Actuarial Technician Review

Currently my main role is to assist actuaries in quarterly reporting using Solvency II and IFRS 4 (soon switching to IFRS 17). On a day-to-day basis I am responsible for updating excel spreadsheets which store financial data for the client, ensuring that all links are right and values are pulling through correctly.

I am now feeling a lot more confident with Microsoft Excel. Whilst still a lot more to learn, I can accurately use formulas such as INDEX MATCH and SUMIFS. I have greatly improved on my communication and time management skills as sometimes I can have several tasks/deadlines to balance. Being able to keep on track with these and communicate any issues with members of my team is key.

I am really enjoying my time so far working at WTW. Although it can be challenging at times to balance my day-to-day work tasks with the BPP Apprenticeship study/coursework, both BPP and my colleagues at WTW are there to support me in doing so. My colleagues are extremely helpful with any questions I have, and make sure to explain the processes I am working on.

The Apprenticeship is well structured. We have clear study and coursework targets set that we should aim to achieve for each month, and have regular progress calls with our work coach from BPP (usually every 6 weeks) to check in on how we are doing and if there are any issues. You can also see your progress at any time on the online portal.

WTW have been very supportive in my journey so far. We had an induction process upon joining the company, which involved training and networking with other new joiners/more senior members of the company. This has continued over the months I have been here. Members of my team were extremely welcoming and supportive as mentioned above. I know who I can talk to/reach out to if there are ever any issues and feel comfortable in doing so.

As mentioned above, we have regular progress calls with our work coach to ensure we are staying on track. This also gives us the chance to express any concerns. On the study side, we have regular tutorials which are extremely helpful. Things are clearly explained and we can go over anything we are unsure of, we also get given mocks to complete to ensure we are working through the questions.

So far all we have worked on throughout the apprenticeship side is A-Level Maths content (and a bit further). I understand it is important to make sure the foundations are there before moving on, and it is great to have a refresh, but I feel that a lot of what we are doing in the day-to-day job has nothing to do with the content currently. Entering a job with no experience of the insurance industry, it would be nice to be taught some more relevant things such as terminology and concepts e.g. different types of insurance, what annuities are etc., that could then help understand the day-to-day job more.

Our office has regular socials (usually once a month/2 months at least) and these can vary between quizzes, meals out, breakfasts, sports day. We are also encouraged to use our volunteer day once a year, and are given various opportunities to do so, getting involved with the community. There are also a variety of networks to join such as young professionals, LGBTQ+, Gender Equality.

Yes

It is a very supportive and inclusive company, everyone is very welcoming. Hybrid working is also great as you can choose when/if to come in the office or work from home. You are encouraged to improve both professionally and personally with lots of opportunities to learn and get involved with new things.

Make sure to research the company, particularly its values, which they put great emphasis on, and have examples of times when you have shown these values. Also look into recent news/achievements relating to the sector you are applying for. More importantly, they want to see that you will fit in to the WTW environment, so be yourself!