Actuarial Apprentice Review

I am an Actuarial Apprentice at Aon Hewitt. My daily routine mostly revolves around individual member queries, which I either calculate, or ensure it is calculated by the offshore team. I work with colleagues of all levels in my job, as well as having frequent contact with administrations teams for my clients. I am responsible for ensuring all queries are complete within a certain deadline, which is a role I feel lucky to have at such an early stage in my career.

I feel my confidence has increased massively since working here, as I am no longer nervous when talking to senior colleagues. I have also been to different schools in order to spread the awareness of apprenticeships; something I never thought I would have the confidence to do. I have also become a lot more organised, which is a necessary part of having an office job. Prioritisation is something that has become really important, and I believe I am improving in time management. I am also hoping to gain qualifications whilst working here, and am currently studying for my Institute and Faculty of Actuaries entrance exam.

I have been amazed by how nice and helpful everyone has been here. Like any teenager, I wrongly assumed that people who work in pensions were not interesting, however I have since realised that it is a diverse industry full of people who are keen to help you develop. I always loved maths at school, so I knew I would enjoy going in to the actuarial side of the business. I really enjoy the work I am given, and get a sense of fulfillment when I correctly carry out a calculation. Although at first I was not be delegated much, my workload has since grown and I feel this is down to my growth in knowledge. I was initially worried about entering the workplace as it seemed so different to school and I did not expect to fit in. I felt this for a week or so whilst I adapted, but now I feel like I really fit in to the culture. My friends and family are constantly telling me that have matured massively, which I put down to having responsibility and adapting to a work environment.

At first, I felt somewhat inconvenient because I wasn't given much work and needed help with each task I carried out. Since then, however, I have felt increasingly valued by Aon and thoroughly enjoy being able to work so closely with senior colleagues on bigger projects. I think the residential training at the very start of my apprenticeship helped me to understand more about that workplace so I was able to adapt quicker. I have been able to attend school apprenticeship events, which I really enjoy as I feel the route was not promoted enough when I was in school myself.

I have felt supported at Aon from day one. The initial training was a really great way to meet other people in the same position, and get a feel for what working life was going to be like. I have a fantastic manager who is always making sure I'm ok, as well as a buddy who was an apprentice last year so is able to see things more from my perspective. I also have regular updates from my skills coach at BPP which I appreciate because she ensures that I am not falling behind at any point in regards to completing the apprenticeship.

My skills coach is really helpful as she is willing to help with any area of the apprenticeship. I know that I am free to ask her any questions, either over the phone or via email. We have regular phone catch ups, and she comes for a face-to-face meeting every few months. The only criticism I would have is that sometimes I feel they don't realise that I can be really busy at work, and therefore I don't always have enough time to stick to their targets.

I receive a great amount of support from the people I work with. I have fortnightly meetings with my direct manager to catch up on my progress, although he has told me I can arrange additional meetings with him whenever I feel it is necessary. My buddy has also been so supportive, but in a different way to my manager. I feel because we are closer in age, she can relate better to any personal issues I may have, as well as work related. I really appreciate this becsuse the transition from school to work has been a big change so it is relieving when there is somebody who knows what it feels like. I was pleasantly surpised at my inital trianing when I was shown a video about the Aon mental health support group. I have had past experiences of mental health issues and was worried about the stigma around it, however it is so helpful knowing that people in the same industry have similar problems and that the help is there if I need it.

I still live at home and walk to work, so living and travel costs are very minimal for me. I enjoy treating myself when I get paid as it feels rewarding earning my own money and being independant. I feel that my salary suits me well, however I would probably have a different opinion if I had to commute or pay for my own accomodation.

The majority of events outside of the workplace that I have been made aware of so far have been to do with promoting apprenticeships. Although I enjoy taking part in such events, I feel slightly limited to this field, altough I expect this will widen as I gain experience. I appreciate the fact that, as employees, we receive discounted gym memberships, as this makes me feel as though the company really care about my wellbeing. There is a group of people from my office that play football once a week, and I would love there to be alternative sports that I could get involved in.

Yes

I think Aon is a fantastic place to work for many reasons, but mostly because of the support I have receieved. I love the fact that my colleagues want to help me in my career and are willing to help me whenever necessary. I feel like as a company they really value their employees, which is difficult to do with such a large organisation. Despite it being so large, I feel very settled and at comfortable at work and I feel this is down to the people I work with. By running such a large apprenticeship programme, it is clear to see that they are keen on investing in young people, which I feel is really important in this kind of industry.

I found the process easier than expected because I had a week's induction to Aon prior to applying and was familiar with what they provide as a company, and felt comfort in the fact that I had been to the building before and met some of the employees. I would say to familiarise yourself as much as possible with the company before applying. Secondly, as corny as it may sound, I would say to just relax and be yourself. This is because I believe as a company they look to hire people who will fit in well with other employees and an approachable personality is always attractive to employers. I would have liked some more information about the apprenticeship itself once I was offered the position as I didn't really know what to expect until the first training week. I think that meeting my manager prior to starting to discuss my role really would have calmed my nerves over the summer period.