Actuarial Analyst Review

You will normally start your day by reviewing your worklist and your emails, an then you'll proceed to move onto your day-to-day work; this can consist of various things, such as: calculation individual transfer values (i.e. benefits for a single member of a pension scheme), monitoring funding levels of pension schemes and preparing documents for client meetings.

I am studying towards the CAA (Certified actuarial analyst) qualifcation, and so far have sat the first two exams in the series and passed these. I have learnt lots from sitting the two exams which are to do with financial maths and statistics. Separately, Aon provide lots of internal training on topics relevant to your work, such as pension scheme funding and actuarial factors etc.

I am studying towards the CAA (Certified actuarial analyst) qualifcation, and so far have sat the first two exams in the series and passed these. I have learnt lots from sitting the two exams which are to do with financial maths and statistics. Separately, Aon provide lots of internal training on topics relevant to your work, such as pension scheme funding and actuarial factos etc.

I enjoy working on the actuarial apprenticeship a lot, this is largely due to the varied work that I am able to get involved in on a day to day basis, and the team that works around me. Everyone is very supportive and willing to help with anything that you might not be sure about. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the programme to someone who is wanting to become an actuary.

Overall, I think that the programme is quite well structured. For example, you have a two week induction to run through personal skills and then some more technical skills which you can apply in the workspace. There are also regular training sessions which occur throughout the year to top up your knowledge and teach you new skills where appropriate. Furthermore, the programme is structured quite well in terms of sitting exams and completing work for your training provider as you have regular catch-ups, meetings and progress logs.

My manager is very supportive and is always willing to help out if I have any questions or need to get approval for something. There is a wide range of support and network groups available within Aon which cover a variety of topics such as equality, diversity and inclusion. Aon in general are very supportive in making sure I have all the necessary resource to succeed.

My training provider (BPP) is very helpful in providing support towards my certified actuarial analyst qualification. We have regular monthly phone calls to make sure everything is on track and whether there is anything that needs to be addressed, we then also have quarterly face-to-face meetings to discuss progress more widely and what to expect over the next quarter. Overall, I have enjoyed working with my training provider.

The things you learn as part of the certified actuarial analyst qualification can be applied to work which you complete on a day to day basis. For example, you learn how to derive annuities (a series of payments) from first principles and it helps you to better understand the calculations which you complete each day. I definitely feel like I know slightly more about my job from completing my qualification.

There are lots of social events which happen at Aon; for example: there are football teams, netball teams and regular social events after work such as going for a drink. There is also the option to volunteer once a year as part of Aon's communities day and you get to go out into the community and work alongside a charity or organisation. You are also more than welcome to create your own social.

Yes

Aon is a good place to work because you are constantly supported and given the necessary resource to develop yourself sufficiently. Everyone is very friendly and there is no such thing as a stupid question and everyone will be happy to help out. There are lots of social opportunities within the office and outside of work so there is always fun things to do.

Make sure that you apply nice and early, and really consider the reasons for applying and make sure this comes through on your application. If you get put through to an assessment centre, be yourself and make sure you have done your research on the business and your role. There will be an interview, but just make sure you have good examples and follow the usual STAR technique.