Junior Actuarial Consultant Review

My role consists of supporting the more senior consultants in managing their clients. This may be routine monthly responsibilities that I have picked up or adhoc tasks on a day to day basis. These tasks require me to liaise with different people both internally and externally to gain the information I may require. This gives me exposure to different parts of the business and broadens my knowledge on the whole.

My confidence has improved massively and my social skills have become a lot stronger due to working with a variety of people every day. This is crucial in the business world. My problem solving skills have also improved due to being faced with different tasks every day and working on them independently to find an answer.

I am thoroughly enjoying the programme so far, it has opened my eyes to a new industry that I have never dealt with before. I have also gained valuable experience in just a short amount of time which is only going to improve as I progress through the programme. The team are work with are extremely nice and were very comforting upon my arrival to the company, I had high expectations for the programme as Aon is held in high regard as a company and they have met my expectations.

Starting a new job is difficult for anyone, Aon have ensured that I feel valued from day one. Everyone around me has made me settle in very well and always have the time to help me if I am struggling with anything. I am well appreciated by my manager and others around me, myself and my manager have regular catch ups to see how things are going and to check if I have any concerns. I feel that Aon values its apprentices well as we are the future of the company, I have already met with various senior members of the company which is quite exciting at such an early stage in my career.

Unfortunately the organisation of the programme had a bit of a shaky start for myself, there was minimal contact from our providers and no confirmation of the exams we would be sitting. However, the structure has improved recently but I do feel this is an area Aon could improve.

I have received some support from my training provider but not what I expected upon joining the programme, again i feel this is an area which Aon could improve in. Possibly to bring it all in house and administer the programme internally rather than using a third party company.

I receive a fantastic amount of support from my employer, my manager for instance will always take time to help me or just to talk through anything I want to discuss. The same goes for my other colleagues that I work with.

My salary is enough to cover my costs at the moment, I am commuting to the office every day, this is something which puts an extra 3 hours on to my day. Hopefully I can move closer to the office soon however I do not think I have the sufficient funds to do this as of yet. With annual pay reviews in April hopefully this will not be the case as I progress further into my career.

There are plenty of company events to take part in, whether that be a game of football being organised or going out for lunch one day. Aon makes it a big part of the business to make sure the work and social life is balanced and I think they do this extremely well.

Yes

This is a fantastic alternative to university, I actually think this is a better alternative to university. It gives you the experience of working within the industry and employers are looking for the sort of qualities you can only pick up within a company. You will still receive a professional qualification and you are earning whilst learning, its a no brainer.

Be prepared quite a lengthy application process and make sure you have some interview experience (although I found the interview very relaxing and comfortable). The best advice I could give is to just be yourself, you want to be hired based on who you are. Also take every opportunity you can get or you will regret it in the long run.