Summer placements for (Scottish) 2nd year undergrads

[Calum]

Hi folks,

Can I solicit your opinions on a useful way to spend this coming summer? I'm in the second year of the Actuarial Science degree at Heriot Watt, with another two years to run beyond that. I also have a Diploma (= first two years of English system degree) in Maths through the Open University.

One point to make is that I am only looking at Edinburgh employers, as I need to remain based in Edinburgh over the summer.

From what I gather so far, most actuarial employers are not hugely interested in taking summer placements from non-final year students (understandably). Although I intend to carry on and apply anyway on the off-chance that something comes through, what I am really wondering is what other opportunities would be useful in terms of experience. For those of you who deal with student actuaries on a regular basis, what do you wish they had done more of before joining you?

I had a chat with the recruiters from State Street and one or two other fund managers at a careers fair here at uni and they were quite positive, suggesting that I might find working with a fund accounting team useful.

Any thoughts very much welcome.

Cheers,
Calum

 

[Calum]

I reckon a bump after three months is allowable. I hope reporting season isn't stressing everyone out too much

At the moment I'm leaning towards just temping in Client Services for someone or other, but any other genius suggestions warmly welcomed. I'm effectively free to work full time from the start of April (apart from 4 exams) until September, so I've plenty time to fill.

Any thoughts warmly welcome (and if anyone in Edinburgh has any names I could try calling...)!

Cheers,
Calum

 

[geoff97531]

http://www.actuaries.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/19270/List_of_Employers.pdf

On page 7 there's a list of employers in Edinburgh. I reckon if you sent a CV off to all of those you'd get at least a few interviews - sound keen on a cover note with your CV (a different cover note tailored to each employer would be good, same CV would probably be ok for each). Even if you end up doing photocopying and other rubbish work there it will count massively on your CV when you finally leave uni as you can lie through your teeth (sorry I mean exagerate slightly) about what you actually did there. Good luck

 

[Calum]

Thanks Geoff,

While I certainly plan to scattergun anyone I can think of once reporting season is over, what I'm really interested in is any off the wall activities that might not be "usual" work experience material, but which might in fact be particularly useful. Internship at the Scottish Parliament? Write a novel? Learn Chinese?

Heriot Watt do a great industrial placement program where you can take a year out between third and fourth years to spend a year on the job, and I plan to use this as my main source of relevant experience come my graduacy - so this summer I have an opportunity to do something which has a bit of the "hmmm" factor to it.

Cheers,
Calum

 

[UKstudent]

Other possible ways of finding actuarial employers that are no listed on the www.actuaries.org.uk website is to look in the yellow pages for actuaries. Usually you will see a few small consultancies there and if you send in your CV and covering letter to them then you might just get an interview out of it and a possible job.

This worked for me after second year. I was the only person to write to a company and they hired me for the summer.