Summer Student in Retirement, Risk and Finance Review

by Mercer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.9/5
  • The Role
    3.8
  • The Company
    4.2
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • I gained a really good insight into the work I can expect in the first few years as a student actuary. I especially enjoyed working as part of a team, solving problems and questions members of pension schemes had.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • I was given real calculations to do from the first week and was often given feedback on my work.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • I always felt I could ask questions and everyone was very kind and helpful.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • It changed from day to day but overall I was not particularly busy. However I was given training material to read when there was no work to do.

    3/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I had to do pension scheme calculations called transfer values which are used when a member wishes to leave a pension scheme. I was given a lot of responsibility to do calculations accurately but they were checked by two other members of the team before they were sent to the client.

    3/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • I learned a great deal about how pension schemes work, which has given me a head start in my 4th year pensions course at University. Everything I learned in the summer will help me in my first year as student actuary.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The general atmosphere was quite relaxed and there was often lots of discussions going on. I felt at ease and was encouraged to ask questions.

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The internship was well structured. All the interns were taken to London for a day of training which was hard work but good fun. I was assigned a buddy in the office that always made sure I was getting on ok and gave me training material and work to do.

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • Mercer got all the interns together in London on the first day for training and in the office a student actuary spent a lot of time helping me learn how to calculate transfer values.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Company Parties/Events
    4/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • I was offered a graduate job with Mercer after the intenship.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • There was drinks after work a couple of times a month and the team went out for lunch together from time to time.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Edinburgh is generally quite an expensive place to live.

    3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • There are lots of good pubs and clubs in the centre of town.

    5/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • I was invited out for lunch a couple of times and for drinks after work. We also went to see a show during the Edinburgh festival.

    4/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Accounting

Yorkshire and Humberside

November 2009

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