Junior Associate Pensions Consultant Review

My job description is of a Junior Associate Pensions Consultant and my role is within the Retirement Practice. I provide client service administration, and support senior team members in their broking and client management activities meaning my role varies daily. I have been involved in the change from Aon Trustee Organiser to Aon Pensions Organiser, which is an exciting new initiative offered to clients in order to reduce paperwork and to help Aon become more eco-friendly. ATO is a storage area for trustees to use scheme documents and APO offers electronic meeting management through the use of iPad’s and secure data management making it easier for trustees to access scheme documents. In addition, I assist in the delivery of client-facing plan management activities and project deliverables such as trustee meeting packs. My role at the moment is to put together the trustee meeting packs by printing the appropriate documents from the system and following the agenda to produce a pack. I also take part in writing new agendas using previous ones as examples. The completed pack is then shown to the Senior Consultant who checks it and approves whilst stating any changes needed to be made. After this, I complete a booking form for the secretaries stating when the packs need to be sent and the amount. In the meantime the packs are printed and bound by the secretary who then asks for them to be checked and then they are sent out. As part of the day-today retirement management services I help to draft newsletters; to ensure clients receive regular updates about their pension and investments keeping up to date with developments in and changes to pension’s legislation. Along with this I assist in the production of trustee report and accounts, funding statements, and fee letters which are sent alongside the invoices to the client. Other items I assist in which are parts of the monthly, yearly or quarterly process are things like the billing tool and scheme return. The billing tool states the time from the 3 areas; actuarial, investment, consulting which is then grouped as either Scheme or Company. This is done so that it gets put onto the correct invoice. After this it is then grouped as appropriate in the billing category column and any billing lines are written off. An invoice is produced and the client is billed. The scheme return is used by the Pensions Regulator to identify schemes where there is risk, or potential risk to member’s benefits and we use it to calculate levies. My involvement in the scheme return is limited to completing membership details using trustee report and accounts, checking trustee details, employer details, service provider details and scheme contact. I take an active role in the team to ensure client retention, satisfaction and profitability; my responsibilities reaffirm Aon’s focus to delivering client value. Along with direct work related tasks being an AON Apprentice I have also been given the responsibility to represent AON numerous times at networking events giving me an insight into other areas of the business and how AON promotes apprenticeships.

I have developed my customer service skills and received City and Guild Customer Service Certificate. I have taken part in internal training courses and learnt all about pensions - DB/DC Schemes and gained more knowledge of day to day talks.

I enjoy the companies culture which involves working together as team and I feel this has helped me develop and learn new skills.

I feel valued by my involvement within day to day tasks but most of all I felt valued when I had the opportunity to go represent Aon Apprentices at Manchester United Old Trafford.

My programme is very well structured, the 2 week residential induction was great to give me a insight into pensions and the triaining and support I have received in the office has helped me a lot. The mentoring system which involves assigning me a buddy is very good as I am able to ask lots of questions and be delegated tasks.

Our training provider skills solutions offers a fair amount of support from our tutor however i feel that there could be more given as i am not comfortable with the webinars compared to face to face meetings.

I receive a lot of support from my manager but most of all i feel that my mentor supports me.

My salary package meets my travel costs easily as i live close to the office.

There are lot of opportunities outside of work including, company events, leisure and sports clubs.

Yes

It is a great company to work for and there are many opportunites for career progression and a lot of help in personal development too.

Do research before the assessment day and interview thinking of examples of scenarios but dont be too nervous because the people at aon are very nice.