn to.

The culture was the best I've ever experienced - everyone was really friendly and welcoming. There were loads of socials that I could get involved with, which helped me feel like part of the team. I made friends very quickly, both with fellow interns and people already working there. I was able to be myself and have a ;augh with my colleagues, which made the days go very quickly!

I really enjoyed my time and felt like I got a huge amount out of it, both personally and professionally. I developed a lot of skills and made some great friends. I was never bored at work as I had a variety of things to do and my time there went too quickly if anything.

Yes

You don't really need to know too much about pensions, just the basics. Make sure to research the company, for example who their clients are (trustees and corporate). You want to be able to justify why they are the company you want to work for - for example, the people, or you're interested in their football analytics platform. Awareness of what it takes to become an actuary is also important.