FOIRE AUXQUESTIONS

Retirement Associate
(former Intern)

Team                       Retirement

Segment                 Human Capital and Benefits

Location                  Reigate, United Kingdom

Experience level     Intern

University/Degree   St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, India, BSc (honors) Mathematics

Why did you pursue an internship with WTW?
 
Having studied for some actuarial exams at university, I was keen to understand the practical aspect of the theoretical knowledge I was gaining. WTW gave me the opportunity to work for some of the biggest pension schemes in the country, which was a perfect opportunity to learn the essence of the industry.

Can you tell us about your career progression with WTW, starting as an intern?
 
I started my career as an intern with WTW India a few years ago and now I work as an associate with WTW UK. Having worked as an associate on defined benefit schemes in India, I wanted to get exposure to the pension industry in another country. As one of the largest actuarial companies with a presence in multiple countries, WTW made getting an opportunity to work in another country easier. I applied for a position in the UK, was contacted by HR and after a few in-depth interviews, was made an offer to transfer.
WTW’s Global Mobility team made the transition a smooth one, and I felt supported at every step. It was definitely a big change driven primarily for the purpose of career advancement. Now that I have been in the UK for almost 10 months, I feel the move has helped me grow both professionally and personally.

What were your responsibilities as an intern?
 
As an intern I was responsible for shadowing consultants in the preparation of valuation reports for clients for accounting purposes. It gave me a good understanding of how pension liabilities impact the ledger for multinational corporations. I also got an opportunity to sharpen my Excel skills by creating a spreadsheet for automating a process.

What training and development opportunities have you enjoyed as a result of the internship?
 
WTW has an extensive training programme, along with great study support. To succeed an actuary, we need to maintain a balance between work, study and social life. Having a generous study policy made things easier. Also there were frequent social events with the team where I got to interact with senior consultants and actuaries; learning from their experiences was definitely an added benefit.

What were the highlights of your WTW career experience?
 
At a very early stage in my career, I had an opportunity to work closely with a senior consultant supporting a client that was implementing a government-driven defined contribution pension scheme. It involved managing a project with multiple stakeholders and tight timelines. We started by selecting a third-party administrator, and then had discussions with senior management at the client company to ensure they had the platform required to introduce the new pension scheme to employees.

From having the opportunity to attend client meetings and work with communication experts to prepare content for employee awareness, this experience provided incredible exposure to project management and to the client.

How would you describe the culture at WTW?
 
The culture is diverse, with something for everyone. One of the best things about my job is the ability to interact with members of the team at all different levels. I love that I get to learn new things from highly experienced actuaries. I also enjoy the sincere appreciation I receive from not only my manager, but from the people I work with directly.