I joined Hymans Robertson in September 2017 as a trainee actuarial consultant within the Actuarial & Benefits practice however my journey with the company began long before that…

Over 5 years ago I took part in a week-long placement with Hymans in which I was given the opportunity to learn about the actuarial profession. Throughout my short time on placement I met some great people and was drawn in by the friendly and inclusive working environment – from there the seed was planted.

When I reached my penultimate year of University I decided to apply for the Hymans Summer Internship programme and, after the thorough interview process, my application was successful and I turned my thoughts to preparing for full-time work.

Looking back at my time on the programme, I’d like to offer some insight and advice that I hope you find useful when preparing for your own internship experience.

 Prior knowledge is useful, but you don’t need to be an expert

No one is expecting you to be an expert in the practice area that you’re joining – whether that’s a background in pensions or experience in life and financial services. In fact, there is very little assumed knowledge at all and you’ll find that the people you work with are extremely supportive and patient.

If you want to build on your technical knowledge before joining us then having a bit of background in your future practice area will help you to pick up tasks a bit quicker – if you’re going to be working within the A&B practice, the Trustee toolkit is a great starting point.

Brush up on the company values and the work we do 

As you’ll know from the interview process, Hymans places a strong emphasis on its people and the partnering and friendly working atmosphere that’s engrained in our culture. It’s useful to keep in mind the company values and the work that we do when you start and, more importantly, remember that you’re joining us for a reason and that’s because you share these values.

Get social 

Looking at the internship from a different perspective, you’ll no doubt have the opportunity to attend a number of social events. Don’t shy away from getting involved in any team or practice-organised events as it’s a great opportunity of getting to know the people you work with and it’s often easier to learn about the job in a more relaxed environment. If you like, you might even want to reach out on LinkedIn to some of the people you’ve met along the interview process.

Finally, I’d encourage you to share with your team and your manager what areas of work interest you and what you’d like to learn more about – communication is key. Above all, you’re here to learn and experience life at Hymans so enjoy yourself!