Summer Student Review

I really enjoyed my time with Barnett Waddingham. Everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming and they were always happy to answer any questions that I had. I was able to get involved with some client work and I enjoyed completing all the tasks that I was given. There was never a dull moment and I always had a lot to get on with. On several occasions I was even invited to go out to lunch with the team, which was great fun. It was really good to get the chance to spend time with my colleagues out of the work environment.

From the start I felt part of the team. I even sometimes forgot that I was only an intern! My colleagues were very encouraging and supportive and were always happy to answer any questions that I had. A lot of the work that I was given was for clients so they would need to review it. However, they always gave me very helpful feedback and took the time to explain any mistakes I made as well as suggesting what improvements I should make. They were a great team and I felt very lucky to be able to assist them during the time that I was at Barnett Waddingham.

I was given a mentor and a supervisor at the start of my placement. I mainly spoke to my mentor but they were very supportive and very helpful. Like everyone else at Barnett Waddingham, they were incredibly friendly and easy to talk too. They were always able to answer any questions that I had and were very happy to help when I needed advice. As a result it didn't take long for me to settle into my role as a summer student. When I was half way through my placement I met them for a mid-programme review where we discussed my progress and they gave me feedback for the assessed tasks that I had done.

There was rarely a time that I didn't have anything to do. If I was short of work, I could always make some progress on my summer student project, which I had to complete throughout my placement. At the start of the week we had work planning team meetings where we would reallocate our work loads. This meant that those who had a lot to do could pass on some work to those who didn't. I thought this was a great system. There were times that I had quite a lot of work to do, but I never felt like I was obligated to work overtime and I was still able to meet deadlines.

I lot of the work I was given was client work, so I had quite a bit of responsibility. However, client work is always checked by another member of the team so my work would not be given to the client directly. Whenever my work was checked, my colleagues would always give helpful feedback and advice on how I should improve it so that it is up to the standard that the client would expect. I was also given several tasks to complete at once and it was up to me to decide what the most appropriate order was to complete them in.

I have learnt an awful lot during my placement with Barnett Waddingham. I have been given the opportunity to develop my presentation skills. I haven't had much experience delivering presentations recently so I was very grateful for the chance to improve this skill. I have also greatly improved my communication skills through delivering presentations, writing lots of emails and also through the letter writing exercise. I am very grateful for what I have learnt from this opportunity and I hope to develop these skills further when pursuing and actuarial career.

Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. There is a great team spirit and colleagues are often helping and working with other colleagues. They were all very approachable and I felt that I could easily ask them for help when required. Whenever I had a question about a task that someone had given me they were always very willing to assist me when I needed it and they were very helpful and supportive. There is often conversation amongst the team members and everyone seems very happy working for the company.

The internship was very well organised. It began with a two day induction in Liverpool with the interns from other offices. I learnt a lot during those couple of days and I felt it was a really good starting point for what was to come. There were several assessed tasks that I had to undertake during the placement including a letter writing exercise, a technical presentation and the summer student project. There was a itinerary for when these tasks should be completed and there was a mid-programme review to discuss my progress over the first four weeks and a final review to discuss my overall progress.

I had a lot of training sessions during the first few weeks of my placement. They were given by other members of the team which was a great way to meet team members as well as learn new skills. During the two day induction, I was taught about using Microsoft Excel for actuarial calculations as well as investment strategies. I have definitely developed a lot of my skills and I am now much more confident about giving presentations. I also have a much better understanding of what actuaries do and this placement has confirmed that I would like to pursue an actuarial career.

Barnett Waddingham is a very successful growing firm so the future employment prospects are very appealing. The summer student internship is definitely one way to secure a place at the firm.

Everyone was very approachable and I have lost count of the number of times we went out for lunch as a team. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know and working with all the team members. There are many social opportunities that you can get involved in throughout the company including intra-office sports tournaments, company meals and drinks after work. You often see several team members getting involved with these events. Colleagues often work very closely with those at other offices as well as at their own.